Birmingham museums extend opening hours after council budget boost

A number of museums across Birmingham – including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter – are extending their opening times this month following nearly £300,000 investment from the city council.

The money was made available as part of an amendment to the 2026/27 council budget, which was approved on 2 March 2026.

The new opening hours came into effect this month and are currently funded until the end of March 2027.

From Tuesday 7 July, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum increased their opening times to six days a week during term time, and both venues will be open every day during the school holidays.

From Saturday 18 July, Blakesley Hall, previously only open Wednesday to Friday, will now also open on both days of the weekend.

From Sunday 19 July, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter’s opening hours will include Sunday. The venue previously only opened Thursday to Saturday.

The Museum Collection Centre, which holds over 80% of the city’s collection, will now offer selected weekend tours, with plans to develop a broader programme of weekend tours and events.

The changes mean that delegates at this year's Museums Association Conference: Museums Connecting Communities, which takes place in the city from Monday 2 November to Wednesday 4 November, will be able to visit several venues that would otherwise be closed.

Delegates can also look forward to tours of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Museum Collections Centre on Monday 2 November, the opening day of Conference 2026.

The museums are all part of Birmingham Museums Trust. Co-chief executives, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, said: "We are delighted that Birmingham City Council has provided additional funding to help us extend the opening days across a number of our sites.

“This investment will enable more people to enjoy Birmingham’s outstanding museums and historic properties.

“We look forward to welcoming even more visitors from July 2026 and throughout the summer holidays and beyond."

In his introduction to the budget back in March, the council’s leader John Cotton wrote: “We have taken the action needed to sort out problems that have plagued Birmingham for too long. We have closed a £300m budget gap, we’ve tackled our equal pay liabilities, and we are getting to grips with improving the services that the council provides for the residents of Birmingham.”

Following the amendment, councillor Deborah Harries, the cabinet member for culture in Birmingham, said: “Giving greater access to our nine museums and our precious collections, for residents and visitors, has to be a priority. I’m delighted that our budget amendment earlier this year has translated into additional opening days at more than half of the museums across the city.

“I’m also really pleased that this means new and extra weekend openings at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Blakesley Hall and the Museum Collection Centre, providing greater visitor choice, particularly for children and families.”