The Birmingham and Midland Museum of Transport was founded in the 1970s and boasts an interesting collection of early vehicles. Meanwhile, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery features an impressive collection of historical paintings – many of which are important works by highly-regarded international artists.

Soho House Museum: the dining room at Soho House was a regular meeting place for prominent figures and great minds of the 18th century. Matthew Boulton, one of the UK’s first industrialists, entertained leading thinkers of the Industrial Age here.

Birmingham and Midland Museum of Transport: the museum was opened in 1980 and features two large buildings which are filled with all types of vehicles used for transport, including buses, coaches and various battery- and steam-operated vehicles. Highlights at the museum include a collection of Midland 'Red' buses and several battery-operated electric vehicles, such as milk floats.

There’s a miniature steam railway on site to take visitors around the various exhibits – and many of the actual vehicles are used to provide bus tours around the site during the high season. The museum is operated exclusively by volunteers, who also restore and maintain the vehicles in the collection.
Chapel Lane, Wythall. Open: 11:00 to 17:00, Sat, Sun and bank holidays, 10 Apr to 31 Oct.

Ikon Art Gallery: this gallery, featuring an excellent selection of modern art, is located in the city centre and is reputed to be the best among the best of the small galleries to be found in Europe. The Ikon’s enormous central hall is home to rotating exhibitions and important art events – and also displays a wonderful permanent collection of the some of the world’s foremost works of art. There’s a well-stocked bookshop and a cafe in the gallery as well.
1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace. Open: 11:00 to 18:00, Tue to Sun.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts: for art lovers visiting Birmingham, and particularly anyone interested in European art history, a visit to the Barber Institute will be a highlight. The Institute boasts a comprehensive collection of paintings by Britain’s and Europe’s foremost artists from the Renaissance through the Impressionist periods and beyond, including: Gainsborough, Picasso, Reynolds, Rubens, Schiele, Turner and Van Dyck, and many others.
University of Birmingham, off Edgbaston Park Rd. Open: 10:00 to 17:00, Mon to Sat; 12:00 to 17:00, Sun.

Visitors are transported around the grounds on electric tram and trolleys, for a journey going back in time from the attraction’s modern exhibition halls to the historic village by the canal, where staff in traditional costume conduct demonstrations of their crafts and bring the site to life as they re-create the events of daily life.
Tipton Road. Open: 10:00 to 17:00, daily, Mar to Oct; 10:00 to 16:00, Wed to Sun, Nov to Feb (closed Mon and Tue).