Birmingham city centre’s historic museum has series of special events over the weekend of November 28 to 30, 2025, to mark a momentus birthday.
It’s 140 years since Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery at Chamberlain Square opened and everyone is being invited to join in the celebrations.
The museum building was officially opened on Saturday 28 November 1885 by the then Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. Since then, it is estimated that around 100 million people have visited the museum.
To mark the anniversary on Friday November 28, visitors can enjoy a birthday cake-cutting moment, live poetry on demand from award-winning Brummie poet Bradley Taylor and a performance by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Trumpet Club.
Over the whole weekend, there will be more opportunities to mark the anniversary with these special events below. On top of that, visitors can enjoy a 15 per cent discount in its gift shops on Sunday 30 November as part of Museum Shop Sunday.
Special events include going behind the scenes into parts of the museum that visitors don’t usually see during ‘hidden spaces’ taster tours.
There will also be a trail of party hats concealed among the objects on show in the museum’s galleries that visitors will be urged to find.
Along with that, there is a ‘my first museum’ tours for young visitors under five years of age and their families.
Among the exhibitions to currently see at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero, organised by Central BID Birmingham. It featuring accolades, mementos and photos from the Black Sabbath frontman’s illustrious career and has been extended into January 2026.
There is also a new display, The Elephant in the Room, which explores how artefacts from around the world came to be part of Birmingham Museums’ collections.
While Watch Us Lead is by multi-disciplinary artist Christopher Samuel, highlights the disabled experience in Birmingham.
The Grade II* listed building and stunning tearooms have been gradually reopening since October last year after a programme of essential maintenance. There are now new displays in the Round Room and Industrial Gallery and two new galleries dedicated to children and families, telling stories about nature in the city.
The phased reopening continued with a new display of over 60 works from the city’s Pre-Raphaelite collection across four newly refurbished galleries and full public access to the Staffordshire Hoard in October 2025.
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to help us celebrate its 140th anniversary this month.
“From its foundation in the 19th century, the museum has been woven into the fabric of Birmingham life. We’re proud to celebrate the many stories it holds – and even prouder to help write its next chapter.
“This milestone isn’t just a look back – it’s an invitation to imagine what lies ahead and to celebrate a museum that is evolving with its city and reminding us that cultural institutions can be vibrant, inclusive and rooted in local stories.”
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is free and open Monday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.