Museum Collection Centre
Birmingham Museums' main store with about a million objects, open for pre-booked self-guided visits on Wednesday afternoons.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum Collection Centre in Nechells is the main store of Birmingham Museums Trust. It keeps about 80 percent of the trust's stored collections under one roof, roughly a million objects, in a large warehouse building of around 12,000 square metres on three levels. Only a small share of the collection is ever on display or on loan, so the centre is the one place to see objects that are not normally shown.
The stores hold steam engines, many of them from the former Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry, together with motor cars, motorcycles, fire engines, stone sculptures, tin toys, old machinery and cupboards of smaller items.
Visitors explore the store at their own pace on the weekly Explore the Store sessions, which must be booked in advance. The centre also opens for two open days a year and for special events. It hosts the Museum in a Box service, which lends original objects to schools and community groups.
Highlights
- Store holding about a million objects
- Historic motor vehicles and fire engines
- Steam engines and large machinery
- Stone sculptures and tin toys
Permanent exhibition
- Explore the Store – Self-guided visits through the storage halls, with vehicles, machinery, sculptures and cupboards of objects that are not normally on display.
- Operated by
- Birmingham Museums Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6NUS students and people receiving benefits |
| Children & teens | £5free up to age 2 · Child ticket for ages 3 to 15. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · One personal assistant of a visitor receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment enters free; assistants must be 16 or over. |
| Students & apprentices | £6NUS students. |
Prices shown are without Gift Aid; the Gift Aid prices are £8.80 (adult), £6.60 (concession) and £5.50 (child). Birmingham Museums members enter free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ground floor has level access, including the toilets, and lifts serve all other levels. Floors are smooth concrete or linoleum. Seating is on the ground floor. Assistance dogs are welcome and a water bowl can be provided. Some areas have low lighting to protect the objects.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Duddeston station · 5-min walk · 500 m
Bus 14 from Birmingham city centre to Duddeston station, or train to Duddeston station (about 5 minutes from Birmingham New Street). From the station, walk along Dollman Street; the entrance is on the left.
By car
Free parking
The free car park is open from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after public access and has Blue Badge bays.
- Accessible parking
Use postcode B7 4RP for satellite navigation (the address postcode is B7 4RQ). The site is about 1 mile east of the city centre, near Curzon Circus on the ring road. Bike racks are available during working hours.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
There is no cafe and the site is on an industrial estate with nowhere nearby to wait, so plan your arrival time.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Allowed unless stated otherwise, but not for commercial use; no tripods, selfie sticks or flash. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits are self-guided. Photography is allowed unless stated otherwise, not for commercial use; tripods, selfie sticks and flash are not allowed. |
