13 Famous Landmarks in Birmingham, England
Located in the South West of England in the West Midlands region, Birmingham is a vibrant multicultural center with over 1 million people and a wide variety of activities.
Birmingham is also a destination rich in history. Indeed, Birmingham is a key center of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom where many technological advances were developed in its factories. That’s why Birmingham is also known as “The City of a Thousand Trades” or “The Workshop of the World”. This industrial city has since completely reinvented itself, and its historical heritage and numerous attractions now drive lots of tourists every year.
Wondering what are the famous landmarks in Birmingham?
Here’s a selection of some of the best landmarks you definitely can’t miss! 🚀
Full List of the 13 Best Landmarks in Birmingham
We’ve divided the landmarks of Birmingham in 2 categories: the historical landmarks in one part, and the museums and all other types of landmarks in the other part.
🏰 Historical landmarks:
- Birmingham Town Hall
- St. Philip’s Cathedral
- St. Martin in the Bullring
- Birmingham Back to Backs
- Aston Hall
🏛 Museums & other landmarks:
- Library of Birmingham
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
- Ikon Gallery
- National Sea Life Centre
- Cadbury World
- Sarehole Mill
- Bullring
- The Canals
So, here’s the list of the best landmarks Birmingham has to offer. Keep reading below to learn more about each of these landmarks. 👇
Historical Landmarks in Birmingham
As already said earlier, Birmingham has a long history especially marked by the industrial era. Some historical monuments testify to this, so let’s discover 5 of them right below!
1. Birmingham Town Hall
Located on Victoria Square in downtown Birmingham, the Town Hall is a major concert hall and venue for popular assemblies.
Completed in 1834 in order to host the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival, the building is the first important work of the 19th century designed in a Roman architecture style. The Town Hall is known for having hosted Dickens‘ first public readings in 1853.
Since the 20th century and still today, the Town Hall features all kind of music such as The Beatles, Queen, Bowie and Led Zeppelin in the 1960s-1970s. If you don’t have the chance to attend a show there, make sure to go through it at least, the building is definitely worth a look!
2. St. Philip’s Cathedral
Located 5min walk from the Town Hall in the center of the city, St. Philip’s Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Birmingham and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham.
This Grade I listed building was built in the early 18th century in a baroque style by Thomas Archer. With its magnificent stained glass windows, St. Philip’s Cathedral is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful historic buildings in the city.
It’s also the third smallest cathedral in England after those of Derby and Chelmsford.
3. St. Martin in the Bull Ring
Located in the Bullring district, St. Martin in the Bull Ring is the oldest church of Birmingham and a great example of gothic Victorian architecture.
Built on the site of an ancient church dating back to the 13th century, the parish church of St. Martin was completed in 1873 by Alfred Chatwin.
Inside, visitors can see the oldest monument of Birmingham, an effigy of Sir William de Bermingham dating from 1325. The church also has a very unique feature: a tea lounge!
4. Birmingham Back to Backs
The Back to Backs are the last back to back houses in the city, a legacy of the industrial revolution of which Birmingham was one of the main cradles.
In the 19th century, Birmingham experienced a boom in population as it increased by almost tenfold. To cope with this, homeowners built hundreds of two-story back to back houses.
In 2004, the National Trust restored 4 of these houses that had to be destroyed because of their unsafe condition. These houses have been furnished and decorated identically. Objects and recorded testimonies describe life in these homes: overcrowding was the rule, water was taken from the well (piped water only arrived in the 20th century), and the bathrooms were shared and unsanitary.
5. Aston Hall
Located in a public park north of Birmingham, Aston Hall is one of the city’s most important buildings as it’s one of the last great Jacobean houses to be built.
This 17th-century red brick house was built by Sir Thomas Holte and has stood the test of time. The building was a casualty of the English Civil War, and the damages are still visible today, more than 370 years later.
Aston Hall offers many activities and events, as well as exhibition rooms and fully decorated period rooms. The garden, with its perfect symmetry, is also a masterpiece.
Museums & Other Landmarks in Birmingham
Birmingham is the second most populous city in England after London. As such, the city offers various tourists attractions, cultural sights and points of interests that needs to be visited when in Birmingham.
Let’s discover some of them!
6. Library of Birmingham
Opened in 2013, the Birmingham Public Library is a true architectural gem! Known for housing England’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s works, it is also the largest public library in Europe and one of the major attractions in the West Midlands.
The library has 10 floors covering various themes: literature, children’s, magazines & newspapers, music, and archives.
On the 3rd floor, the library offers a beautiful terrace with a view of the city, as well as a secret garden on the 10th floor, which is accessible to all. And at the top of the library is the Shakespeare Memorial, which is accessible to visitors and can even be rented for events or weddings.
7. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Located just steps from the Town Hall in Chamberlain Square, the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has 40 exhibition rooms where visitors can see some of England’s most valuable artifacts.
Founded in 1885, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is home to the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found in the United Kingdom, as well as some fabulous Egyptian and Roman treasures.
The museum also houses a floor dedicated to the history of Birmingham and its people.
8. Ikon Gallery
Located in Brindleyplace in downtown Birmingham, Ikon gallery is a contemporary art gallery housed in a former neo-gothic school.
Established in 1965 by the art collector Angus Skene and 4 artists, Ikon gallery offers temporary exhibitions on 2 floors including photography, film, sound, painting and sculpture.
9. National Sea Life Centre
Located only few minutes walk from the Ikon Gallery, the National Sea Life Centre in one of the most visited attractions in Birmingham with hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Opened in 1996, the National Sea Life Centre has an ocean tank with a capacity of 1,000,000 liters of water and features about 2,000 species including giant green sea turtles, black tip reef sharks, and tropical reef fish. The aquarium also has the UK’s only fully transparent 360 degree underwater tunnel.
The center offers different tours, but all include a 12min 4D experience to discover the underwater.
10. Cadbury World
Located about 20 minutes south of the center, Cadbury World is one of the must-see attractions in Birmingham.
The museum is mainly about the Cadburys, the famous family of chocolate makers. The Cadbury family started small in 1824 with a store selling cocoa and chocolate drinks. Over time, they revolutionized chocolate production in the UK and built the huge factory where Cadbury World is now located.
Cadbury World is a fun museum that takes you on a journey through the fantastic world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It houses interactive exhibits where you’ll learn everything about the chocolate making process. A foodie visit not to be missed if you’re traveling Birmingham!
11. Sarehole Mill
The Cadburys aren’t the only world-famous people with roots in Birmingham. The famous writer J.R.R. Tolkien also began his “Unexpected Journey” in Birmingham.
Indeed, the author of The Lord of the Rings spent most of his childhood in this city. Although New Zealand is home to most of the filming locations, it was in Birmingham, more precisely at Sarehole Mill, that the author was inspired to imagine “The Shire”, the imaginary country where the Hobbits live.
If you want to travel in the footsteps of The Lord of the Rings in Birmingham, you can visit the “Middle-earth” on your own or on guided bus tours throughout the year.
12. Bullring
Birmingham is the ultimate shopping destination in the UK. You can’t miss the huge, modern Bullring shopping center!
Built in the 1960s and again in the early 2000s on a site that has served as a marketplace since the Middle Ages, the Bullring is also an internationally recognized masterpiece of architecture.
With about 200 stores, one of the UK’s four Selfridges department store and 28 restaurants, shopping lovers will definitely be delighted. For those who prefer to shop at small independent stores, head to the Custard Factory located 5 minutes walk from the Bullring.
13. The Canals
Birmingham’s canals are one of the city’s most famous sights. With 56km of canals, they form an even larger network than Venice!
Taking a boat tour during your visit to Birmingham is a great way to explore the city center, which is home to no less than 6 different canals. On a cruise, you’ll see a mix of historic buildings and contemporary architecture that reflect the city’s evolution over the centuries.
Map of the Landmarks Birmingham Has to Offer
To get the free map of the famous Birmingham landmarks, simply click on the image below to open it in Google Maps. Then click on the “star” icon to save it to your own maps.
More Landmarks in England
Want to discover more famous landmarks in England? Well, I have other posts will be useful to you!
Here’s the complete guide of all the very best English landmarks 👉 +70 Famous Landmarks in England
And you can also find other city-based landmarks guides:
- Famous Landmarks in London
- Famous Landmarks in Liverpool
- Famous Landmarks in Bristol
- Famous Landmarks in Leicester
- Famous Landmarks in Manchester
For more, you can also check all our UK guides.
I hope you’ve found all the information you needed to make your England bucket list through these posts. Don’t hesitate to comment below if this is the case, I would be very pleased to read your feedback!
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