Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is one of Britain’s great civic museums, celebrated for its world‑class collections and its striking Victorian architecture. Opened in 1885, the building was designed as a “palace of the people,” combining grand staircases, mosaic floors and ornate galleries that reflect Birmingham’s industrial confidence. One of the most interesting facts is that the museum was funded partly through a tax on men’s haircuts, a creative solution that helped finance its construction. Inside, the museum’s most famous treasure is the Pre‑Raphaelite collection, the largest public holding in the world. Visitors can see iconic works by Rossetti, Burne‑Jones and Millais, many with strong ties to Birmingham’s own Arts and Crafts movement. The Industrial Gallery, with its ironwork and glass roof, showcases decorative arts, ceramics and metalwork that highlight the city’s manufacturing heritage. The museum also houses important archaeological finds, including the Anglo‑Saxon Staffordshire Hoard, displayed with detailed reconstructions that reveal the craftsmanship of early medieval goldsmiths. Other highlights include the Ancient Egypt collection, featuring mummies and funerary objects, and the Birmingham History Galleries.