This Social Story aims to prepare individuals with autism for their visit to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery by letting them know what to expect. 

Read the Social Story below or alternatively the same information can be downloaded in our Social Story PDF. 

My visit to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

I am going to visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG). BMAG is a museum which has artwork and historical artefacts.

These are photos of the outside of the building where Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is. This is the public entrance, if I am only looking around the galleries, I will use this entrance.

I will be greeted at the door and then go up these steps. 

If I am taking part in an educational workshop, this is the Schools entrance I will use. I will enter here with my adults or teachers.

There are people that will help me when I am in the museum. These people are called Visitor Experience Assistants. 

They wear Pink Lanyards. 

If I have a question when I am at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery I can talk to a Visitor Experience Assistant. It is fine to talk to them.

The Visitor Experience Assistants might take me to a trolley. 

If I want, I can leave my bag and coat here, they will be safe.

To get around the museum I will use a variety of steps or, if I need to, lifts.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has 2 Classrooms. I might not visit them both but that is fine. 

In these rooms I might take part in different workshops, such as, The Ancient Egyptians, Anglo Saxons or Romans.

There will be lots of things to do and it might get noisy. If I don’t like it or don’t want to join in, I can tell my adult or the person running the activity. 

When looking around the rest of the museum, there will be different areas called galleries. In each of these rooms will be interesting things to see. 

Usually, I will walk between rooms. using stairs or the lifts. My adult or a Visitor Experience Assistant will tell me which is OK to use.

There are toilets on in the leaning area and nearby to each gallery. 

If I need the toilet, I can ask my adult, or a Visitor Experience Assistant and they will show me to one.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is a busy place. There might be lots of other children at Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery when I visit. It might be very noisy when I visit. 

If I don’t like the noise, I can tell my adult or a Visitor Experience Assistant. They will show me somewhere quiet. 

I don’t have to go if I don’t want to. 

I must not leave the area where the people I came with are. This is so my group knows where I am, and I am safe. 

If I don’t know where my group is I can ask a Visitor Experience Assistant and they will help me.

Here are some images of the galleries I might see on my visit. I might not see all of these galleries and that is ok. 

I am not allowed to touch some of the things in the galleries, I will ask my adult if there are any I can touch and they will let me know. 

I won’t get in trouble for making a mistake, but I must try and remember to ask.

This is the Round Room, located just after the public Entrance. 

In this room I might see some lovely artwork and sculptures.

This is a photo of the Industrial Gallery. I might see here some machinery and an area to read stories. 

This gallery is all about how things were made in Birmingham.

In this room, after the industrial gallery, I will see some lovely pencil drawings. If there is paper on a table in the room, I might be able to draw too, I will ask my adult first though.

This is the Hall of Muses. 

In this room there are images of influential women from Birmingham. 

The grey room at the end might have sound coming from it, with speakers talking. 

If it is too loud for me, I will tell my adult and we can carry on.

In this room I might see lots of different animals, they are stuffed animals and are not alive. If I don’t want to see them it is ok. 

There are also paintings of the countryside all over the walls and spaces for drawing. I might be able to draw too, I will ask my adult first though.

This is a photo of the lunch area. When it is time for lunch, I will go with my class to the lunch area.  

I will have brought lunch with me. 

I will eat my lunch in the lunch area. 

If it is too noisy for me in the lunch area, I can tell my adult or a Visitor Experience Assistant.

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