Join us this half term for our family-friendly Explore the Store sessions.

As well as its mix of fascinating finds, you’ll be able to

• Hunt the griffins on our griffin trail
• Be an artefact finder - where you can decide what you would put in a museum whilst trying to spot our oldest artefact
• Handle objects - see rarely seen items from our top shelves and actually handle some of the items

This is your chance to get up close and personal with some of the 1000’s of items in our collection. You’re bound to find something of interest at the Museum Collection Centre.

The Museum Collection Centre is a 1.5-hectare site that holds 80% of Birmingham Museums’ stored collections under one roof. Among the hundreds of thousands of objects stored here are steam engines, sculptures, a transport collection of Austin, Rover and MG motor cars, dozens of motorbikes and even a red phone box. Your visit will allow you to see a vast range of objects, often with a real focus on Birmingham and the West Midlands. The contrasting mix of objects and the behind-the-scenes atmosphere at the Museum Collection Centre make it an intriguing place to explore and discover more about museum stores.

Event information

• This event takes place at the Museum Collection Centre, 25 Dollman Street, Nechells, B7 4RP.
• There is limited free on-street parking surrounding the Museum Collection Centre.
• There are public transport routes available (see how to get here for more details).
• Open Friday morning from 10am to 12pm, plus our usual afternoon session from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.
• Your ticket allows you to explore the collection centre at your own leisure.
• There is no café onsite and no food or drink is allowed in the warehouse (except for bottled water).
• Larger bags / rucksacks are not permitted within the warehouse. There is a limited amount of lockers available.
• Warm clothes are recommended, and sensible footwear is essential.

Pre-booking is essential.

Accessibility: The Museum Collection Centre is a modern building and there is level access to all ground floor areas of the warehouse including the toilets. For full details see our accessibility page.