Travel-and-Leisure
Birmingham Attractions
I bet you think Birmingham is all dismal grey buildings and noisy roads. Well, Birmingham isn?t exactly packed with things to see and do? but there are some things that are well worth a visit.
To begin with, to get all those bad thoughts about Birmingham out of your head, go and take a look at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It?s very close to the centre, and it?s been there since 1832 ? modern life really doesn?t intrude into these lovely gardens.
If you like chocolate, you?ll love Cadbury World. It?s situated where Cadbury?s chocolate started, in Bournville, and it?s a huge exhibition about the history of chocolate and the Cadbury company. You can walk around the factory, see the chocolate being made, and even taste some at the end. Sure, it?s advertising in a way, but kids absolutely love it.
Another great Birmingham attraction is the National Sea Life Centre. It is one of Britain?s largest aquariums, with a million-litre ?sea tank? where all sorts of sea animals can be seen, including turtles and sharks. A sure-fire family success.
If you?re looking for something a little more grown up, then there are a surprising number of art galleries in Birmingham. There?s the Ikon, a gallery for modern art, and the Birmingham Museum, which has a good selection of older pieces. Birmingham University has a very good art gallery, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which features many paintings by old masters like Monet and Picasso.
If you?re into trains, make sure to stop by the Birmingham Railway Museum ? as Birmingham was one of the first places in the world to get railways, many particularly old and notable trains and other railway memorabilia are housed here.
Finally, even if you?ve been to Birmingham before, you might not have seen the Millennium Point complex, which only opened in 2002. It?s a leisure complex that includes Thinktank, an excellent science museum, an IMAX cinema and a shopping centre.
John Gibb is the owner of birmingham guides For more information on Birmingham check out http://www.birmingham-did-you-know.info |
John Gibb
Similar articles
Best Honeymoon Getaway Ideas
Planning for your honeymoon getaway? Here are some ideas you can consider that will surely provide you the best honeymoon experience:? Top-of-the-line Hotel HoneymoonAfter the guests have left, it is time for both of you two enjoy each other. Read more →Bhutan: A Magical Kingdom
Many people have never heard of Bhutan, the country that values Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product! Bhutan is a landlocked little country roughly the size of Switzerland. Read more →Bonjoie! 7 Lessons I Learned in Paris
"April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, holiday tables under the trees." -E. Y. HarburgAfter reveling in a mountaintop experience, it often takes one a couple of days to not only regain altitude and perspective; it takes a little while to fully grasp what? Read more →Botanical Gardens of Costa Rica
On my last trip to Costa Rica in Feb. 05, while doing research for my botanical tour programs, I visited the three most important botanical gardens in this small Central American Republic ? Read more →Aphorism
The idea that seeing life means going from place to place and doing a great variety of obvious things is an illusion natural to dull minds.