Things to do in the West Midlands | Travel Guides

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Things to do in the West Midlands

There are plenty of things to do in the West Midlands, making it the perfect location to catch-up with friends or spend time together as a family. The region is full of museums, shopping locations and great outdoor spaces for you to enjoy. A favourite is to visit Cadbury World to find out more about the history of this chocolate through an interactive experience.

The region is known for its canal networks interconnecting different cities, towns and villages across the West Midlands. Making it a great location if you would like to try your hand at navigating a canal boat through the narrow locks and rivers. It is also not far away from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire where you can visit the canal museum and find out more about the history canal boats. It is easy to navigate from Birmingham to Stoke-on-Trent and is a popular route.

The West Midlands is easily accessible from all of our routes, giving you loads of choices of how you are going to travel there.

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Morning	00:35	04:25	06:15	09:15
Midday	11:05
Afternoon	14:05	15:55
Evening	18:55	20:40	23:40

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Birmingham
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Ice Hockey
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Dudley Zoo and Castle
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Stourbridge

Day-out in Birmingham

There are so many things to do in Birmingham it is the perfect location for a day-out. If you’re interested in shopping then head to the Bullring, home too many high street brands with a range of food and drink outlets for when you are ready to take a break. Or you can head over to the Mailbox for a range of upmarket brands.

Every year Birmingham has a Christmas market to get you into the festive mood. This German market has gone from strength to strength and is the perfect place to pick up some Christmas gifts from their craft stalls.

Birmingham is home to the National Sea Life Centre, which is the perfect rainy day family activity. There are over 2,000 species for you to get close to and learn about. They have a 360 tunnel so you can quite literally take a walk under the fishes and feel like you are under the sea with them.

Watch a game of Ice Hockey

For something a bit different why not head to Coventry on match day and watch a game of ice hockey for the Coventry Blaze team. A popular sport in the West Midlands with its popularity increasing across the UK! We are sure you won’t get an icy reception when you turn up for the match, with tickets starting from just £18.

Coventry Blaze have been in the EHIL (Elite Ice Hockey League) since it was formed in 2003, but the team was established in the 1960s and their stadium can accommodate up to 3,000 supporters.

Dudley Zoo and Castle

Home to more than 1,300 animals and nearly 200 species, including some of the rarest creatures on the planet. What makes this zoo even more special is it setting among the ancient woodlands and ruins of the 11th Century Dudley Castle.

Get up and close to Lemurs when you visit Lemur Wood, a 1-acre walkthrough where you can meet the roaming lemurs and learn about the conservation programme Dudley Zoo supports in Madagascar.

Or perhaps you are more interested in their castle creatures? Described as the heart of Dudley Zoo and Castle you will see first-hand how in medieval times people would have lived in close proximity with bats and rats among other species. Plus you can hear about the history of the Castle and the vision of it becoming the zoological garden it is today.

Throughout the zoo there are a range of food and drink outlets for you to stop and grab a bite to eat.

Connect with Nature in Stourbridge

There are loads of great villages and small towns in the West Midlands for you to enjoy, but a great choice is Stourbridge. This beautiful market town is well-known for its long ties to the glass making industry. Since the 1600s glass has been manufactured here, but the introduction of the Stourbridge Canal accelerated this in the 18th Century. If you want to find out more about the glass making industry head over to the Ruskin Glass Centre and you will be able to see demonstrations from the resident glassblower.

There are loads of places to explore in the great outdoors of Stourbridge, for the best views head to Kinver Edge for stunning views of Shropshire, Staffordshire or Worcestershire. While in close proximity wander down the slopes to the National Trust historic rock houses. Some of which were the last dwellings of this type to be inhabited, until as recently as the 1960s. They have kept the houses furnished to illustrate domestic life in the 19th Century.

Alongside the still used Stourbridge Canal, you also have the imposing Stambermill Viaduct, another sign of the industrial impact of the glassmaking industry. The viaduct is still used for freight, but passenger trains do not pass over it.