Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city and an amazing place to take the kids without spending lots of money. Museums, parks, Lord of the Rings and even donkeys – Birmingham has it all! When you’re #InnTheKnow with Premier Inn, you can focus on the good times and not on how much you’re spending.
Booking at one of our Premier Inn Birmingham hotels can save you money, with great value accommodation at low prices right next to some of Birmingham’s best things to do for kids. Enjoy family trips without the faff and save money on your next family trip with our budget hotels in Birmingham.
We’ve listed our top seven favourite free and best value spots for kids in Birmingham below:
Free family breaks and activities in Birmingham
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham is full of museums, galleries and other highlights that are free for everyone. The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is one of the best for learning more about the history of the city and letting your kids enjoy hundreds of years of art at their own pace. Everything’s free to see apart from guided tours, including exhibitions in the Round Room and Industrial Gallery, which date back to when the museum was first opened in 1885!
Our Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre (Waterloo Street) hotel is just a five-minute walk away from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, you couldn’t ask for a more convenient spot!
Cannon Hill Park
Cannon Hill Park
Parks are always great for family trips on a budget, and Cannon Hill Park is probably one of the best parks to take kids in Birmingham. Over 250 acres of greenery, formal gardens and woodland, you could easily spend a whole day just walking through it. If you decide to spend money on a fun pass, you can get access to Golden Putter mini golf, Swan Lake boating and the Land Train, but you don’t need any of those to have a good time. Plus, there are plenty of other free activities on the grounds too.
Our Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre Bridge Street hotel is only a 10-minute drive or 30-minute bus ride on the 61, 63, 35, 45 or 47 routes away from this amazing natural space.
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Some museums are better than others for keeping your kids interested, while places like the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery are great for broadening your kids’ horizons, sometimes you want something a little more interactive. Enter the Thinktank, Birmingham’s biggest science museum and an interactive blast of excitement for the whole family. Let the kids run the show at MiniBrum, explore the Science Garden and, with tickets from only £2.50, get stuck into the Planetarium for a family fun day that’s out of this world.
Our Premier Inn Birmingham City Aston hotel is only a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride away from the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, our hotel is a no-brainer for easy trips to the museum.
Birmingham Donkey Sanctuary
Birmingham Donkey Sanctuary
Donkeys are hard-working animals that need a lot of love and attention, and that’s exactly what they get at Birmingham Donkey Sanctuary. Completely free to enter, kids can get up close to the donkeys being looked after and get to see nature on a whole new level. With free donkey training courses, you can feed the donkeys, see how they get looked after and take a tour in a lovely open-air part of the city with a sure-fire favourite for the kids.
Our Premier Inn Birmingham North (Sutton Coldfield) hotel is only a 10-minute drive or 30-minutes on the 110 bus to Birmingham Donkey Sanctuary. We don’t know how long it’d take by donkey!
Birmingham Tolkien Trail
Birmingham Tolkien Trail
Birmingham was a major influence on J. R. R. Tolkien when he wrote the Lord of the Rings. The Tolkien Trail isn’t an official route, but if you want to see the inspiration for Hobbiton, the mighty spires of Isengard and much more, the Tolkien Trail is the place to be. And it’s all as free as the people of Middle-earth!
Our Premier Inn Birmingham South (Hall Green) hotel is just a five-minute drive, a 15-minute bus ride or a 25-minute walk away from Sarehole Mill, Tolkien’s inspiration for Hobbiton and the iconic architecture of Bag End, with easy access to other spots on the trail like the Old Joe Clock Tower, the inspiration for Isengard.
Legoland Discovery Centre
Legoland Discovery Centre
This one isn’t free, but it’s too good to leave off the list. We’re including it because it’s such a special day out for kids, with Lego City soft play, a Lego 4D cinema and Lego Miniland. And of course, kids can try out all the latest Lego bricks and really let their imaginations run wild. If there’s one place to splash out on this list, it’s the Legoland Discovery Centre. Day tickets cost ~£20 and kids under 3 can get in for free.
Our nearest hotel to Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham is our Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre Broad Street hotel, we’re just a five-minute drive or a 10-minute walk away from the building blocks of fun.
Brindley Place Canals
Brindley Place Canals
Birmingham famously has more miles of canals than Venice. Quality matters more than quantity, and quality is what you get with the canals at Brindley Place. They’re perfect for a canal-side picnics, gentle stroll along the waterways or trip next to some of Birmingham’s best shops.
Our Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre Bridge Street hotel is only an eight-minute walk away from Brindley Place and some of the best canals in Birmingham, including some rooms with canal views.
Those are our top seven things to do on a budget with kids in Birmingham. Now you’ve saved money on your day out, make sure to save money on your accommodation too with our Premier Inn Birmingham hotels. Stay close to the best things to see in the city for less, with spacious family rooms, reliable service and friendly team members on hand with more great tips for exploring the city. Don’t rush your next city break with the kids, book a hotel and take your time – Birmingham is too good to rush through.
We hope these tips help you plan your next trip to Birmingham with the kids. For more tips on getting the most out of Birmingham, take a look at our local guide to Birmingham.