The Museum of the Jewelry Quarter is a museum offering a time-capsule depiction of what a turn-of-the-century jewelry workshop looked like. The museum is found in the original location where the workshop operated from 1900 until it was abandoned in 1981. When the original owners retired, they locked up and left everything as it lay.
The museum opened in 1992 and today preserves the workshop just as it was. Here, you can learn the story of 200 years of the Birmingham Jewelry Quarter and the skills of the craft while seeing collections of old jewels and tools.
Museum of the Jewelry Quarter in Birmingham - one of the highlights of 10 Best Things to Do in Winter in Birmingham and 10 Best Museums and Galleries in Birmingham (Read all about Birmingham here)
photo by Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0) modified
Highlights of the Museum of the Jewelry Quarter
Arguably the biggest attraction at the museum is that it serves as a time capsule that shows what the workshop looked like in its 8 decades of business. The same tools that were left on benches and overalls left on hooks are still here to see.
The history exhibit explores 2 centuries' worth of the quarter's namesake industry. This neighbourhood was the center of the jewelry industry in the UK, and you can take a self-guided tour to see such unique items as coffin fittings and displays of jewelry made from natural materials found all over the world.
photo by Elliott Brown (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
Good to know about the Museum of the Jewelry Quarter
Those looking to obtain a souvenir or grab a bite to eat will find what they need in the museum's cafe and gift shop onsite. Children are permitted unaccompanied if they are 12 or older, but younger children must visit under the supervision of a guardian over 16. The museum searches bags and reserves the right to refuse entry for security reasons.
There is no carpark at the museum, but street parking is available, and several buses run to the museum. The facility is wheelchair accessible, but limited wheelchair users can access the museum due to the small space inside.
photo by Amanda Slater (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
Museum of the Jewelry Quarter in Birmingham
Location: 75-80 Vyse St, Birmingham B18 6HA, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1213 488140
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