11 Best Things to Do on a Small Budget in Birmingham

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery offers free access, so it won't cost you anything to see its regularly changing exhibitions showcasing art and history. The selected works at this institution tend to focus on the industrial history of the city, but you'll find a diverse selection of fine art, ceramics, jewelry and metalwork among others. You'll find plenty of fascinating pieces on display, but Jacob Epstein's work depicting Lucifer is one of the most profound, coming across as simultaneously alluring and menacing in the center of The Round Room. You can see it and more when you visit the museum in the city centre just west of St Philip's Cathedral.

MAC Birmingham is a multifunction arts center where you can enjoy all sorts of exhibitions, shows, concerts, workshops and classes with free entry. The variety of events and activities here are appropriate for all ages, and the onsite art gallery is especially alluring to frugal travelers. Some of the events do have an entrance cost, such as the live performances with particularly high production value, but even then, the theater strives to remain accessible to all visitors. You can see it all for yourself right next to Cannon Hill Park.

The Lapworth Museum of Geology features a comprehensive collection of minerals and fossils, many of which are from the Midlands and showcase the natural history of Birmingham. Many of the items on display date back millions of years, including allosaurus fossils, but you'll also see a sabre-tooth tiger and giant ammonites. The local rocks and minerals display is primarily known for its collection of vibrantly colored crystals that create a dazzling gleam. You'll find it all on the southern end of the University of Birmingham campus.

The Tolkien Trail is an iconic trail through Moseley Bog and Sarehole Mill that was once traversed by acclaimed author JRR Tolkien and inspired his imaginative world. The trail will take you past important places where the writer lived, studied and played as a child. The bog and Joy's Wood are particularly interesting, as the unique landscape and sights there were the inspiration for the Old Forest in 'The Lord of the Rings'. Access to the trail is entirely free, and you'll find it stretching through Moseley and Hall Green, south of the town center.

Digbeth Street Art is among the most impressive in town, and the walk to see all the colorful creations for yourself is completely free, as it's just a sidewalk. The walk stretches about 3 miles in total, and you'll be able to see all sorts of images along the buildings there. Among the art, you'll find dazzling images, including a dream-like depiction of Birmingham at night and a bizarre image of a spider with human fingers for legs. You can see it all for yourself by venturing down the walk in Digbeth that both begins and ends around the Moor Street train station.

The Library of Birmingham is 10 floors of artistic splendor where you can enjoy not only the collection of books, but also poetry readings, craft workshops and live performances. Admission to the library is free, as is admission to any live performances they host. On the first floor, you can enjoy a cafe with beverages and sweet treats, but if you head up to the very top, you'll find a roof terrace with stunning views of the city. See it all for yourself just south of City Center Gardens.

St Martin's Church, also known as St Martin in the Bull Ring, is a striking Victorian church in Birmingham. Established in 1855, it’s built on the site of an original structure that was first documented in 1263. Today, this centuries-old building makes for a striking landmark across the street from the ultra-modern Bullring & Grand Central shopping mall.

The church is open to visitors throughout the week, so you can head inside and admire its soaring stained-glass windows. The church organ and bells ring true throughout the neo-Gothic edifice. Along with a regular line-up of workshops and exhibitions, there’s also a charming tea lounge serving snacks and refreshments.

Cannon Hill Park is the most popular park in Birmingham and features 101 hectares of natural splendor with walking paths, water and grassy picnic neighborhoods. Boating and fishing are especially popular in the park's waterways, but you'll also find space for lawn bowling, putting and tennis. Several spots in the park are particularly interesting due to their unique features. For example, you can visit a Japanese garden that features a scale model of the Elan Valley Reservoirs with ornamental ponds. See it all for yourself just south of Edgbaston Stadium on the east side of the River Rea.

Canal Walkways are among the most scenic walking paths in the entire city, as they'll take you through a network of canals with alluring views and easy access to boating. Given the sights by the canals, the walking paths next to the water are remarkably well maintained and populated with fun shops and restaurants. If you're looking to venture out into the water yourself, you can charter a boat tour or hire a boat yourself. You can explore it all from virtually anywhere in the canal network, though the Old Line in Ladywood is a popular entrance.

Symphony Hall is a popular venue in Birmingham that features a unique way for visitors to enjoy quality musical performances with friendly ticket prices. The venue's 'mystery seats' feature allows you to purchase tickets for a discount. The catch is that you won't know where you're sitting until the day of the performance. Fortunately, it doesn't matter where you sit in this theater. It has some of the best acoustics in all of the UK. Before it opened, a test was conducted in which a pin was dropped on stage, and it could be heard from anywhere in the theater. You'll find this theater in Theatreland, southwest of the City Center Gardens.

Lickey Hills Country Park is one of the most-visited parks in the UK and affords numerous activities, including hiking, cycling, horse riding and golfing, on 212 hectares of land. The paths for walking and cycling are quite extensive, and the Lickey Hills golf course features a full 18 holes. No trip to the park would be complete without a visit to Beacon Hill. This legendary viewpoint has a height of 297 meters and can offer views of Worcester, Dudley Castle, Bromyard Downs and the Black Mountains, all from a single spot. You'll find this park about 10 miles south of Birmingham's city centre.