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Model Villages & Miniature Railways in Birmingham

Model villages are thin on the ground here, but the miniature railways make up for it. Kinver Miniature Railway is a drive out to Stourbridge, where steam and diesel trains loop the track for £1.50 a ride, and there's a driving experience if your child fancies the controls. Closer in, at Solihull, the Birmingham Society of Model Engineers Ltd lets kids ride full-length trains around raised and ground-level tracks, through tunnels and past working signal boxes. A longer trip out to Coventry gets you Bridge View Light Railway, a ride through a garden centre with a maze and wetlands walk to explore afterwards. For toddlers, the club railway at Solihull is the gentler option, with parking and toilets on site. Kinver suits families happy with a longer trip, and it takes card only, so don't turn up expecting to pay cash. If the railway bug hasn't bitten yet, Perry Hall Park in Birmingham is free, with a sensory garden and buggy-friendly paths, just five minutes from the centre.

✓ 4 places✦ 1 free to visit