Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
BEST FOR
Ages 0+
ENTRY
from £7
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Bromsgrove
What it’s like
Wander 700 years of rescued buildings, ride the miniature train and count phone boxes in the National Collection of Telephone Kiosks.
This is a proper wander round rather than a whistle-stop museum visit. The whole site is made up of historic buildings that have been moved here and rebuilt, so your kids are walking through actual houses, a working windmill's neighbours and all sorts spanning seven centuries, rather than looking at pictures of them behind glass. There are two playgrounds to break things up and a miniature train ride, which is probably the bit they'll bang on about in the car home. The National Collection of Telephone Kiosks is a genuinely odd draw, and it's the kind of detail that sounds dull until you're stood in front of a row of red boxes explaining to a six-year-old why anyone needed that many phones.
It's outdoors in the main, with paths and ramps across most of the site, so a buggy or wheelchair isn't a problem, and the tearooms, shop and toilets are all reachable too. Admission isn't cheap for a family, £15 a head for adults and £7 per child, though the family tickets bring it down a bit, £24 for one adult and up to three kids or £39 for two adults and the same. Given the size of the place, you're not paying for an hour's diversion.
Food's in the historic tearooms with a buffet lunch and cream tea on offer, but the kitchen goes takeout-only from 3pm and shuts at half three, so don't leave lunch too late if you fancy sitting down properly. You can bring your own picnic too, though there's nowhere inside the tearoom to eat it if you do. Parking's free and on site, dogs are welcome around the grounds, and last entry is 45 minutes before closing, which shifts through the year, from 4pm in early autumn down to 3pm by November.
Groups are told to allow a minimum of two hours, and that feels about right for a family too once the train ride and both playgrounds are factored in. It's not a booking job for a normal family visit, so you can just turn up, though groups of ten to twenty wanting to eat do need to arrange it in advance.
What’s on here
- SAT24
Blacksmith Couples' Experience
A blacksmithing experience for couples at Avoncroft Museum, now sold out.
- SAT24
Introduction to Stained Glass: Halloween
A Halloween-themed stained glass workshop at Avoncroft Museum, now sold out.
- FRI30
Family Trick or Treat
15:30 · from £6 · 1 more dates
- SAT14
Basket Weaving
10:30
- SAT21
Introduction to Spoon Carving
10:00
- SUN22
Festive Wood Carving
10:00 - 13:00
- SUN22
Introduction to Natural Dyeing
13:30
- SAT5
Christmas Through Time including Visit with Santa (Adult Tickets)
10:00 · from £15 · 8 more dates
1940s War Time Dance
A 1940s wartime dance event at Avoncroft Museum on 3rd October.
On the Home Front 1940s Weekend
A 1940s-themed weekend at Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings on 3 and 4 October.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- All ages; buggies and toddlers manage fine on the paths
- Last entry
- 45 minutes before closing
- Parking
- Large free car park on site
- How long to allow
- Minimum two hours for groups
- Food
- Historic tearooms with buffet lunch and cream tea
- Dogs
- Dog-friendly
- Getting there by bus or train
- About 30 mins walk from Bromsgrove Railway Station
- Last entry moves through the season, from 4pm in September down to 3pm by November, so check which slot you're aiming for.
- The tearoom goes takeout-only from 3pm and shuts at 3:30pm, so eat before then if you want to sit down.
- There's free wifi on site if you need to keep half an eye on work.
- Groups of 10 to 20 wanting a sit-down meal need to book ahead.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£15 for an adult, £7 for a child aged 5 to 17. Family tickets are £24 for one adult and up to three kids, or £39 for two adults and up to three kids.
Do we need to book?
No, you can turn up on the day. Groups of 10 to 20 who want to eat need to book that in advance.
What are the opening hours?
It varies through the season: 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays and weekends from September into October, then 10am to 3pm on Wednesdays and weekends from November through to just before Christmas. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing.
How long should we plan for?
Groups are told to allow a minimum of two hours, and that seems fair for a family wanting to see the buildings, both playgrounds and the train ride.
Is it OK for toddlers and buggies?
Paths and ramps cover most of the site so buggies and wheelchairs get around fine, and there's step-free access and baby change facilities.
What about food?
The historic tearooms do a buffet lunch and cream tea, but they switch to takeout only from 3pm and close at 3:30pm. You can bring a picnic instead, though you can't eat it inside the tearoom.
Is there parking?
There's a large free car park on site, plus blue badge parking.
Can we bring the dog?
It's dog-friendly around the site.
Is the museum accessible for wheelchairs?
The site says paths and ramps mean most of it is fully accessible, including the tearooms, shop and toilets.
How do we get there without a car?
It's about a 30 minute walk from Bromsgrove Railway Station. The 144 bus between Birmingham and Worcester stops at Puddle Wharf, which is a 15 to 20 minute walk away.
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