Ikon Gallery
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Birmingham
What it’s like
Free contemporary art exhibitions in Birmingham plus hands-on family Saturdays like a clay-making day.
The exhibitions here cover sound, film, photography, painting, sculpture and installation, and getting in to see them costs nothing. That's the main draw if you've got kids who like looking at odd, unexpected things and asking why someone made them. It's not a hands-on children's museum, so younger kids will need you to talk them through what they're seeing.
Where it gets properly hands-on is the family events. There's a Family Play with Clay Day and other Family Saturdays with guided activities, though these now cost £5 a ticket. The gallery explains that's a recent change, brought in because too many free spots were booked and never used. Worth knowing before you plan a visit around one.
The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday plus bank holiday Mondays, 11am to 5pm, and you don't need to book just to wander round the exhibitions. The café runs longer hours, open from 9am every day and staying open until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays, useful if you want to turn a gallery visit into a proper outing. There's a shop too, and the site's wheelchair accessible, which matters if you've got a buggy in tow.
A visit here suits kids who can cope with a quieter, look-don't-touch pace, and works best paired with one of the family activity days if you want them properly occupied rather than just walking round.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, the exhibitions are free to visit. Family event days are a separate £5 a ticket.
Do we need to book?
Not for the exhibitions themselves, you can just turn up during opening hours. Family Saturday events are ticketed at £5 each.
What can kids actually do there?
They can look round the contemporary art exhibitions, or join a Family Saturday event like the Play with Clay Day for something more hands-on.
What are the opening hours?
The gallery's open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, 11am to 5pm. The café opens earlier and runs until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 5pm the rest of the week.
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