The Exchange
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Birmingham
What it’s like
A free city centre exhibition space with step-free access, a proper café and long opening hours to build a day around.
This is a free exhibition venue right in the middle of Birmingham, and it's worth knowing that's what it is before you turn up expecting a soft play or a hands-on museum. It suits a family who's happy wandering and looking rather than one who needs buttons to press, so it fits better with older kids who can cope with an exhibition pace than with a toddler who wants to run at things.
Entry costs nothing, which takes the pressure off if you've only got half an hour before a train. It's open Monday to Saturday from 8am, closing at 5pm most days but staying open until 8pm on Wednesdays, so that's your evening option if the weekend's booked up. Step-free access throughout and an accessible toilet mean a buggy or a wheelchair isn't a problem.
The café is a proper part of the visit, not an afterthought, doing hand-roasted coffee, handmade sandwiches and salads, cakes and an Afternoon Tea. Worth timing it right though, since it keeps the same daytime hours as the rest of the building and shuts at 4pm on the days it's not open late.
There's no car park attached to the building, which is a faff if you're driving in, though Bridge Street has street parking close by. If you're coming by train, New Street is the nearer station at 10 to 15 minutes' walk, with Snow Hill a bit further out at 15 to 20 minutes. Guide dogs and assistance animals are welcome, but this isn't somewhere to bring the family dog along for the ride.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- No on-site parking. Street parking on Bridge Street nearby
- Food
- Café serving hand-roasted coffee, handmade salads and sandwiches, cakes and Afternoon Tea
- Dogs
- Guide dogs and assistance animals are welcome
- Getting there by bus or train
- New Street Station 10-15 minutes walk
- Free entry, so it's low-risk to pop in for even a short visit
- Open until 8pm on Wednesdays, useful if weekends are full
- No on-site parking, so factor in a short walk from Bridge Street or the train stations
- Café hours match the building's, so eat before 4pm unless it's a Wednesday
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
It costs nothing to enter, which makes it an easy add-on to a day in town.
Is there parking on site?
No car park attached to the building. Street parking on Bridge Street is close by, or you can walk in from New Street or Snow Hill stations.
What time does it close?
5pm most days, but it stays open until 8pm on Wednesdays if you want an evening slot. The café keeps the same hours, so don't leave lunch too late.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking link given for this one, so it looks like a walk-in visit.
Is it buggy and wheelchair friendly?
Step-free throughout with an accessible toilet and a Changing Places facility, so buggies and wheelchairs shouldn't have any trouble.
Can we bring the dog?
Guide dogs and assistance animals only, so it's not a spot for the family dog.
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