Birmingham Museums has launched its new programme for autumn and winter 2025 on the theme of celebration.

The programme opens on 20 September with an exclusive late event at GIANTS, an immersive exhibition of giant prehistoric animals at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Visitors can get hands-on with real fossils, chat to shark expert Dr Jack Cooper, join a spotlight tour of the museum’s Round Room and Industrial Gallery and enjoy a limited craft beer at the bar in the Tearoom.

A special day for all the family to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway will be taking place at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum on Saturday 27 September. Shining a spotlight on the key role that Birmingham played in shaping the railways, there will be lots of hands-on activities such as mini steam train rides, train-themed make and take sessions and talks on the story of the iconic City of Birmingham locomotive on display in the Power Up gallery.

On Sunday 28 September there is the chance to celebrate the life of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne by drawing a portrait of the legendary Prince of Darkness at a special workshop led by Birmingham artist Milan Topalovic. All materials will be provided and the artist will be offering participants personalised, one-to-one tips and live demonstrations to help bring their artwork to life.

Award-winning stand-up comedian Paul Sinha will be headlining an evening of top-tier comedians at Comedy at the Museum on Thursday 2 October at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. With doors opening at 6.00pm, guests can enjoy a wander round the museum and a drink at the Tearoom bar before the show.

Visitors aged 16 and over can enjoy after dark LED candlelit tours of Grade I listed Aston Hall, along with stories of the ghosts that are reputed to live there, from Thursday 30 October to Saturday 1 November.

For family friendly fun, join the storyteller at Blakesley Hall between Wednesday 29 October and Friday 31 October for an atmospheric tour to find out all about Halloween traditions and stories or take part in the pumpkin takeover at Sarehole Mill on Wednesday 25 October with Halloween-themed craft activities and pumpkins floating on the Mill Pond.

For the festive season, Aston Hall will once again be lit up by LED candlelight for its Christmas by Candlelight tours. From Friday 12 December to Sunday 14 December, visitors can step back in time to find out how Christmas was celebrated in the past and learn about the origins of traditions such as the yule log and the Christmas tree.

Meanwhile at Blakesley Hall, every Thursday between 4 December and 18 December, costumed guided tours explore Tudor Christmas traditions and stories, ending with traditional wassailing in the orchard in the Blakesley garden.

Young visitors can experience a morning of festive magic in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Tearoom with breakfast with Santa, or storytime with Santa at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum from Saturday 29 November to Tuesday 23 December.

Also, every Sunday throughout December, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will be coming alive with festive performances, from joyful choirs to lively Morris Dancers. Each week will bring a new lineup of local performers filling the galleries with the sounds and spirit of the season.

The ‘celebration’ season runs until Sunday 4 January 2026. A complete list of what’s on throughout the programme is available on the Birmingham Museums website.