Steelhouse Lane Lock-Up Tour & Talk at the Police Museum
Overview
Here’s one that you probably didn’t know existed in our city centre, unless you have been on the wrong side of the law!
This evening the Police Museum are opening their doors just for Spice, so that we can step inside this authentic Victorian lock-up facility that operated for 125 years, only closing in 2016.
We will discover what life was truly like for those who found themselves behind bars here, including notorious criminals from Birmingham’s past, such as the real Peaky Blinders!
Our private guide will also deliver an interesting talk all about the Peaky Blinders gang giving us interesting facts about them and their stay at the prison.
We be able to peak at the underground tunnel that goes under the road between the Steelhouse Lane lock-up and Birmingham Magistrates Courts. You can see the tunnel through a glass panel in a door but can’t go in it as the courts next door are still operational.
The Lock Up retains many of its original Victorian features and demonstrates how a small ‘prison’ operated in the centre of a busy city for well over a century.
During our tour we will be able to browse some of the West Midlands Police Museum’s intriguing exhibits, artefacts and pictures from the archives, whilst hearing stories of the bravery of past officers from our tour guide.
We can become a detective in the forensics lab, take part in their interactive displays and even dress up in police uniforms should you wish!
Prepare for an exciting array of attractions, featuring a genuine police box, impressive police motorcycles, a life-sized police horse, and captivating pictures of criminals.
There’s an abundance of intriguing exhibits waiting for us to explore!
Includes
- Exclusive Private Guided Tour of the museum and cells
- Private talk about the notorious Peaky Blinders
- Tea & Coffee Refreshments
- Spice Volunteer Coordinator
Extras
- Any purchases from the Gift shop
- Any drinks from the café/bar
Not only do we have the whole museum to ourselves, the staff are also opening the gift shop and the café/bar especially for us should we wish to make any purchases.
The whole experience including our Guided Tour, Peaky Blinders Talk, browse around the gift shop and refreshments should take 2 and a half to 3 hours.
If anyone fancies a drink or two afterwards, we can wander up to the Queen’s Head Pub, which is just 2 minutes up the hill. The Alchemist is only a 5 minute walk away too if we're more in the mood for a cocktail or two!
Location & Itinerary
The venue has an accessible entrance for anyone that might need it. They also have a lift to allow wheelchair access to all floors but some of the cell doors can be a little tight for wheelchairs, depending on how big they are.
Located in the heart of Birmingham city centre, West Midlands Police Museum is easy to reach.
There’s limited pay and display spaces outside the museum on Steelhouse Lane and Whittal Street. The nearest car park is on Weaman Street and there’s also car park nearby.
By Train: The museum is a very short walk from Birmingham Snow Hill Station and just 10 minutes walk from Birmingham New Street and Moor Street stations.
By Bus: Most bus services stop within walking distance of the museum. Many services stop at Colmore Row which is a five-minute walk away.
The nearest metro stop is on Bull Street which is a five-minute walk away.
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Member Guided Tour & Talk | £25.00 | Available |
| Guest Guided Tour & Talk | £27.00 | Available |
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Host & Everything Else
Member Feedback from previous visits
- It was a very good place to visit and being the only people there made the atmosphere really good and eerie. Those showing us around, making cups of tea and presenting the history were fantastic. I would recommend this to others. The nearest pub is The Queens Head just up on the road. Which was also nice place to have a drink or two.
- This event was really good...the museum has definitely changed a lot since we last visited and is well worth a visit. Alex gave a great talk about the lock up and the Peaky Blinders gangs of Birmingham. We had as much time as we wanted to wander through the museum exhibits and the volunteers there were really helpful in answering questions of just generally adding stories to the exhibits. They were very welcoming and provided unlimited tea and coffee!
- Yes, this was a great event and I would recommend it and book a similar event in the future.
- Really loved this event at Steelhouse Lane Lock Up. Very interesting place and the 2 guides were amazing.....so knowledgeable and passionate about the place. Would recommend this event.
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