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Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Companionship careWest Midlands

Days out in West Midlands for an older parent

Nine places in West Midlands that make a good day out for an older parent, from Black Country Living Museum to The New Art Gallery Walsall. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

Black Country Living Museum. Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nine days out across seven towns

The best places to take an older parent in West Midlands

Three of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for one describes a step-free route, and three confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Dudley

Black Country Living Museum

The Black Country Living Museum is an open-air museum of rebuilt shops, houses, a pub and workshops from the 1850s to the 1950s, with costumed characters, a vintage tram and fish and chips cooked the old way. The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust runs boat trips into the limestone caverns from right next door.

Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed free if booked in advance, there are several accessible toilets in the visitor centre and café and a Changing Places toilet, though some historic houses have stairs only.

Time to allow
A full day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Dudley

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston

Photo: Roger Kidd, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Edgbaston

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a 15-acre Victorian garden in Edgbaston with four glasshouses, from tropical to arid, along with a rose garden, rock garden, bandstand and lawns. There is a tearoom and gift shop.

The glasshouses are grouped together near the entrance, so your parent can see the tropical and desert plants under cover before deciding how far to go into the gardens.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Edgbaston

Cadbury World, Bournville

Photo: Martyn Wright, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Bournville

Cadbury World

Cadbury World in Bournville tells the story of chocolate and the Cadbury family, with a tour through themed zones, demonstrations of chocolate making and a large chocolate shop. It sits beside the Bournville model village built for the factory workers.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed on arrival, a wheelchair slot should be booked with the entry time, and a carer goes free for visitors who show a Blue Badge or similar proof.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry, one free carer ticket with proof

What their access information confirms

  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bournville

Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield

Photo: L. Carlos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Sutton Coldfield

Sutton Park

Sutton Park is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, a National Nature Reserve of heath, woodland, wetland and seven lakes where cattle and ponies graze. The visitor centre near the Town Gate has displays and maps.

The visitor centre, about 250 metres from the Town Gate, has toilets and is open all year, and several lakes can be reached by car, so a short visit is easy to plan.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Sutton Coldfield

Coventry Cathedral, Coventry

Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral · Coventry

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral is two buildings side by side: the roofless ruins of the medieval cathedral bombed in 1940 and the modern cathedral of 1962, with Graham Sutherland's huge tapestry, John Piper's baptistery window and Epstein's sculpture of St Michael. The ruins are open to walk through.

There is level access into the ruins and the new cathedral, all of the nave level is accessible apart from two chapels, and there are accessible toilets at nave level.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Check prices

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Coventry

Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry

Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Coventry

Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

The Herbert is Coventry's free museum and art gallery, next to the cathedral, with galleries on the city's history, art from the Middle Ages to today, natural history and changing exhibitions. It has a café.

There is level access to each floor with a lift between them, accessible toilets on both floors and Blue Badge parking on Bayley Lane opposite the entrance.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Coventry

Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry

Photo: Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Coventry

Coventry Transport Museum

Coventry Transport Museum holds a large collection of British-made cars, bicycles and motorcycles, telling the story of Coventry as the home of the British motor industry, including the land speed record cars Thrust2 and ThrustSSC. It is in the city centre.

There is no parking at the museum itself, so a carer should use the Bishop Street or Belgrade Plaza car parks nearby, and the galleries are indoors for a wet day.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Check prices

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Coventry

Wightwick Manor and Gardens, Wolverhampton

Photo: Bs0u10e01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Wolverhampton

Wightwick Manor and Gardens

Wightwick Manor is a Victorian half-timbered house in Wolverhampton, run by the National Trust, filled with William Morris wallpapers and fabrics and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Its Arts and Crafts gardens include yew hedges, a rose garden and an orchard.

A carer should check the National Trust's access details before going, as the house is on several floors and the gardens slope down from the house.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Wolverhampton

The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall

Photo: Alex Liivet from Chester, United Kingdom, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Walsall

The New Art Gallery Walsall

The New Art Gallery Walsall is a free gallery by the canal basin, home to the Garman Ryan Collection of works by Epstein, Van Gogh, Monet and others, with international exhibitions on the upper floors and a roof terrace with panoramic views. There is a café on the ground floor.

Entry is free and the café is on the ground floor, so your parent can see one floor of the collection and rest before deciding whether to see more.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free admission

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Walsall

Regular groups and events in West Midlands

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in West Midlands.

  • Music · BirminghamLunchtime organ recitals at Birmingham Town HallThe Birmingham City Organist gives fortnightly Monday lunchtime recitals on the Town Hall organ, each about an hour long. A short seated concert in the middle of the day suits someone who tires in the evening, and a carer can book stalls seats near the doors.Details
  • Dancing · DudleyWednesday afternoon tea dance at Dudley Town HallA weekly afternoon tea dance run by a local dance school, with ballroom, Latin and sequence dancing and a tuition or practice slot at the start. Free tea and biscuits are included, so a carer can go along, sit out the faster numbers and join in the sequence sets.Details
  • Dancing · BirminghamKeep Dancing classes for over 60sWeekly Keep Dancing classes for older adults have run since 2013 across Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell and Solihull, teaching dances from around the world with no partner needed. A carer can come as company rather than a partner, which removes the main barrier for someone going alone.Details
  • Painting · BirminghamRBSA Gallery exhibitions and workshopsThe Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, founded in 1821, runs an artist-led gallery in the Jewellery Quarter with exhibitions, events and workshops. A carer can check which workshops suit a slower pace and book a place, or simply plan a short gallery visit followed by painting at home.Details
  • Reading · BirminghamLibrary reading groups in BirminghamBirmingham libraries support reading groups and lend sets of the same title so members can all read along. A carer can help with transport to a nearby branch, or collect the set so someone can join a group that meets in their own neighbourhood.Details
  • Sports · BirminghamLess mobile walking football at BeechcroftBirmingham Walking Football Club runs age-banded sessions at Beechcroft, including groups for over 60s, over 70s and less mobile players. A carer can ring ahead to confirm a space, drive to the ground and stay pitchside with a chair and a drink.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in West Midlands

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Black Country Living MuseumDudleya full dayPaid entryPartlyYesYes
Birmingham Botanical GardensEdgbastonhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Cadbury WorldBournvillehalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Sutton ParkSutton Coldfieldhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Coventry CathedralCoventryan hour or twoCheck pricesPartlyYesAsk
Herbert Art Gallery and MuseumCoventryan hour or twoFreeYesYesAsk
Coventry Transport MuseumCoventryhalf a dayCheck pricesAskAskAsk
Wightwick Manor and GardensWolverhamptonhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
The New Art Gallery WalsallWalsallan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in West Midlands

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

AldridgeLongbridgeFordbridgeGornalWinson GreenFalcon LodgeShirleyWednesfield123456789
  1. 1Black Country Living Museum, Dudley
  2. 2Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston
  3. 3Cadbury World, Bournville
  4. 4Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield
  5. 5Coventry Cathedral, Coventry
  6. 6Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
  7. 7Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry
  8. 8Wightwick Manor and Gardens, Wolverhampton
  9. 9The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in West Midlands

Carers in West Midlands charge £19 to £20 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £19, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £76 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in West Midlands has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in West Midlands

Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston, Cadbury World in Bournville, Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield, Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, Coventry Transport Museum in Coventry, Wightwick Manor and Gardens in Wolverhampton and The New Art Gallery Walsall in Walsall. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Herbert Art Gallery and Museum describes a step-free route. Black Country Living Museum, Coventry Cathedral and Herbert Art Gallery and Museum have an accessible toilet. Black Country Living Museum and Cadbury World lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Sutton Park, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and The New Art Gallery Walsall. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 33 of the carers with a rate near West Midlands drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £19 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in West Midlands shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of West Midlands

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around West Midlands

Days out in the areas around West Midlands

Companionship care by town in West Midlands

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in West Midlands

See carers near West Midlands who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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