Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
Name	Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
Established	2001
Location	Birmingham, West Midlands
Type	Science museum

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum is a major science museum located in the Birmingham district of Digbeth adjacent to Millennium Point. It forms part of the cultural landscape alongside institutions such as the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, National Sea Life Centre, The Library of Birmingham, and International Convention Centre, Birmingham. The museum is situated within a context of regional regeneration projects that include Bullring Shopping Centre, Brindleyplace, Gas Street Basin, and the Jewellery Quarter.

History

Thinktank opened in 2001 as part of a wave of 21st-century museum development that included projects like The Lowry, Tate Modern, Science Museum, London, and National Museum of Scotland. Its origins trace back to industrial and scientific institutions in Birmingham such as the Birmingham Museums Trust, City of Birmingham Education Committee, and the earlier Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester model. The museum’s development intersected with urban initiatives supported by English Partnerships, Advantage West Midlands, and local authorities such as Birmingham City Council. Key figures and organisations involved in its planning and launch included consultants who had worked on projects for Imperial War Museum, Natural History Museum, Museum of London, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Over time the museum has hosted collaborations with institutions including Royal Society, British Science Association, Wellcome Trust, EngineeringUK, and National Archives.

Collections and Exhibits

The collections encompass artefacts from Birmingham’s industrial heritage linked to firms like Boulton and Watt, Lucas Industries, Austin, Jaguar Cars, Cadbury, GKN, and Hoover Company. Scientific holdings include early computing devices inspired by Alan Turing, connections to the ENIAC and Babbage traditions, and material culture resonant with collections at Science Museum, London and National Railway Museum. The transport collection features steam locomotives comparable to examples from Great Western Railway, London and North Eastern Railway, and Midland Railway. Medical and pharmaceutical items relate to histories associated with Aston University, University of Birmingham, Harvard Medical School, and pharmaceutical firms such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca. Aerospace and engineering exhibits reflect local ties to Rolls-Royce, Airbus, British Aerospace, and engineering pioneers like James Watt and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Thinktank’s artefacts sit in dialogue with international collections from Smithsonian Institution, Deutsches Museum, Musée des Arts et Métiers, and Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.

Galleries and Attractions

Galleries and attractions include interactive science zones inspired by galleries at Exploratorium, Eureka! The National Children's Museum, and The Tech Interactive. Permanent galleries present themes linked to Industrial Revolution, Victorian era, World War II, Cold War, and histories of telecommunications and computing that reference innovators such as Ada Lovelace, John Logie Baird, Guglielmo Marconi, and Tim Berners-Lee. Transport and engineering displays showcase items comparable to exhibits in National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, London Transport Museum, and Shildon Locomotion Museum. The planetarium cinema positions Thinktank alongside venues like Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Jodrell Bank Observatory; programmes include astronomy shows that reference research from European Space Agency, NASA, CERN, and Royal Astronomical Society. Temporary exhibitions have partnered with organisations such as BBC, Science Museum Group, British Council, and Design Museum.

Education and Outreach

The museum runs education programmes aligned with syllabuses used by University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University, and local schools in partnership with organisations like Ofsted, National STEM Centre, STEM Learning, and Institute of Physics. Outreach initiatives have collaborated with charities and funders including Wellcome Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, and Arts Council England. Public events have featured speakers and workshops associated with institutions like Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Engineering and Technology, British Science Association, and British Council. Community engagement projects have involved partners such as Birmingham Hippodrome, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Mac Birmingham, and local voluntary groups.

Building and Facilities

The museum occupies a contemporary building adjacent to Millennium Point and near transport hubs such as Birmingham New Street station, Moor Street railway station, and Birmingham Snow Hill. Facilities include a planetarium dome similar to those at New York Hall of Science and Adler Planetarium, education suites akin to those at Natural History Museum, and conservation labs modelled on standards from Collections Trust. The building’s infrastructure interfaces with local urban projects including HS2 (england–scotland) planning discussions, Birmingham Gateway, and sustainability schemes promoted by Energy Saving Trust. Accessibility provision follows guidelines from Equality and Human Rights Commission and design principles used by RIBA and CABE.

Visitor Information

Thinktank is reachable via road links to M6 motorway, A38(M), and public transport networks including West Midlands Metro and local bus services. Nearby cultural attractions include Birmingham Back to Backs, Custard Factory, Cannon Hill Park, and Sarehole Mill. Visitors often combine trips with venues such as Cadbury World, National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, Symphony Hall, and Birmingham Cathedral. Ticketing, opening hours, and visitor services follow practices used across institutions such as Science Museum, London and National Museums Liverpool. Parking, accessibility, and group booking arrangements are coordinated with regional authorities including Transport for West Midlands and hospitality providers near New Street.

Category:Museums in Birmingham, West Midlands