If you are looking for something to fill the run-up to Christmas with younger members of the family, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has turned its Gas Hall into Neverland. The immersive Peter Pan experience, created by Culture Creative, runs from today, Friday 23 October, right through to Sunday 3 January, and it is the sort of thing that is worth planning a little in advance rather than turning up on spec.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Birmingham and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The Gas Hall sits on the first floor of the museum, with lift access from Edmund Street, and it has been filled with twinkling fairy lights, pirate ships and whimsical forests. The centrepiece is a full-size galleon, and you will run into live characters along the way: Captain Hook, the crocodile with a clock, Tinkerbell, Wendy and Peter Pan. Beyond that, there is a wishing tree, a camp, a cave, a mermaid, a rowing boat, moving images and a Christmas bedroom complete with a teddy bear. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes to walk through, it is suitable for all ages, and there is a shop and some interactive games at the end. A few practical things to know before you go: there is no strobe lighting and no chairs inside the experience, there is a bathroom about halfway along the route, no re-entry once you have started, and tripods, flashes and selfie sticks are not allowed, though photos are fine if you use the hashtag #NeverlandAtBMAG. Food and drink cannot be taken inside, but the museum Tearoom is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.
Tickets are sold by Birmingham Museums Trust and also through Fever, with limited capacity and timed entry, so booking early is the sensible move. Prices are split by peak and off-peak: adults are £12 off-peak, £16 standard and £19 peak, while children aged 3 to 16 are £8 off-peak, £11 standard and £14 peak. Infants aged 0 to 2 are listed as the same price as an adult in one place and as free when accompanying an adult in another, so it is worth double-checking the specific ticket you select. A personal assistant or carer goes free when accompanying the person they support, and museum members get 10% off admission. Tickets are non-refundable, though you can change the date and time up to 48 hours before your visit, subject to availability. The museum asks that you arrive five minutes before your slot with a downloaded or printed ticket, as screenshots of confirmation are not accepted, and the last entry is 15 minutes after the final time slot of the day.
There is a nice bit of history behind the whole thing. J M Barrie gifted the rights to Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity back in 1929, and in keeping with that, £1 from every ticket sold is donated by production partners Sony Music and RG Live to the charity, registration number 1160024. At the wishing tree, you can tie a ribbon and send a wish to the families at GOSH. The museum itself is in Chamberlain Square, a Grade II* listed building that opened in 1885 with architecture by Yeoville Thomason and cast-iron columns. There is no parking at the museum, so the Town Hall Car Park on B5 4AD is your nearest bet, about a five-minute walk away and free for Blue Badge holders. New Street and Snow Hill stations are both about ten minutes on foot, and the Town Hall tram stop is close by. Wheelchairs are available to borrow, and a free carer ticket comes with a disability ticket if you show proof of entitlement, and baby strollers are allowed, though they may need to be left in a stroller parking area when it is busy.
Published Date
23 October 2026
