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# Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum – Is It an Accessible Family Day Out?
- URL: https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/thinktank-birmingham-science-museum-is-it-an-accessible-family-day-out/
- Published: 2026-08-23T18:01:16.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-23T18:01:16.000Z
- Description: Our latest family day out took us to Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, where we found everything from fossils and steam engines to a Spitfire, giant eyeballs and a certain skull who somehow ended up being called Sam.
- Author: Sue
- Tags: Accessible Attractions, Hearing Issues, Neurodiverse Activities, Visually Impaired Experiences, Wheelchair Friendly

Our latest family day out took us to **Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum**, where we found everything from fossils and steam engines to a Spitfire, giant eyeballs and a certain skull who somehow ended up being called Sam.

More importantly for us, we found a museum where accessibility wasn't simply about being able to get through the door. There were things John could actually touch, handle and explore for himself.

And all three of us came away having enjoyed the museum.

💡

****Essential access info (as of August 2026)**  
  
****Prices:** £17.95 in total for the three of us — John paid the concessionary rate via PIP, admission was free for his essential carer, and George was admitted free with valid student ID on a weekday visit.  
****Carer ticket:** Free for the essential carer.  
****Mobility:** Lifts to all floors, as well as stairs.  
****Toilets:** On every floor.  
****Visual impairment:** Braille signage on some exhibits, a staff-led fossil-handling session, and hands-on tactile exhibits throughout.  
  
**Prices and policies as we found them on our visit — always check with the venue before you go.*

## Our Thinktank Visit at a Glance

**What we paid:** £17.95 in total for the three of us  
**Essential carer:** Free  
**Student entry:** George entered free with valid student ID  
**Accessibility:** Very good  
**Lifts:** Yes, to all floors  
**Toilets:** On every floor  
**Food:** Café available, or take your own food and use the picnic tables  
**Planetarium:** Available at an additional charge  
**Our verdict:** A very inclusive and enjoyable museum with plenty of hands-on exhibits

## How Much Did Thinktank Cost Us?

We decided to pay when we arrived rather than booking our tickets in advance.

That wasn't the cheapest way to do it.

Thinktank's admission prices vary, with tickets costing more during Birmingham school holidays, and booking in advance can work out cheaper than simply turning up.

As John receives PIP, he qualified for the concessionary admission price. We visited during the school holidays and paid **£17.95 for his ticket**.

I was admitted **free as John's essential carer**.

George did even better.

Students can get free admission on selected weekdays with valid student photo ID. We visited on a Wednesday, George showed his student ID and his admission was completely free.

That meant our total admission cost for all three of us was just:

**£17.95**

Not bad at all for a full museum visit!

It's worth checking the current prices and offers before visiting, particularly as prices and eligibility can change.

## First Impressions

One of the first things we encountered was an enormous electricity-generating steam engine in the Power Up gallery.

There are also outdoor exhibits in the Science Garden, although apparently when I pointed out that there was stuff outside for the children to explore, John thought that included him.

I did explain that I said *children*, not *people who act like children*.

It didn't help.

From there, we found everything from historic transport to displays about the human body, natural history, engineering and technology.

There is a lot here.

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/hs2.jpg)

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/lightbulb.jpg)

On the left: A model of the future HS2 station in Birmingham. On the right: A giant metal "lightbulb"

## A Museum Where John Could Actually Touch Things

For us, this was probably the most important part of the visit.

John is totally blind, so a museum consisting entirely of objects behind glass and information printed on signs isn't going to give him much of an experience.

Thinktank was different.

One of the highlights was the **Fantastic Fossils handling area**, where a member of staff encouraged John to get hands-on with the exhibits.

He was able to feel the ridges on a trilobite fossil and handle both genuine fossils and replicas while the member of staff explained what he was touching.

Then came a replica terror bird skull.

Giving John a large skull that he could put his hand inside was perhaps inevitable trouble.

Within seconds, the skull had acquired a name.

*"I'm Sam the Skull. I'm at the Thinktank!"*

My contribution to this educational palaeontology experience was simply:

*"Oh dear."*

![A replica of a giant bird skull, being held by John](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/birdskull.jpg)

"Sam the Skull"

## Dinosaurs Without the Touching

Not everything could be handled, of course.

We also found a huge real Triceratops skull on display.

Even without being able to touch it, we could describe the exhibit to John and talk about what we were seeing. Apparently being around 65–70 million years old may also qualify a Triceratops for a senior citizens card, according to John.

Educational standards remained high throughout our visit.

Obviously.

![The huge triceratops skull. In this photo we can see two of its three horns and part of its huge jaw](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/triceroptops.jpg)

The triceratops skull

## Interactive Exhibits

Thinktank has plenty of exhibits where you're encouraged to actually do something rather than simply look.

We tried an exhibit that reacted to your heartbeat. Mine appeared to be getting faster while I was holding it, while George seemed considerably more relaxed.

There was also a large display explaining how eyes work.

I helpfully pointed it out to my totally blind husband.

*"This shows us how eyes work."*

*"Oh. How eyes work?"*

*"Yeah. Except yours."*

John took this entirely in his stride and explained that if you have working eyes, the exhibit shows you why and how they work.

Fair enough.

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/georgeheart.jpg)

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/eyes.jpg)

On the left: George trying the heart exhibit. On the right: The eye exhibit

## Braille – With Added Singing

We were particularly pleased to find Braille incorporated into the museum.

At one point we found **Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star written in Braille on the wall**.

John read it with his fingers.

And then sang it.

Because apparently simply reading the Braille would have been far too restrained.

It was another example, though, of something we really appreciated about Thinktank: accessibility had been incorporated into the exhibits themselves.

John wasn't simply accompanying us while George and I experienced the museum visually. There were parts of the museum he could investigate independently through touch.

![John is crouched down, feeling the Braille on the wall in front of him. Above the Braille we can see the printed words "Feel the braille of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' below."](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/johnbraille.jpg)

John feeling the Braille version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

## Would You Let John Fly a Spitfire?

Thinktank also has a Spitfire cockpit that visitors can sit inside and explore.

Naturally, John climbed in.

I described the controls in front of him and helped him locate the control column.

I also made my own position perfectly clear:

*"I know there's one thing – I'll never get on a plane you're flying!"*

This didn't dent Captain John's confidence.

Within seconds he was making a passenger announcement and warning everyone that the flight could get bumpy.

I stand by my decision.

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/johnspitfire.jpg)

![](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/08/johnspitfire1.jpg)

On the left: John is sitting in the cockpit of the spitfire, about to press the button to "start" the engine. On the right: John sitting in the cockpit, giving his "passenger" announcement.

## Was Thinktank Accessible for Us?

**Yes. Very much so.**

We came away thinking Thinktank was a very inclusive museum.

There are **lifts as well as stairs**, so we could choose how we moved between the different floors.

There are **toilets on every floor**, which is particularly useful on a longer family visit.

For John, the tactile elements made a huge difference. We found Braille and exhibits he could touch and explore, and the fossil handling session gave him the opportunity to handle objects while talking directly to a member of staff about them.

The staff we encountered were **friendly and helpful**, which also makes a difference when you're visiting with additional needs.

George enjoyed the museum too, and there was enough variety to keep all three of us interested rather than it feeling like somewhere aimed exclusively at young children.

Overall, accessibility felt like part of the museum rather than an afterthought.

## Taking Your Own Food

We took our own food with us.

There are **tables in the picnic area on the second floor**, so we were able to sit down and eat the food we'd brought rather than having to buy lunch.

If you'd rather buy food while you're there, there is also a **café on the ground floor**.

Having both options is useful, particularly for families who need to keep the cost of a day out down or who have dietary or sensory reasons for bringing familiar food.

## What About the Planetarium?

Thinktank also has a **planetarium on Level 3**.

Planetarium shows aren't included in standard museum admission and cost extra.

We decided not to do the planetarium on this visit, so we can't give an opinion on the experience itself.

It's something to bear in mind when budgeting for your visit, though: if you want to include a planetarium show, you'll need to allow for the additional ticket cost on top of museum admission.

## Getting There

We travelled to Birmingham by train for this visit, so we didn't use the parking facilities and can't give a personal opinion on parking.

Unfortunately, although we had a very good day at Thinktank, there was a serious incident involving us on our train journey home which we subsequently reported to British Transport Police.

It had absolutely nothing to do with Thinktank, and we don't want what happened afterwards to detract from our review of the museum.

It has, however, changed how we plan to travel in future. We've decided that we won't be using trains for our family days out again and will drive instead.

## So, Would We Recommend Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum?

**Yes.**

The unfortunate end to our day aside, we genuinely enjoyed Thinktank.

George enjoyed himself. John had far more to interact with than we sometimes find at museums. The staff were friendly and helpful. There were lifts, toilets on every floor and somewhere to eat our own packed lunch.

Most importantly, we felt that **Thinktank made a genuine effort to be inclusive**.

For a blind visitor, being able to enter a building isn't the same thing as being able to experience what's inside it.

At Thinktank, John could handle fossils, explore tactile exhibits, read Braille, sit in a Spitfire cockpit and get involved alongside the rest of us.

That's the sort of accessibility we like to find.

Of course, he also turned a terror bird skull into Sam, sang Twinkle Twinkle and attempted to become a Spitfire pilot.

You can't blame Thinktank for everything.

## Watch Our Thinktank Birmingham Visit

Want to see what happened for yourself?

Our full visit to **Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum** is on our Special Needs Adventure Family YouTube channel, including the fossil handling, interactive exhibits, Spitfire cockpit and, of course, Sam the Skull.

If you've visited Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, we'd love to know what you thought. And if you've found another museum that does tactile accessibility particularly well, tell us about it — we're always looking for ideas for future family adventures.

Planning your own day out? See our [full UK carer ticket and disabled admission directory](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/uk-carer-tickets-disabled-admission-directory/) — carer policies, disabled parking and access notes for every place we have reviewed.

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