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Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Attractions in Smethwick

What to see in Smethwick, from Galton Valley Canal Museum on

Of the 42 places to visit in and around Smethwick, 25 are museums or galleries. 2 places to visit are mapped inside Smethwick’s built-up area, with 40 more within 5 km of its edge. Each year, some 856K people go to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The list includes 2 places in care: 1 by the National Trust and 1 by English Heritage. Allow a day for Warwick Castle, 35 km off.

Photo: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, David Stowell (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Smethwick
2
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
40
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
25
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
2
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

The names to know in Smethwick

After Galton Valley Canal Museum, look out for 3 museums and 2 cathedrals.

MuseumMuseumGalton Valley Canal Museumin townMuseumMuseumSmethwick Heritage Centrein townBig drawMuseumBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery3.2 km outside town, to the east · 856K visitors a yearCathedralSt Philip's Cathedral3.5 km outside town, to the eastCathedralSt Chad's Cathedral3.3 km outside town, to the eastMuseumSoho House Museum1.3 km outside town, to the east

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Around Smethwick, mapped

Close by, the 40 mostly lie to the east.

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The dashed line is Smethwick’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

The mix

25 museums or galleries and 5 castles or historic places top the count.

Museums & galleries 19 museums · 6 art galleries2 in town · 23 nearby
Castles & historic places 3 cathedrals · 1 castle · 1 abbey or priory0 in town · 5 nearby
Gardens & estates 4 gardens0 in town · 4 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 2 zoos · 2 theme parks · 1 aquarium0 in town · 5 nearby
Other attractions 3 attractions0 in town · 3 nearby

Green: inside Smethwick. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

2 places are cared for: 1 by the National Trust and 1 by English Heritage (Back To Backs and Halesowen Abbey).

Every place

All of them, one by one

After the 2 in town come 40 more within 5 km of its edge.

Soho House Museum

Museum · 1.3 km outside town, to the east

18th-century house in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. Former home of Matthew Boulton, now a museum.

Run by Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
About Soho House Museum →

Aston Hall

Museum · 4 km outside town, to the east

Jacobean house in Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.

Run by Birmingham City Council
About Aston Hall →

Back To Backs

Museum · 3.9 km outside town, to the east

Last surviving court of back-to-back houses in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, now operated as a museum.

Run by National Trust
About Back To Backs →

The Pen Museum

Museum · 2.5 km outside town, to the east

Museum recording the history of pen making, in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.

Run by Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association
About The Pen Museum →

The 2 inside Smethwick come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

33 listed buildings and 4 scheduled monuments are on Smethwick’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Smethwick →

Big names nearby

Around the region

The standout of the 11 is Warwick Castle, 35 km from town.

CastleWarwick Castle35 km southeastCathedralLichfield Cathedral24 km northeastCastleDudley Castle7.9 km westCathedralCoventry Cathedral Church of St Michael33 km eastMuseumCadbury World7.1 km southMuseumWolverhampton Art Gallery15 km northwest · 159K visitors a yearCastle · English HeritageKenilworth Castle30 km southeastCathedralCathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary, the Virgin of Worcester38 km southwestMuseumNational Motorcycle Museum19 km east · 250K visitors a yearMuseumHerbert Art Gallery & Museum33 km east · 300K visitors a year (2010)Art galleryThe New Art Gallery11 km north

Places well known beyond Smethwick (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Questions about Smethwick’s attractions

What are the main attractions in Smethwick?

The best known inside Smethwick’s built-up area are Galton Valley Canal Museum and Smethwick Heritage Centre. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 40 more within 5 km.

Does Smethwick have a museum?

25 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Smethwick: Galton Valley Canal Museum, Smethwick Heritage Centre, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Soho House Museum.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Smethwick?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Smethwick, 2 places are cared for: 1 by the National Trust and 1 by English Heritage (Back To Backs and Halesowen Abbey).

What are the best-known days out near Smethwick?

Within 40 km: Warwick Castle (35 km), Lichfield Cathedral (24 km), Dudley Castle (7.9 km), Coventry Cathedral Church of St Michael (33 km).

Where are Smethwick’s historic buildings listed?

Smethwick has 33 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Smethwick when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (36)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.