The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham will temporarily reopen on Saturday 26 July 2025, coinciding with the annual Jewellery Quarter Festival.
Managed by Birmingham Museums Trust, the museum has remained closed since 2020 for essential repairs and maintenance. The one-day reopening will provide public access to the preserved Smith & Pepper jewellery workshop and the Story of the Jewellery Quarter gallery.
Preserved Workshop Reflects Traditional Jewellery Manufacturing
Visitors will have access to the former Smith & Pepper premises, a family-run jewellery manufacturer that closed in 1981. The workshop has been left largely unchanged, with tools, equipment, and materials still in place, along with everyday items such as workwear and food items left behind by staff.
Opened as a museum in 1992, the site presents over 200 years of jewellery production in Birmingham, highlighting historic workshop practices and the area’s role in industrial-scale manufacturing.
Plans for Phased Reopening Following Event
The museum has not received visitors since March 2020, following closure during the pandemic. Rob Lewis, Director of Transformation at Birmingham Museums Trust, confirmed that this pop-up event forms part of a broader plan to reintroduce public access.
“We are delighted to be opening our doors on the day of The Jewellery Quarter Festival, an annual celebration of the vibrant spirit of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter,” said Lewis. “This is a significant milestone, as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter has been closed to the public since March 2020. Our aim is to follow this with a phased reopening.”
Ticketing Information
Tickets for the one-day event are available to book in advance online. Further announcements regarding phased reopening plans are expected from Birmingham Museums Trust in due course.
