A new star has emerged from the West Midlands, and it’s just been named the best tourist attraction in the country – beating out theme parks, castles and royal residences in the process.
Each year, VisitEngland hosts its prestigious Awards for Excellence, celebrating the very best of what the country has to offer in tourism. Among the most coveted accolades is Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – and this year, the title has gone to a perhaps unexpected winner: The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.
Set across 29 acres, the open-air museum brings to life 250 years of industrial history in the region, offering a gritty and immersive look at the soot, steam and steel that helped forge modern Britain. Visitors can stroll along cobbled streets, drop into reconstructed pubs and shops, and interact with costumed characters from every era of the Black Country’s vibrant past.
If you’ve ever wondered exactly where the Black Country is, it’s the part of the West Midlands that powered the Industrial Revolution – all furnaces, foundries and famously strong accents.
The museum recently completed a £30 million redevelopment, its most ambitious project since 1978. The updates expand the historical journey to include the 1940s through the 1960s, featuring postwar culture, vintage technology, and changing social attitudes. There’s even a coal mine to descend into – and what some claim to be the best fish and chips in the region.
Fans of TV drama may recognise the site too – it’s a key filming location for Peaky Blinders, making it the perfect place to don a flat cap and channel your inner Tommy Shelby.
On Tripadvisor, the museum has earned a 4.4-star rating from over 6,000 reviews.
One reviewer, Lilith G, said: “Beautiful place. All the actors had so much information to offer. The guy in the hardware store even had a four candels/fork handles joke ready.”
Choxbird commented: “I spent a few hours here on a recent visit … Its an excellent museum with lots to see as you walk round … I even did the 30 min tour down the mine which was very informative .. There are old buses and trams to ride around on too … A good day out.”
Meanwhile, Angela added: “We have had a fantastic day out. While the price has increased since the last time we visited it has definitely been worth it. So much has changed and been added.”
Located just 35 minutes from Birmingham, and with free daytime returns included in the ticket price, it’s little wonder that most visitors spend around five hours exploring everything on offer.
Come for the history – stay for the haddock. The Black Country Living Museum has truly put Dudley on the tourism map.