Pen Museum

📍 Museums in Birmingham

Pen Museum

7.3

The Pen Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into Birmingham's industrial past. It’s a small but meticulously curated space, highlighting the city's significant role in pen and nib production. You can clearly feel the care taken in preserving this important heritage, making it a rewarding experience for those interested in local history and manufacturing processes.

What’s particularly impressive is the opportunity to witness demonstrations and learn about the intricate techniques involved. It’s a chance to appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that went into each pen, showcasing a unique facet of Birmingham’s legacy and offering a memorable insight into industrial heritage and artisan skills.

Information about museum in Birmingham - Pen Museum

Service options
  • On-site services
Highlights
  • Live performances
Accessibility
  • Assisted listening devices
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
  • Gift shop
Amenities
  • Toilet
  • Wi-Fi
Crowd
  • Family friendly
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Transgender safe space
Payments
  • Admission fee
Children
  • Good for kids
Parking
  • Free of charge street parking
  • Paid street parking

Customer Reviews

★★★★★

Pen Museum has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on over 545 reviews on Google

MartinR

A fantastic little museum. 3 rooms packed with lots to see. Our guide, demonstrating the presses was incredibly knowledgeable. Some of the information presented was mind-blowing: how can someone make 28,000 nib blanks in a day?!? A multi-storey car is a few minutes' walk away, and the Metro station just a little further. Definitely worth a visit. Recommended. The little souvenir was a nice touch.

MartinR ☆ 5/5
Richard Lee

This is a must-see for any visitor to Birmingham. It's a modest but seriously good museum, preserving an aspect of Birmingham's (and indeed British) history that is not well known. The displays of pen nibs illustrating the history of their manufacture in Birmingham are fascinating by themselves. But I really enjoyed the second room with the film and the hands-on demonstration of how to make a nib. The gentlemen who guided us through the process was so knowledgeable, it was like stepping back 100 years. The third room where you can try handwriting and use typewriters and office calculators. The volunteers were more than happy to answer our questions.

Richard Lee ☆ 5/5
Lily Shepherd

Great day out for my birthday! We went not expecting much but it was a lovely small museum. We were able to make our own pen nibs included in the price of the ticket and we're gifted another functional one to take home. The shop had pens your could buy at very reasonable prices. Great for older and younger kids. 50% discount for art fund members (this is only £10 a year as a student)!!

Lily Shepherd ☆ 5/5
Mark Lamb

Very interesting museum showcasing some of Birminghams heritage of Birmingham and the Jewellery quarter. Interactive talk showing how the machines were made and very knowledgeable staff. Great for Children.

Mark Lamb ☆ 5/5
Hasret

Small organised museum. Friendly staff! When you renter the museum it looks so small however they have 2 more rooms behind. So don’t worry Entrance fee is 6 in google , it’s 8,5 for adults !!! Will attach the picture If you are interested to pens ️ this will be a great place to visit ! You will make your own pen nib in one of the room, one of the staff will help you out ! Have fun !

Hasret ☆ 5/5
Wojtek Stefanek

Super niszowe muzeum związane z bardzo bogatą historią miasta Birmingham. Mało kto wie że w tym mieście produkowano 70% stalówek na cały świat. Tutaj będziesz miał okazję pisać różnymi piórami i samemu wyprodukować stalówkę do pióra tradycyjną metodą. Polecam każdemu kto szuka ciekawych historii z różnych zakątków świata.

Wojtek Stefanek ☆ 5/5
Nina Moeller

A really good museums on the pen trade in Birmingham. Across three rooms there are pen displays, informative text and a video with interviews by people who worked in the pen nib factories in their youth. You can also try your hand at different calligraphy forms and pens. The best bit was the middle room which has a workshop full of old tools set up in it. A lovely, dedicated volunteer guided us through some steps of making our own pen nibs. You really get a sense what skill and effort the work was to the people, and the pen nib is a really neat souvenir to take home! It is close to the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter so is a good opportunity to get to know Birmingham‘s industrial heritage.

Nina Moeller ☆ 5/5
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Information about Pen Museum

Address

Pen Museum is located at The Argent Centre, Pen Museum, The Argent Centre, 60 Frederick St, Birmingham B1 3HS, United Kingdom

Phone

The phone number of Pen Museum is +44 121 236 9834

Website

The website of Pen Museum is: penmuseum.org.uk

Business Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 11:00–16:00
Friday: 11:00–16:00
Saturday: 11:00–16:00
Sunday: 12:00–16:00

Contact Pen Museum

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