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Cathedral
St Philip's Cathedral
Baroque church by Thomas Archer, consecrated in 1715 and a cathedral since 1905. It is Grade I listed.
Directions Website Report a problem with St Philip's Cathedral
A mini guide to
City Centre & Bullring
Victorian civic squares, two cathedrals and the Bullring around New Street station
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
Victorian civic squares, two cathedrals and the Bullring around New Street station
The city centre runs from Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square, with the Council House, the Town Hall and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, past St Philip's Cathedral and the Colmore business district to the Bullring. St Martin's, the original parish church of Birmingham, stands between the Bullring shopping centre and the markets.
New Street station sits under the Grand Central shopping centre, and Moor Street is a few minutes' walk east. South of the station, Hurst Street leads into the Chinese Quarter, with the Hippodrome theatre and the National Trust's Back to Backs.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Museum
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Fine and decorative art, local history and the Staffordshire Hoard; reopened galleries include the Pre-Raphaelites and Wild City for families.
Directions Website Report a problem with Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Civic building
Council House
Home of Birmingham City Council, with its council chamber and banqueting suite, facing Victoria Square.
Concert hall
Birmingham Town Hall
Concert hall opened in 1834 on Victoria Square, a Grade I listed building.
Fountain sculpture
The River
Fountain artwork in Victoria Square, known locally as the Floozie in the Jacuzzi.
Memorial fountain
Chamberlain Memorial
Memorial of 1880 honouring Joseph Chamberlain, the businessman, mayor and statesman, unveiled with Chamberlain present.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows City Centre & Bullring and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Start in Victoria Square
The Council House, the Town Hall, The River fountain and the museum entrance on Chamberlain Square are all within a few steps.
2
Book the Back to Backs
The National Trust advises booking in advance and cannot guarantee on-the-day places.
3
Buy tram tickets first
West Midlands Metro charges a penalty fare to anyone on board without a valid ticket.
4
Step-free stations
National Rail lists New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill as step-free to all platforms; check for lift or escalator works before you travel.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for City Centre & Bullring
Birmingham
More areas to explore
12 sights · 20 places to eat
Jewellery Quarter
Workshops, small museums and a Georgian square in a working jewellery district
Open the mini guide →
15 sights · 21 places to eat
Brindleyplace & the Canals
Gas Street Basin, Centenary Square and the concert halls and canalside squares of Westside
Open the mini guide →
12 sights · 15 places to eat
Digbeth & Eastside
Former factories turned studios, music venues and street food, beside the new Eastside park
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- City Centre & Bullring (area photo): Mutney, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St Philip's Cathedral: St_Philip's_Birmingham.JPG: Sunil060902 derivative work: JimmyGuano (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Council House: Tanya Dedyukhina, CC BY 3.0, source
- Birmingham Town Hall: Very Quiet, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The River: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chamberlain Memorial: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St Martin in the Bull Ring: Sunil060902, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Guardian (Bullring bull): w:en:User:Zukeylukey (Taken by Luke Byfield), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Selfridges Building: Spinnykid, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Rotunda: Erebus555, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Birmingham Back to Backs: User Oosoom on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Birmingham Hippodrome: Oosoom at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- St Chad's Cathedral: G-Man at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Great Western Arcade: Oosoom at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Old Rep: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chinese Pagoda: Peter_Glyn, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jewellery Quarter: Brian Clift, CC BY 2.0, source
- Brindleyplace & the Canals: Oosoom at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Digbeth & Eastside: Brianboru100, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Birmingham