Your visit to the Barber: Frequently Asked Questions
Your visit:
Our galleries are open Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm.
Please note the galleries will close 26 January, 5pm for essential building improvements, reopening 2026.
Yes!
Self-guided groups of up to 30 people are welcome. Self-guided visits are free, but please book these in advance. Contact us at [email protected] or 01214143005.
We are not currently offering paid-for guided tours; however, our team can offer you and your group a 15-minute gallery introduction.
If you are a local community or healthcare organisation, please look at our Community Engagement page and contact us at [email protected]
If you are a school group please look at our School Visits page and fill in the embedded enquiry form.
The Barber is on the campus of the University of Birmingham, which is served by its own railway station, University station, two stops from Birmingham New Street, and close to bus routes 1A, 61, 63, X20, X21 and X22.
Parking (payable) is available every day at the University of Birmingham’s multi-storey (no lift) Northeast Car Park at Pritchatts Road.
Blue Badge holders can park on campus every day and in any available space providing the Blue Badge is clearly displayed. There are parking bays in front of the Barber, but these cannot be pre-booked.
For more detailed information on travel see our How to Find Us page.
The Barber closes at 5pm on 26 January 2025, reopening in spring 2026.
This closure is to allow the second phase in our major building improvements programme, creating a new level-access entrance, a ground-floor accessible lavatory and baby-changing facility, as well as allowing our concert hall to reopen.
Cloakroom, Toilets, Visitor Facilities:
There are no supervised secure cloakroom facilities. Coats may be left on the hooks available in the foyer at visitors’ own risk. If you wish to leave a buggy, please speak to a Visitor Assistant, who will be happy to assist you. Please travel light for your visit.
Yes. Male and female public toilets are available on the ground floor, and an all-gender accessible toilet is available on the first-floor gallery level. Please speak to a member of our Visitor Services team for access.
Yes. We have a baby-changing facility in our ground-floor women's toilets and in our all-gender accessible toilet at first-floor gallery level. Please speak to a member of our Visitor Services team for access.
The main entrance to the Barber is accessed by a flight of 13 shallow steps with a central hand rail. Level access is available. Please help our team to help you by letting them know if you require level access by calling 0121 414 7333 or emailing [email protected] before your visit.
The Barber lift operates between all floors giving access to the shop and toilets (ground floor) and an accessible toilet (first floor). The lift is available by request for those visitors who require it, including wheelchair-users, visitors with additional mobility requirements or with buggies. Please ask a member of the Visitor Services team, who will be happy to help.
For our full Access Guide please see our AccessAble listing.
Yes. You can buy teas, coffee, cold drinks and snacks. We accept contactless payments only. Tables in the foyer are provided for visitors who have purchased refreshments from our shop. Water is also provided for visitors; please bring your own bottle or ask a Visitor Assistant for a disposable paper cup.
Yes, the Barber shop sells a selection of catalogues, books, greetings cards and postcards. We accept contactless and cash payments. You can also buy a souvenir of your visit online via our ART UK online store.
Yes please! We have two contactless donation points in the building to ensure donations to the Barber can be made safely and conveniently. You can also donate online or make a cash donation if you prefer. Your donations help us to share the collections, supporting our Learning and Engagement programme and our internship scheme.
See our current exhibitions and collections pages, for more information on what you can see on your visit.
Please note that not everything in our collection will be on display, as some works are on loan or in storage. Contact [email protected] if there is a particular work you want to see.
Workshops, Events and Learning:
Yes! Visit our What's On page for a full list of upcoming events, both on and offsite.
Join our Mailing List to stay up to date with all future events.
We offer secondary-school groups (KS3-5) free self-guided visits and gallery tours, both of which are supported by downloadable resources for teachers.
We do not currently offer creative workshops or visits for under KS3.
Please note, all educational visits to our galleries must be booked in advance, using the form on our School Visits Webpage. All visits, tours and workshops are free, for a maximum of 30 students.
We are currently accepting bookings up to January 2025.
Please explore our Barber Schools webpages to find out more and book your visit.
The Barber Concert Hall is currently closed as the auditorium is unventilated, but Barber Lunchtime and Evening concerts continue to take place at our nearby venue on campus, the Elgar Concert Hall in the Bramall Music Building.
Yes, by appointment only.
Our Prints and Drawings Study Room is open to researchers and the general public by appointment only.
For enquires please email: [email protected]
Yes, by appointment only.
Our Coin Study Room is open to researchers and the general public by appointment only.
For research enquires please email: [email protected]
The Barber is home to the University of Birmingham’s Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies, ranked number 2 in the UK. Teaching takes place in the Barber building Monday to Friday (in the galleries, lecture theatre and various teaching spaces).
There is a wealth of information on our collection online. You can listen to our Online Talks, delving into individual artworks from the collection, or particular themes. Or, check out Barber Home – a digital initiative set up during the pandemic and includes online talks, workshops and resources.
