Black Country Living Museum (Black Country Museum)

Member Name: MEL0611

Product:	Black Country Museum
Date:	13/06/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great family day out, informative, fun for all

Disadvantages: Not so much fun if raining as you will get wet going form building to building

The Black Country Museum located in Dudley, West Midlands was opened in 1978. I first visited the Museum on a school trip and unlike some of my former class-mates I was engrossed with every aspect of the place. Since that first trip I have been back several times.

The current admission prices are £12.95 for an adult, £6.95 for children (under 5's go free) and there is £1.00 charge for the car park.

Once inside the museum there is an exhibition area with an introduction to the Black Country, you can then walk or take a tram or trolley bus to the main village. This is where houses and shops have been rebuilt, all occupied by volunteers of the museum dressed up in traditional costume. My favourites are always the Chemist, where I never tire of seeing how they made tablets or the Sweet Shop (for obvious reasons!) A newer shop to the steet is the fish and chip shop, where you may have to face lengthly queues to obtain traditional fish and chips (Fried in Beef dripping) but wow they taste good!!! You can then sit outside the pub and sample a pint of traditional ale!!

A small walk from the village is the Canal where you can take a trip on Dudley's waterways and go underneath the caves (people have even got married down there!) Once stepping of the boat you can walk back up through the village,taking in a school lesson at the Village school showing what life was like for children in the late ninetenth century. During the peek season the fair will be running where you can have a go at anything from hook a duck to a go on the helter skelter!

A must is a trip down the underground mines, you need you 'hard hat' on and your tourch and you are taken under the museum to see what life was like for the miners. This is not good for people who don't like being in small, confined spaces.

In summary, it is a great day out, better if the sun is shining but most buildings are indoors. Fun for all the family and I am sure i will be going or years to come.

Summary: Informative, great way to sample old fashioned black country life