Birmingham Back to Backs

Take a tour around the Birmingham Back to Backs to experience life here and meet characters from the 1840s to the 1970s. Find out more about guided tours, what you’ll see on your visit, and places to eat and shop here. A Birmingham city centre attraction that is walking distance from New Street train station (just a quarter of a mile), you’ll find it next to the Hippodrome and Pride Plaza.

Guided tours: buildings frozen in time

If you are looking for some activities to do in Birmingham why not step back in time on a guided tour of Birmingham’s last surviving court of back-to-backs; houses built literally back-to-back around a communal courtyard.

Moving from the 1840s through to the 1970s, discover the lives of some of the former Birmingham Back to Backs residents, who crammed into these small houses to live and work. Come and see Mr Levi’s bedroom-turned-workshop, Mrs Oldfield’s mealtime kitchen and peek inside George Saunders’ tailor’s shop.

With fires alight in the grates, and sounds and smells from the past, experience an evocative and intimate insight into life in Birmingham city centre.

Tours last an hour and a half so you can visit as part of your day out in Birmingham.

Ground floor accessible tours are also available, these are an hour long and visit the ground floor rooms of all the houses as well as the courtyard

The George Saunders collection

The only collection of work by a Caribbean tailor in the UK. George operated a successful tailor’s shop from the Birmingham Back to Backs for many years and left some of his items to the National Trust to preserve this last living link to the houses.

Court 15 Books – Second-hand bookshop

With a range of new and used books, every penny you spend helps us to preserve this unique place. You can also donate your books to support this Birmingham attraction.

Tickets

Tickets from £8.80 for adults and £4.40 for children. Family ticket from £13.2o

Activities to do in Birmingham