Neverland Christmas adventure opens at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's Gas Hall has been transformed into Neverland for Christmas, with a full-size pirate galleon, a live Captain Hook, fairy lights and enchanted forests.

The immersive Peter Pan experience opens on Friday 23 October, in time for the half-term holiday, and runs until 3 January 2027. Families can meet Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the crocodile as they walk through J M Barrie's story.

Mermaids and a wishing tree

As well as the galleon, visitors will find a crocodile, an enchanted camp, a mermaid, a rowing boat, moving pictures and the Darling children's bedroom, complete with a Christmas tree, a teddy bear and the family dog, Nana.

There is also a wishing tree where people can tie a ribbon and send a wish to families at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Barrie gave the hospital the rights to Peter Pan in 1929, and it still benefits from the story today.

"It's full of interactive things for all ages," said Clare Elliott, the senior designer, whose background is in costumes, props and sets for children's television. "There's lots of sets, props and a story to travel through, and lots of surprises along the way, so you can immerse yourself in the story and the adventures that follow."

"Every day we've got a live Captain Hook on the full-size galleon we have hidden in the museum. This is a fun-filled adventure and I think parents will get a lot out of it too."

Tickets

Tickets cost from £12 off-peak and £19 at peak times for adults, and from £8 off-peak and £14 at peak times for children. Entry is by timed slot and numbers are limited, so booking ahead is advised through the Neverland Birmingham or Birmingham Museums websites.

The experience has been created by Culture Creative, which designs immersive experiences in heritage buildings around the world, in a partnership between Birmingham Museums Trust and Sony Music and RG Live. £1 from every ticket will go to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Money for the museums

For Birmingham Museums Trust, the charity that runs the city's museums and cares for a collection of around a million objects, the attraction is also a way to raise much-needed money through ticket sales and a pop-up shop.

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, the trust's joint chief executives, said: "We are delighted to partner with Sony Music, RG Live and Culture Creative to create a Neverland-themed Christmas at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery this year. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring joy to our visitors as part of our seasonal programme and generate much-needed additional income to support the work of the trust."

The museum, next to the Council House in Chamberlain Square, is a short walk from the Frankfurt Christmas Market and the ice rink and big wheel in Centenary Square, so families can combine a visit with the city's other festive attractions.

Council funding for culture in Birmingham has been cut sharply in recent years, and the trust has been looking for new ways to bring in money while keeping general entry to its museums free.