Established in 1975, the Black Country Museum is a wonderful collection of history and heritage from the Black Country region. There are many buildings and the site now incorporates some 26 acres of residential and industrial property of the time, including live demonstrations and staff in period costumes in the shops and houses. The whole experience is akin to stepping into a time warp.

You really need a whole day here. The museum shows how people lived and worked around the 18th century to the present day. An electric tramway system is in operation and many of the buses and vehicles are seen in working operation throughout the year. Coal was mined here, and visitors can take a tour down a coal mine and see what life was like.

The visitor centre at the entrance takes you back in time and provides information about the Black Country region. There is a gift shop, a real working pub, a restaurant and canal trips. A walk round the village takes you back in time. See how the locals shopped and the goods that they purchased. Call in at the sweetshop or the bakery and sample their products. You may like to see what an old school classrom looked like or watch a silent movie at the cinema.

The Black country museum has gone to a lot of trouble to provide a realistic insight into our past. This has to be on your list of places to visit in the West Midlands. Children will enjoy it immensely as well as the adults.