Black Country Living Museum completes its 1940s-60s town with Woodside Library

Black Country Living Museum in Dudley has always been a place where history feels close enough to touch, and 2026 has brought two big reasons to visit. In March the museum opened Woodside Library, the final part of its multi-million-pound 1940s-1960s development, and in May it launched official Peaky Blinders filming location tours.

The museum opened to the public in 1978 on 26 acres of former industrial land, about ten miles west of Birmingham. Today visitors can explore more than 80 reconstructed shops, houses and industrial workshops, which the museum says let you "explore over 250 years of history".

Woodside Library opened on 18 March 2026. It was given to the people of Dudley by the Earl of Dudley in 1894 and served local communities for over a century before closing in 2008. The building was taken apart and moved brick by brick to the museum's new high street, where it is now the tallest structure in the new town. Inside, shelves hold more than 6,500 donated and collected books, and the story is set in 1963, when Dudley's libraries introduced colourful paperbacks and new children's reading schemes.

Carol King, the museum's deputy chief executive, said: "Woodside Library forms the jewel in the crown of our extensive 1940s-60s development." The wider development was supported by a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of over £15 million.

Fans of Peaky Blinders have even more to enjoy. The new filming location tours, which began on 23 May 2026, visit spots including Charlie Strong's Yard, the canal towpath and the Anchor Forge, with expert guides sharing behind-the-scenes stories. Tours last 75 to 90 minutes, are recommended for ages 16 and over and must be booked in advance. Creator Steven Knight has said: "We think of the museum as home, this is our world and we love coming here."

The coming months are packed. Halloween Nights run on 24, 29, 30 and 31 October, a Festival of Light celebrating Diwali takes place on 7 November, and Christmas at BCLM runs from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.

Tickets, tour bookings and event details are on the Black Country Living Museum website.