63 Severn Street

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is an open-air museum of rebuilt, replica and recreated shops, houses and industrial workshops, spread across 26 acres of former industrial land. Historic characters in period settings chat to visitors and demonstrate traditional skills, such as hand-forging nails and casting brass. The visit is self-guided, so you can explore at your own pace.

Tip: Allow 4 to 5 hours, and head first to the trams or trolleybuses to reach the village at the heart of the site.

West Midlands Safari Park, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, combines a drive-through safari with walk-through animal areas and an adventure theme park. The four-mile Safari Drive takes you past lions, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and more, including white lions and cheetahs, with the cheetah reserve billed as the UK's largest drive-by one.

Dudley Zoo & Castle is a 40-acre zoo within the grounds of Dudley Castle, in the Black Country. It opened in 1937 and is run today by a registered charity. The castle ruins share the wooded hillside with the animal enclosures.

Tip: The site is steep, and the car park is barrier-operated with a token needed to exit, so keep that in mind when you arrive.

Blists Hill is an open-air museum on a former industrial site in Madeley, Telford, recreating the sights, sounds and smells of a working-class Victorian town. It is set in the year 1900 and opened in 1973. You can wander through shops and cottages, including a bank, bakery, chemist, printer, post office and fish and chip shop, with costumed demonstrators showing the skills of each trade.

Tip: Check the National Trust Ironbridge Gorge website before you go, as visits to Blists Hill may need to be booked in advance.

Wightwick Manor is a National Trust house on the edge of Wolverhampton, built in 1887 for paint and varnish manufacturer Theodore Mander. It was designed under the influence of the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movements, and it still feels like a lived-in family home rather than a gallery.

Tip: Rucksacks and large bags (bigger than A4) aren't allowed in the Manor, so leave them in your car or a locker.

Coalport China Museum tells the story of Coalport china, a maker of fine British chinaware that was based on this site until the factory closed and production moved to Stoke-on-Trent. It stands in the village of Coalport, on the northern bank of the River Severn, within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, considered the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

Tip: Head for the hands-on workshop area if you want to try painting; extra ceramic activities run in the school holidays.

The National Sea Life Centre is an aquarium in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, beside the canal and opposite Arena Birmingham. The building was designed by Sir Norman Foster, and the centre opened in 1996 as the only inland sea life centre in the UK.

Tip: Book online in advance, as entry is at a chosen timed slot.

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park is a small zoo on the edge of Cannon Hill Park, run by Birmingham City Council. The council describes a collection of animals from across the world, including lemurs, reptiles, meerkats, otters, birds, wallabies and a large collection of monkeys.

Tip: You can turn up and pay at reception, but the council encourages everyone to pre-book online and to have the original confirmation email ready to show, as screenshots and forwarded emails aren't accepted.