Birmingham Museums is inviting visitors of all ages to step behind the scenes and discover one of the city’s best-kept secrets at the Museum Collection Centre (MCC) open day on Saturday 19 April.

The open day provides members of the public with the opportunity to explore the incredible 1.5-hectare site - home to over 80% of Birmingham’s museum collections – all under one roof.

With only a small percentage of collections on display at Birmingham Museums, or on loan to other organisations, it is the only place to see collection items not normally on public display.

Among the hundreds of thousands of artefacts stored at the MCC, visitors can expect to encounter everything from steam engines and sculptures to giant spider crabs and even a kitchen sink.

From 10am to 4pm, the MCC will be transformed into a hub of family-friendly fun, with a packed programme of activities designed to bring the museum’s vast and varied collection to life.

Visitors can enjoy free guided talks, hands-on activities, interactive Museum in a Box displays, family trails and live jazz music performed throughout the day by talented musicians from Birmingham Conservatoire.

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Museum Collection Centre website.