Cadbury World, Birmingham, for families
Cadbury World in Birmingham allows kids to make chocolate and learn about its history – with 4D rides thrown into the mix.
Why visit Cadbury World
Cadbury World is the home of the globe-conquering Cadbury chocolate brand in the southern Birmingham suburb of Bourneville. You can still see chocolate being made in the factory here, but it is now surrounded by a collection of exhibitions, attractions and rides.
The museum-ish section of Cadbury World starts with hologram presentations of how the Spanish learned about chocolate from the Aztecs, with touch screen quizzes about what the Aztecs mixed with their chocolate drink.
It also delves into how tea dealer John Cadbury was inspired to sell high quality chocolate after visiting Switzerland. Then it becomes about Cadbury lore, from the creation of Bourneville for the workers to live in to an animatronic drumming gorilla.
Visiting Cadbury World with children
The key thing about visiting Cadbury World with children is that there are several elements to it. What could be a dreary exercise in company history and branding has much more to offer.
The Making Chocolate Story takes place in a cinema with special effects that go beyond the screen. Interactive screens show how the favourite Cadbury brands are made. The outdoor African Adventure play area allows kids to clamber and burn off steam.
The two rides tend to be a hit with children, too. The newest of these is the Cadbury Chocolate Quest, where riders zap ingredients off screens and 3D rooms with special guns as the car passes through. The 4D cinema, meanwhile, mimics a rollercoaster ride and is undeniably good fun.
There’s also the opportunity to have a chocolate-heavy afternoon tea with characters such as Mr Cadbury’s Parrot, Freddo and the Caramel Bunny in costumes. Obviously, this is aimed at younger visitors, and how much they enjoy it will depend on how much they care about said characters.
Cadbury World review: The best bit
There’s learning about how chocolate is made and then there’s making it yourself. Obviously, the latter is far more memorable – and the Have A Go zone allows kids to try out their chocolate piping and tempering skills.
Infants, juniors or secondary?
Any child who enjoys chocolate – which is most of them – is going to enjoy Cadbury World to some degree. The rides are about fun, rather than adrenalin, so will appeal more to infant and junior age children. Older children will probably get more into the history and chocolate-making.
Cadbury World entry prices
Tickets for Cadbury World must be prebooked. Standard tickets cost from £22.50 for adults and £18.00 for children, although they tend to get more expensive if booked at short notice on the official Cadbury World site.
Somewhat inexplicably, short notice tickets – especially those bought for the same or next day – are often cheaper bought via a third party site such as Viator.
To be fully upfront, I get a small commission if you book Cadbury World tickets through this link. But doing so may well save you £2.50 on the entry price versus booking on the official site, so it’s not just me who wins.
Prices were last checked and updated on 7 November 2024.
Full day, half day or a couple of hours?
Cadbury World can easily fill half a day, although you’d be pushed to spend a full day there without boredom setting in.
Attractions near Cadbury World
Other attractions in Birmingham that can be combined with a visit to Cadbury World include:
- The National Sea Life Centre.
- The Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum.
- The Legoland Discovery Centre.
Nearby cities
Other cities within a 90 minute drive of Cadbury World include Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester, Stoke-on-Trent, Oxford, Nottingham, Derby, Coventry, Leicester, Lichfield and Milton Keynes.
Is it open on Mondays?
Cadbury World is open daily, although opening hours vary somewhat – they’re usually shorter on weekdays. Birmingham’s premier chocolate attraction can get wearyingly busy at weekends and in school holidays, so a teacher training day is the perfect time to visit.
More information
For more information, visit the Cadbury World website.
