Villa Park, Aston Villa Football Club's historic home in the Aston suburb of Birmingham, has been hosting football matches since 1897. The English football season runs from August until May, with matches taking place at Villa Park roughly every other weekend. Football fans visiting Birmingham should make sure they include Villa Park on their itinerary.
If you decide you want to visit Villa Park, either to watch a game or just to see the historic stadium for yourself, the following information will come in handy.
Villa Park is located a few minutes' walk from Witton Station, or 15 minutes' walk from Aston Station. Services to both run from Birmingham New Street in the city centre.
Tickets for upcoming games can be bought online or from the stadium itself. Some matches will have tickets for sale on the day, but if you are travelling a long way to attend an Aston Villa game, it is well worth buying your ticket in advance.
Tours of Villa Park run throughout the week, but not on days when there are matches taking place. The guided tour takes you to the players' lounge and the changing rooms, as well as down to the pitch where you can get a feel for what it would be like to pull on the famous claret-and-blue shirt.
The Aston Villa Club shop is open every day for visitors who want to pick up a souvenir of their visit. You can buy everything from replica Aston Villa shirts to mugs, scarves and DVDs of famous games.
Stay in hotels near Villa Park and you will be perfectly located for match day, as well as checking out other attractions in the Aston area of Birmingham.
A magnificent red-brick Jacobean mansion, 17th-century Aston Hall is now one of Birmingham's most popular visitor attractions. Situated in the grounds of Aston Park, Aston Hall invites visitors to step back in time as they tour through its beautiful public rooms filled with historic artefacts and works of art.
Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter is in the north of the city. Approximately 40% of the jewellery made in the UK originates from this small area of Birmingham, which is home to Europe's largest concentration of businesses involved in the jewellery trade.
Spend some time exploring Perry Hall Park, which was once the site of an Elizabethan mansion of the same name. Take a stroll along the River Tame or watch a match on one of the 15 public cricket pitches.
