Museums in Oxfordshire

Explore Oxfordshire’s history, art, and culture through its remarkable museums. From world-famous collections at the Ashmolean to the hidden gems at the Oxfordshire Museum, our county offers a diverse range of experiences for all ages.

 

Museums in Oxford

Located in Oxford’s Grade II listed town hall, the Museum of Oxford is the only museum dedicated to telling the story of Oxford and its people and is a great introduction of the city.

The Ashmolean Museum opened in 1683 and is Britain’s first museum and the world’s first university museum. It holds a vast selection of treasures dating from 500,000 BC to the present day including Egyptian mummies and the world’s greatest collection of Raphael drawings.

Founded in 1884, the Pitt Rivers Museum displays over half a million archaeological and ethnographic objects from all parts of the world and all time periods.

The Museum of Natural History, founded in 1860 now holds the University of Oxford’s internationally significant collections of geological and zoological specimens.

The History of Science Museum is the world’s oldest surviving purpose-built museum building and houses an unrivaled collection of early scientific instruments and is also home to a blackboard used by Albert Einstein during a lecture in Oxford in 1931.

You can also explore some of some of the Bodleian Library’s greatest treasures, from ancient manuscripts to a letter from Albert Einstein at The Weston Library.

 

Museums in Oxfordshire

The Oxfordshire Museum is a large 18th-century house in the heart of the historic town of Woodstock, with galleries exploring Oxfordshire’s story from the Jurassic period through to Anglo-Saxons and Victorians. Throughout the seasons, visitors can enjoy the changing landscape of the walled garden, a tranquil escape from the town.

If you’re visiting Henley-on-Thames, don’t miss the River & Rowing Museum which showcases the art and stories of the river including the enchanting family-friendly Wind in the Willows gallery, the history of Henley, riverbank wildlife conservation, and the sport of rowing.

The Abingdon County Hall Museum has a permanent collection which will take you on a journey through the history of England’s oldest continually inhabited town. From Iron Age Britain’s ‘Abingdon Ware’ pottery, to Roman and Saxon artefacts, they present the shifting phases of a country town in development.

The Blenheim Art Foundation regularly brings works of international contemporary artists to Blenheim Palace, and the palace’s very own collection or artworks is exceptional.

 

Beyond Oxfordshire

Just across the border, the Silverstone Museum is the ultimate celebration of British motorsport, located at the iconic Silverstone Circuit.  Immerse yourself in a variety of interactive exhibitions that bring the rich history and excitement of racing to life.

Waddesdon Manor is also a great idea for a day out. This unique French Renaissance-style château was built in the 1870s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to house his art treasures and entertain fashionable society. Today visitors can enjoy this astonishing collection as it would have been originally displayed within the opulent interiors of the Manor.