Travel bucket list idea:
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)
Credit Shutterstock.com/Wang Sing
Last updated: 08 February, 2024
Just setting foot into this spectacular museum is an experience; built in 1860, it has a stunning Gothic interior, with 126 columns supporting the striking glass and iron roof. The space houses over seven million exhibits from the natural world, alongside an archive of over half a million manuscripts.
The Main Court is the place to start exploring, famous for its ‘skeleton parade’, with over a dozen animals exposed down to their bones. Other highlights include the world’s most complete dodo skeleton, the trilobyte wall and a spectacular collection of gemstones.
Logistics
Price: Free
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 6+
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
The museum is located in the city centre, a 20-minute walk from Oxford Station. The main car park for the city is at the Westgate.
Entry is free, and you don’t need to book tickets in advance. The collection is so vast that it’s definitely worth downloading the visitor guide from the website, so that you can plan what to see. The website also has a handy section on the main highlights – worth a look before you go.
The Eat the Future Café does decent lunches, and on sunny days, coffee and cake from the Horsebox Coffee Co. on the lawn is an al fresco treat.
When to do it
The museum is open all year round, seven days a week. It’s predictably busier in school holidays and weekends.
