Venue information

Founded in 1860 as the centre for scientific study at the University of Oxford, the Museum of Natural History on Parks Road houses the university’s scientific collections of zoological, entomological, geological, palaeontological and mineralogical specimens, accumulated in the course of the last three centuries.

Housed in a stunning example of neo-Gothic architecture, the museum’s growing collections underpin a broad programme of natural environment research, teaching and public engagement. Among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs, the Dodo, and the swifts in the tower. The building’s style was strongly influenced by the ideas of 19th-century art critic John Ruskin.

The museum was established in 1860 to draw together scientific studies from across the University of Oxford. Today, the award-winning Museum continues to be a place of scientific research, collecting and fieldwork, and plays host to a programme of events, exhibitions and activities for the public and school students of all ages.

Free admission to all exhibitions allows you to take your time to view the 4.5 million specimens, the largest collection of its type outside of national collections. Booking is essential, and tickets must be booked in advance. Please follow the booking and visiting information on the museum’s website.

The Museum of Natural History is one of the four Oxford University’s museums (along with the Ashmolean, the Museum of the History of Science and the Pitt Rivers Museum. These four museums form part of the group GLAM (Gardens, Libraries and Museums) together with the Bodleian Libraries and Botanic Gardens and Harcourt Arboretum.

Opening times

Monday to Sunday from 10.00am to 5.00pm

Last admission at 4.45pm

Closed: 24, 25, 26 December

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Bookings

Entry to the Museum is free and not ticketed.

Booking is required for organisations/groups of more than ten people visiting on the same day. Please note that the museum is unable to accommodate any groups on a Saturday.

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Getting there

Oxford University Museum of Natural History is located in the centre of Oxford on Parks Road, OX1 3PW. It is a five-minute walk from the Bodleian Libraries and in the same building as the Pitt Rivers Museum.

By bus:

There are regular buses from Oxford station that stop within walking distance of the Museum. From Bus Stop R4 at the train station, take the 500, 14 or 14A. Alight after eight stops at the Keble Road bus stop.

By bicycle:

There are cycling lanes on Parks Road and throughout Oxford, allowing you access to the Museum by bicycle. Please use bike racks available on Parks Road or outside the Robert Hooke building (on the right side of the Museum, as viewed from Parks Road).

By train:

For visitors arriving by train, the Museum is a 20-minute walk from Oxford train station (Oxford Parkway station is further from the city centre). Directions for walking from the train station:

• Cross the road and you will immediately see a large Gothic building with large oak doors; this is the Museum. Enter through the front doors.
• Take the pedestrian crossing and walk up Beaumont Street. You will see the Ashmolean Museum on your left and the Randolph Hotel on your right.
• Once you get to the end of Beaumont Street, you will see a junction and a series of pedestrian crossings. First, cross the road so that you are on the same side as the Randolph Hotel, then take the pedestrian crossing to your left – towards the Martyr’s Memorial. Cross over the bus lane, so that you are back on the pavement.
• Walk up this street, with the Ashmolean across the road on your left, until you come to an archway alongside the Lamb & Flag pub. Enter the archway and walk along the narrow passageway past the tree. This will open out into a larger street, which you should follow until you see a pedestrian crossing at the end of the road.

Park and Ride:

Oxford is well served by a number of Park and Ride services from different parts of outer Oxford, with City Centre stops within walking distance of the Museum. There are five Park and Ride car parks (on the A40 at Headington; Redbridge, Abingdon Road, near Kennington; Pear Tree Roundabout, Woodstock Road; Oxford Parkway, Banbury Road, Kidlington; and Seacourt at Botley). 

Accessibility information

Do you have an access requirement?

Contact the museum, or find out more by visitng the museum’s accessibility information page.