Warneford Hospital’s 200th anniversary launches with Museum of Oxford exhibition

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15 January 2026

Warneford Hospital’s 200th anniversary celebrations have officially begun with the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Oxford, exploring two centuries of mental health care in Oxfordshire.

The exhibition, hosted in the Museum of Oxford’s ‘Old Cloakroom’, opened on 15 January 2026 and runs until 21 March. Presented by Oxford Health Charity and curated by the University of Oxford’s History of Science Museum, it forms the first part of a year-long programme marking the bicentenary of the Warneford Hospital in Headington.

The exhibition is one of seven free displays that will tour venues across Oxfordshire throughout 2026, made possible by a £156,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. After closing in Oxford, the exhibition will move to Headington before travelling to Wantage, Woodstock, Banbury, Didcot and Abingdon.

Since opening in July 1826, the Warneford has played a central role in the provision of mental health care. Over the past year, a dedicated team of historians and researchers has examined hospital archives and spoken with former patients and staff to uncover how approaches to mental health treatment have evolved over the last two centuries.

This research has shaped an exhibition that brings together archival images, historic objects and personal testimonies, offering visitors an insight into changing understandings of mental illness and care.

Visitors can listen to first-hand accounts from people who have worked at, stayed in or used services at the Warneford, alongside photographs and drawings documenting the hospital’s history.

Artefacts on display include admission records and case books, highlighting how patient care and medical practice have developed and how the hospital has grown into one of the country’s leading centres for mental health research.

Dr Jane Freebody, historian of psychiatry and Warneford 200 programme advisor, said the anniversary was about more than reflecting on the past. She said: “Through archival images, personal stories, and historic objects, visitors can explore how the understanding and treatment of mental health have evolved and meet the people who made that journey possible.”

Alongside the exhibitions, the bicentenary programme includes a range of public events throughout the year, including theatre performances, talks, workshops and the creation of a new therapy garden within the Warneford grounds.

Exhibition dates are as follows: