Ashmolean Museum News & Stories
Browse news and features about the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. The world-famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.
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Ashmolean Museum launches exclusive botanical capsule collection with One Hundred Stars
Ashmolean Museum launches an exclusive In Bloom capsule collection with One Hundred Stars, featuring kimonos and scarves inspired by botanical art.
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City Sightseeing Oxford launches Easter Bunny Hop Trail with city museums
City Sightseeing Oxford and city museums have relaunched the Bunny Hop Trail, offering Easter activities for families across Oxford attractions.
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Oxford University convenes Oxfordshire cultural leaders to strengthen leadership
Oxford University has convened senior cultural leaders from across Oxfordshire in a special edition of its Oxford Cultural Leaders programme, strengthening leadership capacity and collaboration while building a shared vision for the county’s cultural future.
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In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World
In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World at the Ashmolean Museum uncovers the hidden histories behind Britain’s most beloved blooms. Explore over 100 artworks and objects that reveal how plant exploration and trade shaped landscapes, cultures, and economies – from roses and tulips to camellias and peonies.
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Ashmolean Museum announces major exhibitions for 2026
The Ashmolean Museum has annound its 2026 programme featuring In Bloom, Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess, and new works from artists Soma Surovi Jannat and Garry Fabian Miller, promising a vibrant year of art, culture, and global exploration.
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Oxford Explorer’s Passport Trail: A fun adventure for kids in Oxford this summer
Families visiting Oxford this summer can take part in City Sightseeing Oxford hop-on, hop-off bus tour’s new Explorer’s Passport Trail, a fun, interactive way for children aged 2 to 8 to explore iconic city landmarks.
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City Sightseeing Oxford named world’s top open-top bus tour operator
City Sightseeing Oxford has been crowned the world’s top open-top bus tour operator. The Oxford team earned the prestigious Operator of the Year award for exceptional service, safety, branding, and innovation, including its recent £4m investment in an all-electric fleet.
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Aliki Braine flower works to feature at Ashmolean Museum still life gallery
In a notable recognition of her innovative still-life photography, Aliki Braine’s ‘flower works’ will be exhibited at the Ashmolean Museum’s Daisy Linda Ward Gallery from June 2025 to August 2026. These works will be shown alongside historic still-life paintings.
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City Sightseeing Oxford launches £1 tickets for carers on open-top tours
City Sightseeing Oxford is recognising the vital role of carers by offering £1 tickets for its open-top bus tours. This initiative aims to make Oxford’s historic attractions more accessible, aligning with a wider drive that includes a reduced-fee family pass.
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Exhibition tickets on sale for Radiohead’s visual journey with Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke
This immersive showcase is the first major exhibition exploring the visual art of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke, showcasing their 30-year collaboration on Radiohead’s iconic imagery. The show features over 180 works, including album cover paintings, digital compositions, and unseen sketches.
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Ashmolean Museum to present early works by Anselm Kiefer in landmark exhibition
The group of 45 early works made during the period 1969–82 will feature paintings, watercolours, artist books, photos and woodcuts, rarely displayed in the UK before.
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Ashmolean Museum announces 2025 exhibitions programme
The Ashmolean Museum’s 2025 programme features major exhibitions, including ‘Anselm Kiefer: Early Works’, showcasing rarely seen art from 1969–82, and ‘This is What You Get’, exploring Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke’s visual collaborations with Radiohead.
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Win a City Break and French Meal in Oxford courtesy of the Ashmolean
To celebrate the Pissarro: Father of Impressionism exhibition, the Ashmolean is giving you the chance to win a city break in Oxford with a French twist.
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Free exhibition to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death
To celebrate the 700th anniversary of his death in 1321, the Ashmolean is presenting a free exhibition Dante: The Invention of Celebrity, in Gallery 8 is open until 09 January 2022.
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On the Tokyo: Art & Photography Exhibition at the Ashmolean
The exhibition looks at a city that has undergone constant destruction and renewal, telling the stories of the people who have made Tokyo so famous with their insatiable appetite for the new and innovative.
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An insider’s guide to the best places for alfresco dining in Oxford city centre
If you happen to be wandering through the city’s streets when the sun is out, and you fancy somewhere to escape the hustle, soak up the sun, and have a bite to eat – all at the same time.