5 Best Museums in Oxford for Your Day-Out

The city of Oxford is a valuable asset in British history. Due to its location along the upper reaches of the river Thames, Oxford has long been a place of importance, and the museums are nothing but jewels in the crown of Britain. The city is a witness to Britain’s historical events and houses one of the most popular universities in the UK, the University of Oxford.

Oxford’s museums, especially the ones that are related to Oxford University, attract huge crowds of tourists from all over the world because of their fascinating past and significance in the field of science. They preserve a vast variety of historical artifacts in their massive infrastructure.

By the end of the 12th century, the University of Oxford was well established. Built in the fashion of the University of Paris, the university had faculties of law, theology, and liberal arts. With such an amount of history being staged around its perimeters, perhaps it is impossible to separate it from the museums, which are nothing short of altars of history.

If you are a fan of history and art, then these museums are a must-visit. Along with a rich history, these marvels are the home to diverse exhibitions that showcase the art and artifacts created by various professionals and specialists in their respective fields over the years.

1. Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History was originally established around 1860. It displays many specimens of natural history from the University of Oxford. This museum houses a lecture theatre, which several university departments often use. 

1.1. Architecture

• The architecture of the Natural History Museum is Neo-Gothic. Two Irish architects, Thomas Newenham Deane and Benjamin Woodward, designed it.
• Supported by cast iron pillars, an ample square space is fitted with a vast glass roof.
• On the ground floor, the court is divided into 5 aisles.
• Statues of several eminent personalities, from Aristotle to Darwin, are also housed in the museum’s building.

1.2. Important Events

The museum has witnessed some of the most significant events, including the great debate on evolution that happened in 1860.  The Museum of Natural History, located on Parks Road in Oxford, is popular for its diverse objects and artifacts, rich history, and as a center for scientific study and research.

This museum hosts exhibitions with vast displays of natural history specimens and fossils.

1.3. Collections

The displays in the University Museum of Natural History have the following sections:

• The Palaeontological Collections
• Life Collections

2. Pitt Rivers Museum

Pitt Rivers Museum displays the world-famous archaeology and anthropology collections at the University of Oxford.

2.1. History

This museum is located on the east side of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It was founded by Lieutenant-General Pitt-Rivers in 1884. General Pitt Rivers donated his private collection to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. 

2.2. The Building

The museum building is a complex structure with multiple rooms, levels, and exhibition spaces, including glass display cases and exhibits arranged typologically. There are two levels and a massive ceiling.  The museum exhibits various items in glass cases. 

2.3. Organization of the Exhibition

Unlike the chronological arrangement, the objects in this museum are arranged typologically. It refers to being arranged according to their use in different cultures.

The typological arrangement of the collection over the building’s 3 floors is based on the theories of Augustus Pitt Rivers. He wanted the arrangement to signify the evolution and progression of the use and design of the item.

2.4. Collection

The Pitt Rivers Museum has the following artifacts in its collection:

• Many Shot’s robes
• Carved figures from New Zealand
• A Qur’an stand from Iran

3. Ashmolean Museum in Oxford

3.1. History

The Ashmolean Museum was initially established in 1683 to house the collection of Elias Ashmole, not the Cabinet of Curiosities. It is recognized as Britain’s oldest public museum of art and archaeology.

The museum was opened in 1683 with Elias Ashmole’s collection, two gardeners, John Tradescant the Elder and his son, John Tradescant the Younger. The collection included coins, books, and many other specimens of geology and zoology.

3.2. The Building

The building of this museum was designed in the Neoclassical style by Charles R. Cockerell. One of the wings of the building, occupied by the modern language faculty, has also been designed in a Neoclassical style. 

The Ashmolean Museum’s interior space has undergone extensive renovations in recent years, resulting in expanded display space, new conservation studios, and an education center, among other improvements.

3.3. Collections

This museum in Oxford displays extensive collections of archaeological and fine art specimens. Some of the famous collections of the museum are:

• Engravings, photographs, and sketches related to Correggio’s work
• A lantern belonging to Guy Fawkes of the Gunpowder Plot
• Paintings by J. M. W. Turner

4. The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

The collection includes musical instruments from England, France, and Germany. This museum houses historic musical instruments primarily from the Renaissance period onwards.

The museum in the Faculty of Music of the University of Oxford holds a diverse collection of musical instruments, including Western classical music instruments and also instruments from various other origins. This highlights the evolution of music from the times of the Renaissance to the modern era.

4.1. History

Philip Bate, whose name the museum bears, gave his collection to Oxford University, provided that a specialist curator would care for them.

Primarily, woodwind instruments, historical musical instruments, and specific collections have been donated to the Bate Collection, 

The unique feature of the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is its role as a primary research facility for students and visiting researchers, allowing for study and research on the instruments. This helps musicians and students to explore their research into performance techniques.

4.2. Some Famous Collections

Since the collection spans a long period of musical history, the museum contains music pieces along with instruments from the following styles of music: 

• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Classical
• Modern

5. Museum of the History of Science

The History of Science Museum in Oxford is one of the oldest museums in the world. It was built in 1683 on Broad Street to house Elias Ashmole’s collection, which includes scientific instruments from the Middle Ages.

5.1. History

This museum was originally built to provide a center for new learning about nature, where experiments were performed, and lectures were held in the School of Natural History.

Lewis Evans donated his collection of historic scientific instruments to the university in 1924.

The museum contains over 30,000 records from the collections (objects, manuscripts, and archives). The museum primarily serves:

• Academic Study
• Historical Preservation
• Public Education

5.2. Famous Collection

The collection and building of the History of Science Museum in Oxford are significant in showcasing the history of science and scientific instruments. 

The museum’s large displays include: 

• Scientific and early mathematical instruments
• Optical instruments
• Equipment used in philosophy chemistry
• And various manuscripts

This museum has Einstein’s blackboard. It was used by Albert Einstein in his lectures when he visited the University of Oxford.

In the End

While visiting the historic city of Oxford, one must visit these museums to get acquainted with the fascinating history of architecture and explore the exhibitions and majestic galleries with interesting historical objects. 

These museums do not just collect histories and art in their massive buildings of fine architecture but stand as living witnesses to the exhibitions of history house within. They present stories of the past to the present-day world. 

Therefore, right from the history of dinosaurs to famous people to music and cultural historical instruments, these museums have something to offer to people of all kinds of interests. 

For humans, it is not possible to visit the past. But these museums offer a means to have a view of what life might have looked like in the past by the medium of the artistic displays of the ruins of the past.