Museums of Oxford- Oxford University Museum
If you ever go sightseeing in Oxford, it is a good idea to visit at least one of the museums there. It is one of many free things you can do, and it is such a good educational experience. One of these museums include The Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Oxford University Museum). This is where the University house their natural history specimens. It one of my favourite museums in Oxford, because of the design of the inside, and the interesting exhibits you can find here.
How to get to the Oxford University Museum
The museum is located on Parks Rd, near the University Parks and Keble College. Like other places in Oxford, it is a good idea to walk here from Oxford Station if you come here by train. This is what I did. Even if you drive into Oxford, I’d suggest parking outside the city centre, then walking from the Park and Ride. You can find details for Park and Ride carparks on the Oxfordshire Council page.
By walking, you get to see the other architecture and colleges on the way here. One thing you’ll notice is how old the buildings and how intricate they are. It’s hard to believe the effort that must have gone into the fine detail on them. Plus, I find it remarkable how they have been standing for centuries now. As well as touring the colleges you will discover, you could even do some shopping at Westgate. But, if walking is not for you, you can opt to take the 500, 14, or 14A buses instead. Plus, there is a Pay and Display Car park nearby.
Opening times and accessibility
The museum is open every day from 10am – 5pm. What’s also good is that it is free entry, with donations accepted of course. Therefore, it is advisable to do any shopping or touring during the morning or evening, so you don’t miss out.
For wheelchair users and pushchairs, there are accessible entrances here. It is easy to navigate around the exhibitions on the Lower Floor, and there is are lifts to access the Upper Floor. There are also accessible toilets too. Furthermore, this museum welcomes guide dogs too.
Furthermore, you can access the Pitts River Museum, which is mostly about culture over time. I will be doing a separate review on in another post. In my opinion, that museum wasn’t as good or interesting. Plus, the lack of lighting there, and green glass boxes which housed the exhibits made it a bit dull. Instead of Pitts River, I recommend the Ashmolean Museum.
Going around alone is a great way to make the most of it
Ideally, this is a good place to go on a family outing, with friends, or even alone. When coming alone, it is a good way make the most of your time here, as you can spend more time looking at the different exhibits here. If you are coming with family or friends, I would also suggest splitting up, then meeting up at the end of your visit. When I came here during summer, I mostly saw young families here, and a couple of solo travellers.
First impressions of the Natural History Museum
When I reached the museum, the massive posters promoting the exhibitions caught my eye. Like other architecture in Oxford, the Oxford University Museum was old. In fact it’s listed as a Grade 1 Building. It had a neo gothic structure, with the pointed grey roof and triangular windows that lined it. There was also a large green field outside, where I saw an ice cream van, and lots of people relaxing as it was summer.
When I walked through the entrance and up the concrete steps, I was greeted by two stuffed grizzly bears on each side. I was amazed at how massive this museum was, with the glass and iron roof, and dinosaur skeletons suspended from the ceiling. The exhibits in the museum were organised into sections, based on the species of animals and time periods e.g. Holocene period was in one part of the museum.
Animal exhibitions
Most of the exhibits I came across were of skeletons of different animals (not just dinosaur ones), stuffed animals, and other preserved creatures. There were also a few painted sculptures too, such as a replica of a T Rex. Some of the interesting exhibits here included stuffed birds of prey, preserved fish and coral, and even a skeleton of a crocodile, all of which which you will find dotted around the museum…
There was one display of white skeletons that caught my eye in particular. It had of different animals, including a deer, bull, and a pig. I had never seen skeletons of those animals before, so it was quite fascinating, compared to seeing human and dinosaur skeletons all the time. It is hard to believe that these animals were once alive… The most interesting one had to be the deer skeleton, because of its antlers. They were still intact with a slight tinge of yellow on them because they had been weathered like rocks, caused by the environment over the deer’s life.
Rock Exhibitions
The mineral and rock displays cannot be avoided either! There was this massive block of Pyrite, commonly known as Fool’s Gold. It was found in Peru and is over 10 million years old! I’ll leave you to process that last fact for a moment… I was fascinated by the structure of it- pyritohedrons (shapes with twelve pentagonal faces) forming on it, which had a really smooth texture. If you look closely at it in the photo below, you can even see that tiny ones had formed on it too.
There was a small booth covered by a curtain, so it was completely dark inside. In there, there were displays with Quartz crystals that glow under UV light. Each one had a unique structure and glowed a different pastel colour. Quartz can be used to make kitchen worktops and watch movements too. It’s truly fascinating how these crystals form underground.
The beehive exhibit on the second floor
On the second floor, there is a beehive in one of the rooms there. But it was not a typical hive- this one was in a wooden case, with a glass window on it so you can see the intricate structures of the hive. But if you look at it at first glance, it looks like a load of bees plastered to it. It was quite quiet in this room, and it was strangely relaxing watching the wall of bees. The second floor didn’t have much to offer other than this in terms of exhibitions…
As you can tell, there are a lot of things to do here. You don’t have to be a student studying zoology or have any interest in zoology for that matter. There is something here for everyone… Ideally, you should spend two to three hours here at a time and come more than once.
The gift shop and café
Next to the entrance and grizzly bears, there is a small gift shop here. Things sold here included stationery, small keyrings, and even some jewellery too. There is also a small café on the second floor, where you can enjoy some coffee and cake. It is well situated too, as you can see the whole of the lower floor from the balcony there.
Verdict
Overall, this is one of the top museums to visit in Oxford if you are looking for things to do. The exhibitions here are fascinating, and there is something here for everyone. It is a great place to bring children especially, as it is a good way for them to learn about zoology and natural history, alongside reading encyclopaedias. Like other museums, it is a good idea to come more than once as exhibitions here are constantly changing.
To find out more about the Oxford University Museum:
Directions to the Natural History Museum:
Buy encyclopedias here::