Ashmolean Museum
Britain's oldest public museum, admission-free, with collections spanning ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Eastern art and Renaissance painting.
The Ashmolean Museum was founded in 1683 and is considered the world's first university museum and Britain's oldest public museum. Admission to the permanent galleries is free. Its collection includes Egyptian mummies, Minoan artifacts, the Alfred Jewel, the “Messiah” Stradivarius violin, Paolo Uccello's “Hunt in the Forest,” and drawings by Raphael and Michelangelo. Its Chinese and Japanese art collections are rich, and the Chinese painting, calligraphy and ceramics galleries feel especially familiar to Chinese visitors. A rooftop restaurant on the top floor lets you enjoy afternoon tea while looking out over Oxford's rooftops. Special exhibitions require a separate ticket. The museum sits in the city center on Beaumont Street, opposite the famous Randolph Hotel.
Opening hours
Daily 10:00–17:00 (closed some public holidays; check official website)
Nearby sights
- Carfax Tower
- Keble College, Oxford
- Covered Market, Oxford
- Oxford Castle & Prison
- History of Science Museum, Oxford
- Sheldonian Theatre
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- Bodleian Library