Ashmolean Museum

Ashmolean Museum

The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford was founded in 1683, thanks to Elias Ashmole who gifted his collection to the University. He did so ‘because the knowledge of Nature is very necessary to human life and health’.

Elias Ashmole acquired his collection from two gardeners: John Tradescant, father and son. When Ashmole donated his collection to the University, The University combined his collection with the old University Collection, which included Jacob’s Coat of Many Colours and Guy Fawkes’s Lantern.

Ashmolean Museum is the oldest public museum in the World and has one of the most important Arts and archaeology collections, From Classical Sculptures to Egyptian Mummies and Pre-Raphaelites.

The Museum received a £61 Million interior renovation which expanded the Museum into 39 new galleries, doubling the previous gallery space and changing how the museum displays its collections, The Museum re-opened on 7th November 2009 to multiple award-winning acclaims. In May 2016 the Ashmolean Museum opened new galleries dedicated to the display of its collection of Victorian art.

Ashmolean Museum

Ashmolean Museum Contact Information

Telephone: 01865 278000 | Official Website |

How To Get There

Travelling by Train, Services from London Paddington Station and London Marylebone station travel to Oxford Station, also services from Birmingham New Street station and Reading station travel to Oxford daily. Oxford Railway Station is only 5 to 10 minutes walk from the centre of Oxford and 11 minutes away from the Ashmolean Museum.

The Central coach station in Oxford is at Gloucester Green in the city centre, you can get a direct coach service from London to Oxford, Coache Service X90 and the Oxford Tube both run from London to Oxford.

If Travelling by Bike there are bike racks on the forecourt of the Museum and some on the corner of Beaumont St.

There are taxi ranks at Oxford Railway Station, Gloucester Green Coach Station and St Giles’ in the city centre.

Opening Hours

Monday Closed
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Open on Bank Holiday Mondays 10 AM to 5 PM. Open until 8 PM on the last Friday of the month., Closed 24 – 26 Dec

Admission

Entry to the Museum is Free. Admission to certain exhibitions may be charged.

Information

  • Architectural style: Classical architecture
  • Architects: Rick Mather, Charles Robert Cockerell
  • Opened in 1845
  • Established in 1683
  • Number of Visitors: 937,568 in 2017
  • Type University Museum of Art and Archaeology

THINGS TO DO NEARBY

  • Visit Bodleian Library was established at the University of Oxford by Thomas de Cobham and is the main research library of the University located only 7 minutes away from Ashmolean Museum.
  • Oxford Castle is a large partly ruined Norman medieval castle, built in 1071 on earlier Saxon Defences. Located only 8 minutes from the Ashmolean Museum.

WHERE TO STAY IN OXFORD

Nearby places to stay as cheap as possible budget under £100:

  • Central Backpackers Oxford, Museum Hotel Oxford offers accommodation in historic Oxford in a building dating from 1594. The hotel is located a 2-minute walk from Carfax Tower in the centre of Oxford. The University of Oxford colleges is 0.2 miles away. Check Price.
  • YHA Oxford, This YHA hostel is located in the centre of historical Oxford, next to Oxford Train StationYHA Oxford offers affordable accommodation, a restaurant serving traditional meals and self-catering kitchen facilities. Check Price.
  • White House View Guest House, is a 10-minute walk from Oxford city centre and offers a garden and bedrooms with free Wi-Fi and Freeview TV. The guest house is located just off Abingdon Road, in quiet and pleasant surroundings. Check Price.

Nearby places to stay at a budget price over £200+

  • Macdonald Randolph Hotel, In the heart of Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum, The Macdonald Randolph Hotel offers sumptuous bedrooms and a spa. The Randolph Macdonald is just metres from The University of Oxford Colleges. Check Price.
  • Old Parsonage Hotel is a boutique hotel set in a building dating back to 1660. It has 2 terraces, a new residents garden library, a restaurant, a bar, and is a 5-minute walk from Oxford city centre. Check Price.
  • Museum Hotel Oxford, Museum Hotel Oxford offers accommodation in historic Oxford in a building dating from 1594. located a 2-minute walk from Carfax Tower in the centre of Oxford Check Price.

Visiting Oxford? We have other posts that you may enjoy that will be helpful on your trip.

Location

Address: Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2PH | Coordinations: 51.7554°N 1.2600°W

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Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum