Visited the museum while in Oxford for the day. Lots of history and neat exhibits to visit. We…read moresaw insects, fossils and tons of other things, almost too many to list. The day of our visit, there were a few schools visiting but everyone we encountered from the staff to the young preschool students were friendly and considerate. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Oxford.

A museum of natural history would generally be on my list of "museums I don't wish to visit" but…read morethe Oxford Museum of Natural History proved that I barely know myself. First, it's free of charge which automatically makes it attractive. But though free may get me in the door it won't guarantee I'll enjoy it. This museum isn't just free but it is also gorgeous and interesting, a real home run. And, in the event that Natural History isn't your jam even here, this place contains the portal to the almost indescribable Pitt Rivers Museum (also free). One of these is bound to be your happy place.

This is a wonderful quirky space. Like the attic of your eccentric uncle who travelled widely,…read morebrought back whatever he could carry, then carefully catalogued everything (idiosyncratically) and then left it for you to go through--that is, if your uncle was the entirety of the British empire. Can't say enough. You can spend days here and still be saying "did you see THAT?"

We had a great time exploring the Pitt Rivers Museum! There is SO much on display it's almost hard…read moreto take it all in. If you're an anthropology buff, this is your place. So many neat things to see and everything you can imagine, too many to list. From clothing to masks to weapons to toys all from different cultures and different times. We even saw a Totem Pole! Overall a fascinating place to visit, just wish we'd had more time to explore!

This is an amazing 2 story museum with all kinds of artifacts from old wedgewood to Egypt's tomb…read moreand artifacts Teapots and tea cups old coins to everything in between. 2 nd floor loads of paintings to look at. Entry is free which is always a plus.

The Fitzwilliam Museum offers a well rounded and varied collection. It is sure to please most…read moremuseum visitors regardless of interests. If you're a fan of the work of Georges-Pierre Seurat, you're sure to enjoy the 1884 Neo-Impressionism painting, "The Couple" (original title: Un dimanche après-midi sur l'île de la Grande Jatte). Does it somehow look familiar? This was a study for A Sunday on the Island of la Grande Jatte! "This work is one of many that Georges-Pierre Seurat made in preparation for a much larger painting. The woman's stiff posture is accentuated by her tightly buttoned jacket and the exaggerated bustle of her skirt, which echoes the curve of her parasol. Given that the area of Paris depicted here was known for prostitution, it has been suggested that the woman is a sex worker on the arm of a male client." Give yourself several hours if you plan to take in the entire collection. If you are fortunate enough to live nearby and can visit often, take your time and you're sure to fall in love with one of the many wonderfully curated items found within the museum walls.

Think quality over quantity, the museum is not overwhelming at all. Highlight of the museum is…read moreEinstein's chalkboard on his theory of relativity. Admission is free!

Oxford is amazing no matter where you go!! It's so steeped in history and this museum delivers!! We…read moresaw the chalkboard with Einstein's scribble of his theory of Relativity!! If that isn't a humbling experience, look at all the other artifacts that this museum houses!!! It's brilliant and incredible!! Too much to list and do, you just have to go and see for yourself!!! Highly recommend stopping in and just immersing yourself in history!!!

The Brits plundered many fascinating archeological artifacts from around the world, and the…read moreBritish Museum displays some of the most famous, such as the Rosetta Stone. Admission: free Time budget: minimum 4 hours Free WiFi is available Plenty of clean bathrooms Caution: The museum has no air conditioning. I visited during a rare heat wave, and the museum was a sweat box. Also, if you don't like crowds, you won't like this museum. It gets packed early. Pre-opening tour: The museum offers for UK $35 various pre-opening tours. I took the Greece pre-opening tour. Pros: Small group of 20 before the unwashed masses crowd into the museum. Tour guides are knowledgable. Guides may offer extra time at no charge (e.g. 15-20 minutes extra). Cons: My tour guide did not enunciate or project his voice, so much of the tour was unintelligible.

How is this place free?!?! As they state themselves, it is the greatest collection of stolen items…read moreanywhere...lol. Meaning there are artifacts from countries all around the world. You do have to register for timed tickets ahead of time to get in. We got some just a few days before and they didn't check for times as we were almost an hour late. It was super crowded and getting through the queue took about 10 minutes. Once inside, we knew we had to move fast since they close at 5pm and you could spend all day here. The information booth was helpful as they gave us a map with the option of hitting the highlights, which was perfect for our amount of time. The items from the Easter Islands were my favorite and the library room right when you walk in was cool too. Of course the Rosetta Stone was amazing as well! There is food and a gift shop inside so get an early time and spend the day here.

What a great experiential aircraft visit in a historically significant place. The displays span the…read morecentury including spitfires, P-51's, B-52's, A-10's, SR-71, U2, and commercial aircraft like the SST. Two major display building with several hangars of planes WW2 operational planes or in process of being restored. For you yanks, this on the quality of the Smithsonian Aircraft exhibit in DC, with out all the outer space stuff.

It had been years since my last visit to Duxford. A Christmas present of tickets and an In the…read moreCockpit Spitfire Experience made a return visit a 'must do'. On arrival, and wandering around, I immediately noticed so many changes. More outlets throughout the grounds for refreshments. Prices are more than reasonable and the food very fresh having been made on site. My last visit there was only one restaurant. Also, it may sound silly, but many more toilet facilities. All a very big plus to this wonderful museum. We decided to start our visit in the Land Based War area at the very furthest point on the runway. Although there is a bus service we decided to slowly stroll the 15 minutes. This idea worked out perfectly as we finished our visit in the main hangar near the exit, tired, but having visited every area on our way back. The whole experience was an education and extremely enjoyable. The aircraft are an impressive display and the planning in setting out these huge vehicles in such small spaces incredible. This, especially, in the American hangar. Seeing the old passenger planes on the runway brought back memories of DanAir, BEA, BOAC, Monarch......all planes and companies I have flown with. Finally, my Spitfire experience was outstanding. An informative talk for 20 minutes before climbing into the cockpit of N3200. Still wonder how those pilots in flight jackets, boots and parachute managed to even move. Shown all the controls in a hands on way. It was so interesting, A fabulous day out and a would definitely advise a visit of a few hours.

The Ashmolean was a wonderful surprise during our stay in Oxford. I had heard of the museum and did…read morea little research so I knew what to focus on, but it far surpassed my expectations. There's archeological artifacts, art, and so much more from so many varying parts of the world and times. Best of all, it's FREE! If you're planning a visit to Oxford, carve out some time and be sure to visit the museum. (Great rooftop restaurant to boot)

We were visiting Oxford as part of a tour and had several hours of free time to explore on our own…read more My wife convinced me to that we should visit the Ashmolesn Museum and she wasn't wrong. As with most of the museums we visited in Britain, this one was also FREE. The Ashmolean was fantastic. In some respects it reminded me of the British Museum but it was a much more manageable (enjoyable) size. The exhibits were superb yet not overwhelming. We enjoyed the 2 hours we had to spend here and were sorry we didn't have more time.

Lots of bones! Plenty of old stuff! Great turn-of-the-century over-the-top ornate architecture!…read morePlan on an hour unless you're hardcore. Ride the escalator into the middle of the earth to find out what music is playing inside. See extraordinary taxidermy handiwork. Even see a fake dodo bird thought to be an adjacent species that didn't exist. And if you like dinosaurs this is your Mecca. Just don't dare sit anywhere like on some stairs in the corner or some overzealous guard will kick you right out. But otherwise you'll have a great time. Also enjoy the outside grounds for a stroll, and hit up the West entrance for zero lines while the hoards line up on the other side.

Housed in a grand and impressive building, the NHM is well curated, with impeccable displays, and…read moreit's free. However, a donation of £10 is HIGHLY suggested as you enter. As with all London museums, there is security checking all backpacks, but this museum was checking for alcohol! When you see all the school teens sitting on the stairways (perhaps waiting for parents to pick them up?), then the alcohol check is understandable. Out of all the displays, my favorite was the dimly lit Treasures room. Each piece exhibited tells an important story beyond what you actually see like an Iguanodon tooth from the Mesozoic strata and found by Gideon Mantell (or his wife) and the rivalry that ensued between Mantell and Owen, who later usurped Mantell's contribution in discovering the first known dinosaur species and shaping the early understanding of dinosaurs. While I find the digital text for each display as being the true treasures, only 1-2 people can read at a time so you feel a bit rushed if you're a person (like me) who reads everything, yet people are behind you waiting their turn. In addition to the wonderful displays, there is a photo booth whereby you can have 3 photos taken against a green screen depicting a dinosaur encounter. What they don't tell you upfront is that the photos are NOT free and can be downloaded (depending on the package you choose) from £12 to £22 pounds. When I asked the staff for information on particular exhibits, I found them to be more than helpful and friendly, too. Allow time for this expansive gem.

What an amazing place! We happened to see this museum as we…read morewere walking by and were intrigued by their moving signage. Inside there are plenty of machines that whir and perform small tasks or even make music. Lots of interactive things to see and do, buttons to push, pedals to press, even a magnetic marble track you can build yourself! It's a treat for young and old and definitely worth the small entry fee.

The opening hours are stated for October to March. Opening hours from April to September are a…read morelittle longer (10:30 to 18:30 daily). A friend recommended this place to me thinking that my boys would like it. My friend was right! We did all enjoy the interactive displays. The extent of the interactivity is mainly pressing a button though but it's still good. There is an interesting range of mechanical art and my boys and I were fascinated by the mechanisms. It is quite a small place. It cost £19 for the four of us (2 adults and 2 children) which isn't too bad but, considering we spent less than an hour in there and saw everything, it does seem a little expensive. There are two floors. One very small room on each floor displaying different pieces of art. It can get rather crowded due to the small size, especially downstairs where the entrance/exit is the same. In the same small area, there is a counter where there is a single member of staff who both admits people and serves the gift shop. The gift shop is basically a small portion of the wall within the ground floor of the museum. Many items are over-priced and the selection is very limited. We did enjoy ourselves there and would recommend it but it could get claustrophobic and the upstairs can be noisy (although it does state this on the signage).

For only £3.50 admission to this large former aircraft hangar that is on the site of the former…read moreWoodley Aerodrome, you have the opportunity to see aviation history going back to WWI and up to quite recent technologies. Chock full of aircraft, both full size restorations and many model dioramas and walls covered in articles, stories and various implements of flying history. There are also two full-size planes parked outside which may or may not be visitable depending on weather and mood. There is also a small jet "trainer" suitable for children to ride and play with, supervised carefully by staff. A nice visit for kids, if they are interested in planes and flying, and especially if it is part of a school project. This one has been in my bookmarks list for a few months and only now with my bicycle have I been able to make the trip. It was well worth the wait.