A surprisingly large number of people in Aylesbury have never heard of Oxford Natural History Museum but it’s such a good family day out. Firstly it’s free to visit. It’s really family friendly as well. Even the entrance is spectacular – the building itself is stunning and there are dinosaur footprints on the front lawn. We’ve visited the Oxford University Museum of Natural History many times and I regularly update this review with any changes.
The ground floor
Oxford University Museum of Natural History is a fantastic place for anyone who loves dinosaurs. The Oxford area is a hot spot for them and they have loads on display. There’s a huge triceratops skull, a t-rex and edmontosaurus to name a few. You’ll also find various skeletons of animals such as giraffe and elephants as well as taxidermy specimens. Smallest Child was quite put out that these were all dead and why couldn’t I make them alive again when I first took her?
There used to be an awesome tent at the back that had glow in the dark rocks in it. As part of the refurb they’re removed the rocks for conservation and apparently they’re not coming back.
It’s worth mentioning here that the museum is currently undergoing major work on their displays. They’re moving things around and updating the cabinets but a lot of the work has already been done and it looks great. The first new cabinet was the icthyosaur which is now a hands on exhibit as well as a video and audio. It will be interesting to see what else they do.
The upper floor
There are two floors to the museum. One of the highlights has to be the beehive on the first floor. It has glass sides and its own entrance so the bees can get in and out. It’s an amazing chance for children (and adults) to see up close how a beehive works.
They also have live stick insects and cockroaches. Upstairs is much smaller and tends to have their temporary exhibitions in it. These usually have an interactive element to them.
How family friendly is Oxford Natural History Museum?
As well as the exhibits behind glass there are lots of hands-on experiences for the kids. During the holidays there are regular events for families. There’s also a giant ammonite, an actual meteorite and a huge hunk of fools gold you can touch. There’s also a fox and a bear they can stroke without losing a finger. They also have a number of activity sheets available at the entrance.
You won’t spend a full day out here as it’s a relatively small museum. Keep an eye out on the website for the activities and workshops they regularly run. You can extend your visit by combining it with a visit to the Pitt Rivers museum which is accessed through the back of Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
It can get quite busy, and as I’ve said it is quite small, so it can be a bit cramped at times, particularly weekends. It’s a fantastic rainy day activity and you’ll enjoy it as much as they do.
Access is a bit of an issue – the get into the museum you have to go up some steps although there is an accessible entrance at the side. You are encouraged to leave pushchairs in the lobby. During the summer holidays they have a covered buggy park outside. It always has a member of staff there are you’re given a ticket so you don’t need to worry about security. Getting one around the museum would be a pain in the pushchair so we took the carrier when smallest child was younger.
Entry
Free but donations are welcome
Parking / How to get there
Address – Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW
Parking – None on site. There is on street parking on the road opposite the museum but it’s crazy expensive. You can park in one of the city centre car parks and walk or get the park and ride which cost us £5 for a family of 5. Prices updated for the February 2024 Oxford University Museum of Natural History review
Toilets
On site. They are down some steps though but there is a lift. There is also a baby change
Food
There is a little cafe on the first floor. It does children’s boxes, hot food and some nice cakes. You could have a picnic on the lawn if the weather is decent.
Our review of Oxford University Museum of Natural History
We go here regularly and have always had a good time. It will be really interesting to see what the rest of the improvements bring. Even though the exhibits don’t really change and we’ve been a ton of times the kids have never been bored here. They love it!
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