Oxfordshire Museum

About the museum

The Oxfordshire Museum is run by Oxfordshire County Council and is based in Fletcher's House, a large historic house on Park Street in the centre of Woodstock, opposite the Bear Hotel. The museum celebrates 60 years since it first opened to the public in 2026.

Its collections cover the history, archaeology, art, landscape and wildlife of the county, with a particular focus on the town of Woodstock and its former glove trade. The galleries lead from the Saxon and Roman periods through to Victorian Oxfordshire, and include displays on woodlands and the changing countryside. One of the best-known objects is the Iron Age Didcot Mirror, which the museum acquired and conserved. In 2025 the museum raised money to buy a hoard of Iron Age objects found in the county in 2020.

The museum is designed to be a family-friendly day out. The dinosaur gallery is its most hands-on space, and the garden has a Dinosaur Garden with fossil footprints of a megalosaur from a limestone quarry near Ardley. Two further spaces, the Garden Gallery and the Brew House, are used for changing exhibitions, and the Coach House hosts workshops and events.

The building also contains a café, a shop and Woodstock Library. The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, which opened in 2014 in the same grounds, is a separate museum with its own admission charge.

Highlights

• Free admission to the galleries
• Dinosaur gallery and Dinosaur Garden with megalosaur footprints
• Iron Age Didcot Mirror
• Anglo-Saxon and Roman galleries
• Victorian Oxfordshire gallery with dressing up
• Garden and café with outdoor seating

Permanent exhibitions

• Dinosaur Gallery – The museum's most interactive gallery, with dinosaur models and hands-on play, linked to the Dinosaur Garden outside.
• Anglo-Saxon and Roman galleries – Saxon treasures including a warrior's grave, and the Roman history of the county with displays of Roman pottery.
• Victorian Oxfordshire – Everyday life in Victorian Oxfordshire with a dolls' house, sanitation display and dressing-up costumes for children.

Founded

1966

Operated by

Oxfordshire County Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum and its exhibitions is free for all visitors; donations are welcome. The neighbouring Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum is a separate museum with an admission charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Step-free entrance with a slight slope and lip; the door opens with a push button. Lifts serve the upper floors and a stair lift links two ground-floor galleries; reception staff will help. Step-free routes reach the back galleries through the garden. The accessible toilet is at the entrance to the Garden Gallery and is kept unlocked. Two Blue Badge bays are directly in front of the museum. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed (call ahead). There is no induction loop and no braille. Sensory counter at reception with magnifying glasses, Sunflower lanyards, ear defenders and reading overlays; sensory bags for some exhibitions. Assistance dogs are welcome, with water bowls at the entrance. Folding stools and seating in the galleries. Quieter days are Tuesday to Thursday, especially after 14:00.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Activities for young children include workshops such as Curiosity Club. Galleries have dressing-up costumes, lift-up flaps and handling objects, the Changing Countryside gallery has a children's activity area with colouring, puppets and beanbags, and the dinosaur gallery is the most hands-on space. Baby changing is available in the toilets, highchairs are provided in the café, and buggies are best left on the terrace or by the library entrance at busy times.

Getting there & parking

Drop-off is possible directly in front of the museum. A cycle rack stands in front of the museum. Follow Woodstock High Street to Park Street; the museum is opposite the Bear Hotel.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Café next to reception serving soup, sandwiches, scones, cakes and hot drinks, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options, and a decked terrace and garden for outdoor seating. Shop with toys, gifts, cards and local products. Free public Wi-Fi is available on site. Woodstock Library is on the ground floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Up to 60 guests.

The Coach House can be hired privately and seats 60 in lecture style, with an upgraded audio-visual system. The exhibition galleries can also be hired for displays.

Plan your visit