Ashmolean Museum

The Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford

The Ashmolean Museum is the museum of art and archaeology of the University of Oxford, the oldest public museum of Great Britain. The Oxford audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this temple of culture, rich in exceptional collections covering millennia of history.

The oldest public museum of Great Britain

The Ashmolean Museum is the museum of art and archaeology of the University of Oxford and the oldest public museum of Great Britain, opened from the end of the seventeenth century. It owes its name to Elias Ashmole, a scholar and collector who bequeathed his collections to the university, giving birth to this pioneering institution. Today installed in a majestic neoclassical building, the museum presents collections of an extraordinary richness, which cover millennia of history and all the civilisations: Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, art of the Near East and Asia, paintings of European masters, drawings, sculptures, precious objects and archaeological treasures. There you admire masterpieces signed by the greatest artists, as well as unique pieces brought back from all over the world. The entrance of the museum is generally free, which makes it a place of culture accessible to all. A temple of knowledge and beauty, the Ashmolean Museum is a major cultural stop of the discovery of Oxford.

What to see

You admire the oldest public museum of Great Britain, born from the bequest of Elias Ashmole at the end of the seventeenth century, in a majestic neoclassical building, with its extraordinary collections covering millennia: Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, art of Asia, paintings of masters and archaeological treasures from all over the world. The Ashmolean Museum is a temple of culture of Oxford. It is a major stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Ashmolean Museum lies on Beaumont Street, in the heart of Oxford, reachable on foot. The entrance of the permanent collections is generally free; the visit follows its own hours, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What is the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford?

The museum of art and archaeology of the University of Oxford and the oldest public museum of Great Britain, born from the bequest of Elias Ashmole at the end of the seventeenth century; it presents extraordinary collections covering millennia and all the civilisations.

Where is the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford?

On Beaumont Street, in the heart of Oxford, in England.