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Plan Your Visit

Discover Earth, science and nature

Oxford University Museum of Natural History is OPEN DAILY from 10:00 to 17:00

Entry is FREE – Bookings are required for groups only

Visitor touching a model of a sabre tooth tiger skull

Events

There's always something going on at Oxford Museum of Natural History. Browse our wide range of online and in-person events.

What's On

Plesiosaur and Pliosaur, Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Museum Highlights

Discover highlights from our collections and exhibits.

Discover

Education

The Museum offers a range of learning experiences for school kids, families and adults. Browse our range of online activities, in-museum sessions and self-guided visits.

Learn With Us

Entry to the Museum is FREE

We rely on the generous support of the public to fund our events and exhibitions.

Donate £5

Online Exhibition

Mary Anning

Mary Anning was a fossil expert, anatomist, and dealer. Learn more about her incredible contributions to the field of geology, and her legacy in the OUMNH archives.

Pastel portrait of Mary Anning by Benjamin John Merifield Donne, 1850. ©The Geological Society of London.

Explore

Swifts Diary

The colony of swifts that nests in the Museum tower has been the subject of a research study since May 1947. It is one of the longest continuous studies of a single bird species in the world, and has contributed much to our knowledge of the swift. Follow their story and enjoy regular updates about our feathered friends.

Our Instagram

Meet the kākāpō!

This parrot probably doesn’t fit your idea of a stereotypical parrot. They are flightless, nocturnal, and they love a lek. A lek, you say? No, that is not a typo. Lekking is a way of attracting a mate by which the males of the species come together in a group to perform courtship rituals to entice any passing females...

Some pinned beetles from the Museum's entomology collections

Our Blog

Conservation in the Genomic Era

By Sotiria Boutsi, Intern

Ambitious projects, like the Earth BioGenome Project, aim to sequence the genomes of even more species, eventually building the complete genomic library of life. But do these advancements help us with conservation efforts? Or are the benefits of biotechnology limited to industrial and biomedical settings?

Gliding lizard on display in the Museum.

ABOUT US

Oxford University Museum of Natural History holds an internationally-significant collection of natural history specimens and archives in a stunning example of neo-Gothic architecture. It is home to a lively programme of research, teaching and events focused on the sciences of the natural environment.

Find Out More