Free things to do in Oxford
Four free museums, free exhibitions at the Bodleian, three open green spaces and a church service with one of England’s great choirs: Oxford at no cost.
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A day in Oxford can cost nothing but the walking. Most of the University’s museums are free, the Bodleian’s exhibitions are free, and some of the best views in the city are from common land and meadows. This is the short list, with what to look for at each.
At a glance
| Place | Free? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ashmolean Museum | Free, no booking | Major exhibitions are ticketed |
| Museum of Natural History | Free | Daily 10am to 5pm |
| Pitt Rivers Museum | Free | Entered through the Natural History museum |
| History of Science Museum | Free | Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm |
| Weston Library exhibitions | Free | Broad Street |
| Modern Art Oxford | Ground floor gallery free | Upper galleries £9.50 |
| Port Meadow, University Parks, Christ Church Meadow | Free | Outdoor |
| Choral Evensong | Free to attend as a service | Christ Church and several colleges, in term |
The museums
The Ashmolean on Beaumont Street is free and needs no booking for general admission. Give it a morning: ancient Egypt, the Minoan collection, and European paintings including Uccello’s Hunt in the Forest.
The Museum of Natural History on Parks Road is free and open daily from 10am to 5pm. The building is a sight in itself, and in 1860, the year it opened, it hosted the famous debate on evolution between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce. Through the back is the Pitt Rivers Museum, also free, a dense anthropology collection arranged by type of object.
The History of Science Museum on Broad Street, free and open Tuesday to Sunday, holds Einstein’s blackboard and a large collection of astrolabes from the Islamic world, in what it describes as the oldest surviving purpose-built public museum building in the world.
The Bodleian’s free exhibitions
Guided tours of the Bodleian cost money, but its exhibitions do not. The Weston Library on Broad Street, the Bodleian’s public building, holds free exhibitions from the libraries’ collections, with a shop and a café. Check the Bodleian’s website for what is on.
Outdoors
- Port Meadow: 300 acres of common land beside the Thames, grazed by horses and cattle that belong to the Freemen of Oxford and the commoners of Wolvercote. It is said never to have been ploughed.
- The University Parks: open from 7.45am to around sunset, with rare trees and first-class cricket in summer.
- Christ Church Meadow: the Broad Walk and the path along the Cherwell to the Thames, below Christ Church.
Evensong
Choral Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral and in college chapels such as New College is a church service rather than a concert, and anyone can attend. It is the cheapest way to hear two of England’s great choirs; times follow the university term, so check before you go.
More free art
Modern Art Oxford on Pembroke Street keeps its ground floor gallery free; the upper galleries charge. See our guide to Oxford’s museums and galleries for opening hours and what has changed recently.
Frequently asked questions
Which Oxford museums are free?
The Ashmolean, the Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers and the History of Science Museum, plus the Weston Library’s exhibitions. Major Ashmolean exhibitions are ticketed.
Is it free to walk in Christ Church Meadow?
Yes. The meadow and its walks are open to the public; visiting the college itself is ticketed.
Can I hear the choirs for free?
Yes, at Choral Evensong, which is a service open to everyone. Check the times, which follow the university term.
Plan a free visit to the Ashmolean
Sources
- ashmolean.org, plan your visit
- oumnh.ox.ac.uk, Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- prm.ox.ac.uk, visit the Pitt Rivers Museum
- hsm.ox.ac.uk, History of Science Museum
- visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk, the Bodleian: free exhibitions, shop and café
- modernartoxford.org.uk, visit
- en.wikipedia.org, Port Meadow
- parks.ox.ac.uk, University Parks
- chch.ox.ac.uk, Christ Church Meadow and gardens
- en.wikipedia.org, 1860 Oxford evolution debate
This article was written by the Oxford Society editorial desk from the public sources listed above. We are not affiliated with the people, companies or institutions it describes.
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