Community Access
Oxford's museums include the Ashmolean - the oldest museum in Britain - the History of Science Museum, the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. Admission is free to the permanent collections of all four. The Weston Library on Broad Street also hosts a series of free exhibitions throughout the year.
Our publicly accessible green spaces include the University Parks, Wytham Woods, the Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum. Colleges, which are independent of the central University, frequently open their doors to visitors to see the main quads, chapels and gardens. The University also participates in the annual Open Doors event when buildings and spaces across the city, normally private, open their doors to the public for one weekend.
Importantly, we are committed to ensuring that new buildings accommodate disabled access needs and that adjustments are made to existing buildings where necessary.
We are also committed to consulting the local community about our renovation and construction work and to improving the way we communicate with local residents and other stakeholders such as businesses and the owners of public buildings.
Many University buildings are available for hire for events, meetings, conferences, weddings, dinners and banquets. The Conference Oxford website makes it easy for people to find venues suitable to their requirements. A number of our café outlets are also open to the public, including those at the Ashmolean Museum and Museum of Natural History, the Weston Library, the Andrew Wiles Building on the Radcliffe Observatory site, and the Biochemistry Building on South Parks Rd.
More information?
Additional information is available on our Visiting Oxford page. Further information about visiting colleges and permanent private halls – many offer free entry.
More information about the University’s broader community engagement strategy and activities can be found on our Community pages.