History of Science Museum
Scientific instruments from antiquity to the early 20th century, in the oldest purpose-built museum building still standing.
Look out for Einstein’s blackboard, used in his Oxford lectures on 16 May 1931 — one of the best-known objects in the collection. Last admission is 4.50pm.
The History of Science Museum occupies the Old Ashmolean Building on Broad Street, built in 1683 as the original home of the Ashmolean collection. No older building made specifically to be a museum still stands anywhere in the world. Its life as a science museum began in 1924, when the collector Lewis Evans gave the University his scientific instruments. Today it holds some 18,000 items, the oldest from antiquity and the newest from the early 1900s.
What to see
The astrolabes are the headline: around 170 of them, described on Wikipedia as "the most complete collection in the world". Around them are quadrants, sundials, early mathematical instruments for calculating, astronomy, navigation and surveying, and optical instruments including microscopes, telescopes and cameras. A star exhibit is the blackboard Albert Einstein used in his lectures in Oxford on 16 May 1931, rescued afterwards by university dons. The building itself is part of the attraction: it is Grade I listed, the highest grade, as a building of exceptional interest.
Practical notes
Admission is free. The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00 (last admission 4.50pm), and is closed on Mondays. The building is compact — a visit takes roughly an hour. The entrance is directly on Broad Street, next to the Sheldonian Theatre. The Ashmolean Museum is a short walk away on Beaumont Street — the two pair well for a museum morning. Limited step-free access; check the website for accessibility details. No cafe, but there are many options on Broad Street.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
