27 brilliant things to do in oxford with kids

Children (and adults) of all ages adore the Natural History Museum. We visit at least twice a year and always have to be torn away at the end of the afternoon. The museum is housed in a spectacular, Victorian neo-Gothic cathedral of a building, which is both an artwork and education in itself. Internal pillars are carved from different types of rock, topped with botanical carvings of different flora.

Budding palaeontologists can follow the family dinosaur trail, finding skeletons from a tiny Compsognathus to colossal T-Rex and Edmontasaurus. See the Oxford Dodo which inspired Lewis Carroll and marvel at the animal skeleton parade.

Upstairs boasts an incredible collection of insects and minerals, a working beehive and visiting exhibitions. With a thoughtfully curated shop and a wonderful, sustainable cafe (currently being run by Vaults and Garden) you can easily while away a very pleasant afternoon.

There is an ongoing upgrade to the glass display cases. The re-imagined exhibits combine artefacts, video, photography and visual displays in thought provoking and inspiring ways which bring complex topics, such as evolution and adaptation, to life.

2. Pitt Rivers Museum

Free entry/ Donation. Open daily from 10am (12 on Mondays) – 5pm

Accessed through the Natural History Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum evokes curiosity and inspires awe and wonder at every turn. The huge collection of objects (over 500,000) from across the globe are organised by function: weapons, musical instruments, masks and jewellery to name just a few. Visitors can draw parallels between similar objects from different areas of the world, and see the effect of place and environment in solving problems common to humans. It is a treasure trove of wonder and can be a very difficult place to leave, eating up hours of time happily spent imagining life in other times and places and marvelling at the incredible range of skills humans are capable of. During school holidays there are additional family trails and activities.

In recent years, the museum has begun important work to decolonise the collection, including information acknowledging and explaining the museum’s colonial legacy and the ethics surrounding these complex issues. I recommend starting a visit reading the information board at the bottom left of the stairs, explaining the background and work being done.

3. The Story Museum

Tickets vary from £3 – £12 per person. Occasional ‘pay what you can’ Sundays.

Open Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4:30pm

Visit the Story Museum and step into a magical world where stories come to life and imagination infuses the very air. Visit the whispering wood where the trees tell stories; explore books in the enchanted library; search for literary treasure or board the Storycraft for an epic journey through Oxford’s bookish history. For under 5s there’s a separate gallery for stories, picture books and imagination, complete with double decker bus. In addition, there is a theatre with a range of events over the year and a cafe with delicious home-made meals and treats. If you are visiting with children of different ages, it can be a bit tricky to decide which tickets to buy, but consult with museum staff for the best advice.

Free general entry / donation. Some visiting exhibitions have an additional charge.

Free entry / Donation. Open Tuesday – Saturday 12 – 5pm

Visit the 100 year old History of Science Museum to discover the fascinating history of science through the ages, told through a variety of intriguing objects. The museum houses collections of instruments, devices and inventions from throughout human history. The progression in scientific thinking is thoughtfully demonstrated through the displays. There is a huge collection of gorgeous, detailed astrolabes (models of the universe) alongside mind bending collections of curious medical instruments and other scientific inventions. Fans of Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ will love examining Lyra’s alethiometer, the instruments that inspired Pullman’s invention, and other props from the films.

Free entry / Donation. Open Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm

The Museum of Oxford , located inside the Victorian Town Hall, is a museum dedicated to the history of the people of Oxford. This is a fantastic small museum, which caters brilliantly to families with the option of borrowing family explorer backpacks, sensory kits, costumes to try on and family explorer trails. In school holidays there is an even wider range of activities and crafts to take part in. It is fairly small and takes about 30 minutes to explore.

7. Science Centre Oxford

We’ve only recently discovered this gem of a visitor attraction. Science Oxford comprises a hands-on science museum and an outdoor nature area for exploring. They also host regular science themed workshops and groups.

It’s open to the public on Saturdays only (the centre is used for school visits during the week). Tickets must be booked in advance and currently cost £8.50 per person, with two timed sessions available each Saturday.

During your 2 hour timeslot there is a large room with engaging hands on exhibits. It’s aimed at children up to 11, however our 14-year-old had a great time.

Highlights include:

• Creating your own giant marble run
• Making a short animation
• Building electrical circuits
• Solving mathematical puzzles
• Exploring with powerful microscopes
• Challenging yourself to build impressive structures
• Designing and testing a flying creation on the air table

Before or after your session, you can also explore the surrounding woodlands and lakes, with explorer backpacks available to borrow.

Go punting on the Cherwell

Open February to November from 9:30am – Sunset (or 9pm).

Pop along to Magdalen Bridge Boathouse and hire a wooden punt, rowing boat or pedalo for an hour or two along the Cherwell River. Bring a picnic for lunch on the river. Prices are from £32 an hour per boat. If you don’t fancy rowing, try the leisurely route an hire a chauffeured punt so you can soak up the atmosphere whilst the driver does the hard work. This option has a much smaller chance of falling in.

We opted for a punt converted into a pedalo. This was great fun and easy to control. Our kids loved feeding the cheeky ducks on the way round. If you’re visiting The Botanic Gardens or Magdalen College, you’ll find the boathouse nearby, down a small slope.

Relax in the Botanical Gardens

Adults £7.20, accompanying children go free. Open daily 10am – 5pm.

Oxford Botanic Garden, the oldest in the UK, is a petite wonder in the centre of Oxford. Here you will find glasshouses bursting with tropical plants, snowdrops and daffodils gently nod in springtime before summer and autumn see the gardens filled with colour. In April you can relax underneath the most magnificent Magnolia tree I have ever seen. Time your visit with a picnic so you can linger in this delightful space for longer. Fans of His Dark Materials can find Will and Lyra’s bench in the gardens too.

Take a Harry Potter Tour

If your kids (or adults!) are Harry Potter fans, Oxford will not disappoint. The city is packed with filming locations, and exploring them is a brilliant way to keep children engaged while also seeing some of Oxford’s most impressive sights.

Most guided tours mix Harry Potter trivia with Oxford’s wider literary history and often include a quiz or interactive elements, which works especially well for older children and teenagers.

There are several Harry Potter–focused tours to choose from. Prices vary depending on what’s included. Some good options include a tours covering the Bodleian library and New College or go all-in with a full tour including Christchurch College.

If you’d prefer to explore independently, here are the key Harry Potter filming locations to include on a DIY walking route:

• Bodleian Library – Divinity School
  Used as Hogwarts’ Infirmary
• Bodleian Library – Duke Humfrey’s Library
  Inspiration for the Hogwarts library (restricted section)
• New College Cloisters
  Filmed as Hogwarts corridors and the spot where Malfoy was famously transfigured into a ferret
• Christ Church College – Dining Hall
  The inspiration for Hogwarts’ Great Hall
• Christ Church College – Bodley Tower Staircase
  Featured in several iconic Harry Potter scenes

If time allows and you want to see even more filming locations, consider a side trip to Lacock, around 90 minutes away on the southern edge of the Cotswolds. The village and abbey are used repeatedly throughout the films and make a fantastic add-on for Harry Potter fans.

Go on a walking tour

See a different side of Oxford on a treasure trail

To keep the kids occupied whilst seeing a different side of Oxford, try the Oxford University Parks and River Treasure Trail. The 3 mile, self-guided, circular trail follows a route through the University Parks whilst ‘secret agents’ search for clues. It’s good way to discover an area you might not have seen.

This trail took us through the park and ‘Mesopotamia’ to a lovely neighbourhood and back again, often following the River Cherwell. We discovered so many little details that we would never have noticed and some new areas which we loved exploring.

There are other trail options more centrally which also look great. These self-guided, downloadable trails are just £9.99.

Walk through historic Port Meadow

Not far from the neighbourhood of Jericho, Port Meadow is a huge green space still grazed by livestock and bordered by woodland. It is a great space to burn off some energy, and feels a million miles away from the city whilst being in easy walking distance.

You can continue the walk through Port Meadow to Wolvercote and The Trout Pub (see also below). As this is a flood plain, do not make our mistake and attempt this route in winter. An alternative route follows the canal back to town.

On a very grey December day, my 12 year old daughter and I tried the 30 minute Bodleian library tour. We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour, standing in awe of the opulent architecture of the Divinity School building.

One of England’s oldest libraries, the beautiful architecture of the Bodleian library (actually a collection of buildings) is a great option for families with children over the age of 11. The only way to access the library is either to be a student at the university, or to book a tour.

During the second part of the tour, we visited Duke Humphrey’s Library and learnt about the foundation of the library with just 12 books. The library is an evocative space, all dark wooden shelving, ladders, huge leather-bound books and oil painted ceilings.

We would have loved to learn more, and plan to choose a longer tour for our next visit.

One of Oxford’s largest colleges, Magdalen surprises visitors with tranquil grounds filled with wildflowers and even a small herd of deer. Once you step into the college grounds, you feel far away from the bustle of the city centre, despite being only seconds away. The college buildings include a library accessed by a secret spiral staircase, Great Tower, a chapel and gorgeous cloisters.

The statues standing around the walls of the internal quadrangle, which can be viewed from the cloisters, are reminiscent of the stone statues in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In fact, C.S. Lewis is known to have enjoyed meandering along the 1.3km Addison’s Walk, a looped path along the river Cherwell, inside the college grounds.

Tickets are £10/ £9 per adult/ child over 7 or £28 for a family ticket. Alternatively, purchase the combined ticket for Magdalen College and the Botanic Gardens which are located directly opposite. If you have energy to spare Magdalen Boathouse is just outside.