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Armillary Sphere in Top Gallery History of Science Museum Oxford

Welcome to the History of Science Museum

"rarely was science in Oxford more on people’s mind globally than this year"

From Oxford Instruments and Alice in Typhoidland to new Curators, remote working, and memorable moments with Multaka, take a look at our latest Annual Review.

Browse our Annual Review

Luke Jerram COVID Vaccine sculpture with Professor Sarah Gilbert

The Art of Science: the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine | Thursday 20 May | 6-7pm

Join us live online to hear Professor Sarah Gilbert—Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University and leader of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine team—in conversation with Luke Jerram and HSM Director Dr Silke Ackermann to hear the story of the vaccine development and discover how art can celebrate the powerful beauty of science.

Book your ticket

Explore our Collections

Browse over 20,000 records in our Objects Database, including specialist catalogues for astrolabes, Epact, and the Marconi Collection

Search the Collections

Thomas Willis, Neurologist. Picture line engraving by R White after D Loggan Wellcome v0006298

Celebrating the founder of modern neurology

In 2021 we're celebrating the birth of Thomas Willis (1621-1675), one of the greatest neuroanatomists of all time.

Known for first coining the term "neurology", he became one of the leading physicians of his day; his thinking was centuries ahead of its time.

Discover the life & works of Thomas Willis

Heartbeat of the City watches display (9) 1800 x 840 px

Exhibition: Heartbeat of the CIty

Take a minute to go inside out with us this winter.

Outside, interact with clock sculpture which draws on your footsteps to beat out the rhythm of our city.

Inside, discover historical timepieces spanning centuries, each one with a story to tell of human ingenuity and engineering expertise.

Tour the online Gallery

Alice in Typhoidland Virtual Tour

Glide with us on a murky ride into Oxford's underside ... take a brand-new virtual tour of the Alice in Typhoidland exhibition at the Weston Library and History of Science Museum in Oxford.

Tour Alice in Typhoidland

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Meet Stephen, your Pocket Curator

You can carry around our Curator, Stephen, on your phone or tablet.

Download the app, put your headphones on and discover the human stories behind seven objects.

Learn more and download the app

Take the 2-Minute Tour

Fancy a 2-Minute Museum visit?

Take the Virtual Grand Tour: see each of our Galleries, have a mosey around the staircase and leap all 3 floors in a single click!

Take the 2-Minute Tour

Photo Oxford 2020 Women in Photography Exhibition Banner 1800 x 840 px

Online Exhibition: Women and Photography

Discover Oxford's rich history of talented, pioneering women photographers.

Celebrate Photo Oxford 2020

Visitor's Choice

This beautiful Astrolabe was chosen by our friend Megan (@WritersGreenHse) who often drops in for inspiration when writing in town.

Learn about Megan's Astrolabe

FameLab 2021: Regional Finals

Fancy hearing some mind-blowing science in 180 seconds from some of the UK's most exciting young science communicators?

Watch the FameLab 2021 Regional Finals on YouTube.

Watch the Regional Final

Visitors browsing in the Museum Shop (looking at Einstein ducks)

Have a browse

Fancy a souvenir of your visit?

From astrolabes and activity packs to eco-friendly mugs and periodic table goodies — don't miss our Museum Shop.

Portrait of young boy with Sir John Chardin (stairwell view) Inv no: 72661

Reframing the "Chardin" portrait

Camille Leadbetter continues her investigation of the Chardin portrait, and shares her quest to bring the story of the young boy — and thousands like him — into the foreground.

Discover the story

“Sir Henry Acland & Mr. M. W. Haffkine” taken by Sarah Angelina Acland (digital positive from half-plate negative, 1899) Bodleian Library, Minn Collection Negative 202/9

Epidemic encounters

Discover the story of Waldemar Haffkine, the "vaccine pioneer the world forgot" and his 35-year friendship with groundbreaking photographer Sarah Acland.

Relax with a 10-minute read

Rings of Heaven talk: First image astronomers are conducting observations using a 5 3 metre armillary sphere in the late 16th century Istanbul observatory

Watch again: Knowledge in Motion on YouTube

If you missed any of our Knowledge in Motion series of online talks, you can catch up any time on YouTube.

Watch the talks

Christmas Light Festival 2020 1800 x 840 px

Watch again: Family Fun online

You can join the Multaka team any time to enjoy Art, Music, and Craft: The Mosul Handbag — a jam-packed hour of fun family craft and activities—and learn about what may be the oldest handbag in the world!

Get crafting with Multaka

Award-winng Multaka-Oxford

We're so proud of our friends and colleagues in the Multaka-Oxford team: 2020 winners of the Vice-Chancellor's Diversity Award for Diversifying Participation at the University of Oxford.

Meet the Multaka-Oxford team

Online Galleries: Astrolabes of Africa

North Africa has a long tradition of making beautiful, ingenious astrolabes.

10 Astrolabes — 3 Pioneers — 1 Exhibition.

Visit our online gallery

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I want to support my Museum

We can't do it without you!

Thanks to your generosity, we can keep highlighting ingenious stories that spark curiosity for as many people as possible.

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Supporting your Museum

As a registered charity, we make our Collections freely available for everyone to enjoy and offer a wide range of activities for our communities.

Thanks to your generosity — last year our visitors contributed £41,000 in donations — we have been able to support the Museum’s Collections and continue public events and education programmes.

That is why we continue to rely on visitors just like you to support us.

I want to support the Museum

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Volunteering

We are very grateful to all our volunteers who help make our Museum and its Collections more welcoming, interesting, and open to all. Would you like to join them?

Join our community