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The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford

No. 71 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 1,072,267 visitors in 2025

Ashmolean Museum

Oxford, United Kingdom · City guide: Oxford

Britain's oldest public museum, the University of Oxford's treasure house of art and archaeology.

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Photo: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Ashmolean Museum is No. 71 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 1,072,267 visitors in 2025, up 14% on 2024. Founded in 1683, it is Britain's oldest public museum and the University of Oxford's museum of art and archaeology.

Its neoclassical building on Beaumont Street, by Charles Robert Cockerell, was extended in 2009 by Rick Mather. The collections range from ancient Egypt and the Minoans to Renaissance and modern art, and entry is free.

The neoclassical front of the Ashmolean Museum
The neoclassical front of the Ashmolean Museum. Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest. Check the official website for hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    The Alfred Jewel

    A gold and enamel Anglo-Saxon treasure linked to King Alfred the Great.

  • 2

    The Messiah Stradivarius

    A violin by Antonio Stradivari in near-original condition.

  • 3

    The Hunt in the Forest

    Paolo Uccello's night-time hunting scene.

  • 4

    Ancient Egypt and the Minoans

    Egyptian galleries and finds from Arthur Evans's excavations at Knossos.

  • 5

    Rooftop restaurant

    A dining room and terrace on the roof.

Getting there

The museum is on Beaumont Street in central Oxford, about 10 minutes' walk from Oxford railway station.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Entry is free; some exhibitions charge. Check the official website for hours.
Time needed
Two to three hours.
Currency
Pound sterling (GBP). Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Visa & entry
Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries, now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling. Check gov.uk for the current rules.

Official information: Ashmolean Museum (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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