Welcome

The front of the Museum against a blue and cloudy sky

ASHMOLEAN FROM HOME

Click here to discover the Ashmolean, and enjoy the collections, from home.

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.

We're planning to reopen on 17 May. Admission is free. Booking is essential.

BOOK FREE TICKETS

The Day Dream, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti WA1939.6

EXHIBITION COMING SOON

PRE-RAPHAELITES

DRAWINGS & WATERCOLOURS

Open 18 May – 20 June 2021

BOOK NOW

JOIN US AS A MEMBER

Join today for priority booking, unlimited free exhibition entry, preview days & much more

Membership gives you unlimited free access to exhibitions, exclusive online events, members-only previews and curator-led events, a members’ magazine sent to your door, as well as discounts across our shop, restaurant and café. Join as a Member today and you will be supporting the Museum at a critical time.

JOIN NOW

7 May

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

Singing and sensory play for babies. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1.

Online

Fresco depicting Bacchus covered in grapes standing by Mount Vesuvius

10 May

LAST SUPPER IN POMPEII (REVISITED)

A talk by Dr Paul Roberts Curator of the Last Supper in Pompeii exhibition, Keeper of the Antiquities Department,...

A talk by Dr Paul Roberts Curator of the Last Supper in Pompeii exhibition, Keeper of the Antiquities Department, Ashmolean Museum.

Online

Painting of people standing on the platform at Terminus Penzance Station Cornwall 1925, York Railway Museum, Stanhope Forbes

12 May

PAINTERS IN THEIR PLACES: CORNWALL

Two artistic-led lectures explore the special techniques applied from two distinct Cornish schools of art: Newlyn...

Two artistic-led lectures explore the special techniques applied from two distinct Cornish schools of art: Newlyn and St Ives.

Online

14 May

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

Singing and sensory play for babies. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1.

Online

A portrait of Thomas Combe with a long, flowing white and grey beard

MEMBERS ONLY

17 May

PRE-RAPHAELITES MEMBERS' PREVIEW

An exclusive, Members-only preview of our Pre-Raphaelites exhibition.

Exhibition Galleries

Hans Coper © Jane Coper and Estate of the Artist

18 May

HANS COPER: THE ESSENTIAL POTTER

A talk by Timothy Wilcox, Author and Independent Curator offering a tribute to Hans Coper.

Online

21 May

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

Singing and sensory play for babies. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1.

Online

MEMBERS ONLY

25 May

THE PRE RAPHAELITES IN OXFORD

An Exclusive Online Talk for Members of the Ashmolean Museum

Online

28 May

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

Singing and sensory play for babies. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1.

Online

stone engravings carvings of two men carrying round objects Roger Moorey Persepolis Yauna Apadana Greek Iran

28 May

ROUND OBJECTS AT PERSEPOLIS

Professor Michael Roaf explores round objects at Persepolis in the sixteenth annual Roger Moorey talk.

Online

A painting of boats and two men, Normandy and Paris, Brittany and the South of France, Eugene Boudin, The Estuary c1870

10 Jun

PAINTERS IN THEIR PLACES: FRANCE

In these three talks, visit the places which so inspired painters who were moved by the changing light of Northern...

In these three talks, visit the places which so inspired painters who were moved by the changing light of Northern and Southern France.

Online

16 Jun

CULTURED CANINES ARTIST TALK

With Allison Ksiazkiewicz, Artist, and Marianne Bergeron, Curator

Online

ONLINE SHOP

Explore our latest spring range, boredom busters for kids, and new stationery. Plus, we've added new fashion and jewellery lines to our sale.

Every purchase supports the Ashmolean.

SHOP ONLINE

A round plate, the lower half orange, and the upper half blue with a large white circle in the centre

21 BITE-SIZED TALES

MUSEUM SECRETS

Our curators have been recording bite-sized tales of the wonderful, and sometimes unexpected, life of a museum. Explore time & asparagus, symbols of hope in challenging times, Ancient Greek manscaping, and more!

A colourfully dressed tightrope walker, holding a fan and a parasol

6 AUDIO ADVENTURES

OBJECTS OUT LOUD

From a magician who inspired Shakespeare, to poems woven into Japanese prints, this short series delves into the poetry and literature hidden in the collections.

landscape detail st jerome reading in a landscape by giovanni bellini with a tablet ashmolean museum wa1899 cdef p1

HELP ENRICH LIVES

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the Ashmolean remains committed to making its collections available to all. You can help the Museum to share its remarkable treasures beyond its walls and continue to reach those who are unable to visit in person.

DONATE TO OUR APPEAL

Membership Card with logos and depictions of birds

BUY ONLINE

GIFT MEMBERSHIP

Support the Museum and treat someone to free, unlimited access to our 2021 exhibitions, The Pre-Raphaelites: Drawings & Watercolours and Tokyo: Art & Photography, plus exclusive events and discounts.

BROWSE THE PRINT SHOP

PRINTS & CANVASES

Browse our collection of fine art prints from current exhibition imagery to highlights from across our collection.

ONLINE COLLECTIONS

Discover thousands of objects and artworks Take a journey through thousands of years of art and history with our online collection. There are currently more than 200,000 objects available to search and browse online.

Netsuke in the form of a rat, Kano Tomokazu, 1800-40

TREASURES

Take a look at a selection of the Ashmolean's most treasured objects, chosen by our curators.

WATCH

THINKING WITH THINGS

A video series taking a closer look at the Ashmolean's hidden treasures from new viewpoints.

READ & WATCH

STORIES

Enjoy our collection of videos and articles and discover more about our recent exhibitions and some hidden stories in the collections.

LISTEN

MUSEUM SECRETS

Bite-sized tales of the wonderful, and sometimes unexpected, life of a museum.

Ascanius shooting the stag of Sylvia landscape

WATCH

VIEWING ART MINDFULLY

A series of short videos, curators from the Ashmolean will guide you mindfully through a series of objects from the Museum's collection.

WATCH

1-MINUTE VIDEOS

Learn about the Ashmolean collections in under 1 minute! From Ganesha and cuneiform, to Samurai warriors and Pre-Raphaelite art.

LISTEN

OBJECTS OUT LOUD

Join us each Friday from 5 February to learn about a piece of writing inspired by objects in our collections.

DRAWING ACTIVITIES

Create a textured portrait, or try to keep pen to paper to create a colourful drawing

JIGSAW PUZZLES

We've turned some of our treasures into online jigsaw puzzles. How quickly can you solve them?

COLOURING SHEETS

Download printable colouring sheets from the Oxford Doodle Club, inspired by the collections at the Oxford University Museums

ANIMAL CROSSING PATTERNS

We've turned some of the Ashmolean's treasures into miniature artworks you can import into Animal Crossing.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Find sketchbook ideas, short films, downloadable PDFs, and more.

HOME LEARNING

Find ways to play and learn from home, with our new videos, quizzes, activities and games

Online Exhibition

YOUNG REMBRANDT

Colourful and detailed embroidered cushion cover

Online Exhibition

MEDITERRANEAN THREADS

Woodcut print depicting a man laying on a bed looking at a laptop

See the winning entries

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

CURATOR VIDEO

SCENE THROUGH WOOD EXHIBITION

LEARNING RESOURCES

Browse this section of the site to find sketchbook ideas, short films, downloadable PDFs, and more

Decorative Still-Life Composition with a Porcelain Bowl, Fruit and Insects

OPEN ARTS FILMS

Watch a series of free films, about Ashmolean artefacts and many others, made by Open Arts Objects to support the teaching of Art History

A woman stands on the first floor looking out over the atrium

Explore the floors of the Museum

Use our interactive floor guide to browse the galleries of the Ashmolean floor by floor and images of the objects they contain

BROWSE

BUY

Hunt in the Forest China Cup

£12.00

BUY

Tobacco Leaf Tin Plate

£6.50

BUY

The Oxford Colouring Book

£6.00

BUY

Alfred Jewel Brooch

£95

Membership gives you unlimited access to exhibitions, members-only previews and curator-led talks and tours, a members’ magazine and events handbook sent to your door, as well as discounts across our shop, restaurant and café.

Join us today – your support helps keep our permanent collections free.

JOIN NOW

ASHMOLEAN FROM HOME

PRE-RAPHAELITES

JOIN US AS A MEMBER

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

LAST SUPPER IN POMPEII (REVISITED)

PAINTERS IN THEIR PLACES: CORNWALL

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

PRE-RAPHAELITES MEMBERS' PREVIEW

HANS COPER: THE ESSENTIAL POTTER

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

THE PRE RAPHAELITES IN OXFORD

BABY ASHMOLES ONLINE

ROUND OBJECTS AT PERSEPOLIS

PAINTERS IN THEIR PLACES: FRANCE

CULTURED CANINES ARTIST TALK

ONLINE SHOP

LISTEN TO OUR NEW PODCASTS

MUSEUM SECRETS

OBJECTS OUT LOUD

HELP ENRICH LIVES

GIFT MEMBERSHIP

PRINTS & CANVASES

EXPLORE THE COLLECTIONS

ONLINE COLLECTIONS

TREASURES

STORIES, VIDEOS & PODCASTS

THINKING WITH THINGS

STORIES

MUSEUM SECRETS

VIEWING ART MINDFULLY

1-MINUTE VIDEOS

OBJECTS OUT LOUD

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

DRAWING ACTIVITIES

JIGSAW PUZZLES

COLOURING SHEETS

ANIMAL CROSSING PATTERNS

LEARNING RESOURCES

HOME LEARNING

ONLINE EXHIBITIONS

YOUNG REMBRANDT

MEDITERRANEAN THREADS

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

SCENE THROUGH WOOD EXHIBITION

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

LEARNING RESOURCES

LEARNING RESOURCES

OPEN ARTS FILMS

SHOP ONLINE

Hunt in the Forest China Cup

Tobacco Leaf Tin Plate

The Oxford Colouring Book

Alfred Jewel Brooch

YOUR SUPPORT

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