Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (must see)

The Ashmolean Museum, located on Beaumont Street in Oxford, is the oldest public museum in Britain and is widely regarded as the world’s first university museum. Established in 1683 as part of the University of Oxford, it was created to house the cabinet of curiosities donated by scholar and collector Elias Ashmole. His collection brought together natural specimens, archaeological finds, coins, manuscripts, and unusual objects gathered from around the world. As the museum’s holdings expanded, it moved in 1845 to its current neoclassical building on Beaumont Street.

The museum grew through the contributions of collectors such as John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger, whose interests in botany, travel, and natural history enriched its collections. Today, its galleries span thousands of years and cultures, displaying everything from ancient coins, books, engravings, and geological specimens to Greek and Minoan pottery, Islamic art, Asian ceramics, and European decorative arts. The museum is especially known for its Minoan collection, developed through the work of archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who excavated the Palace of Knossos on Crete. Its Egyptian and Sudanese galleries are also among the museum’s strongest highlights.

Art lovers will find works by masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and J. M. W. Turner, alongside Pre-Raphaelite paintings and archaeological treasures. Among the museum’s more unusual objects are the Alfred Jewel, the Abingdon Sword, a death mask of Oliver Cromwell, the lantern linked to Guy Fawkes, and ceremonial Arab dress associated with T. E. Lawrence. Admission to the permanent collections is free, and many visitors also enjoy the rooftop terrace, which offers views across Oxford’s historic rooftops.