Visiting the Museum of Oxford

The Museum of Oxford was founded and first opened to the public in 1975. It was strategically located inside the Oxford Town Hall on St Aldate's Street, occupying premises that had previously served as the Oxford Public Library.

In 2005, the museum received a financial grant from the Big Lottery's Home Front Recall funding scheme. The initiative was designed to collect and preserve the personal wartime memories of Oxfordshire residents, specifically timed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War.

In 2009, Oxford City Council considered closing the institution to reduce annual maintenance costs of £200,000. The proposal was successfully opposed by the Oxford Civic Society, which campaigned to keep the facility open by organizing a volunteer rota to ensure continued operation at a lower cost.

The museum closed for an extensive refurbishment from July 2018 to October 2021. Managed by the architectural firm Purcell, the project cost £2.8 million and resulted in a tripling of the available museum space, allowing the number of exhibits on display to grow from 286 to approximately 750.

In 2023, the museum became the first venue located in Oxford city centre to host a performance of 'Little Edens'. The theatrical production was historically significant for the site as it depicted the 1934 Florence Park Rent Strikes in Oxford.