With a surprise around every corner, The Story Museum is suitable for the whole family.
The Story Museum is a most unusual museum in the heart of Oxford celebrating the power of stories to teach and delight. The gallery and activity spaces encourage visitors of all ages to lose themselves in their imagination. Highlights include a Whispering Wood, an Enchanted Library and Small Worlds, a dedicated space for younger children. With the Woodshed, a 100-seat theatre, the Magic Common Room, a learning studio inspired by Hogwarts, and the Treasure Chamber, a temporary exhibition space, the Museum also offers a full programme of events including family storytelling shows, clubs, courses, workshops and sessions for schools.
There is a family-friendly café serving a delicious menu of freshly prepared, homemade dishes to suit all ages and appetites, with gluten-free and vegan options available. Plus, you can take some story fun home with you by visiting the most unusual gift shop which stocks beautiful books, toys, gifts and cards.
Visit the website for more information and details of museum/shop/café opening hours.
The Galleries at The Story Museum
£14 per person (£6.50 for ages 1-4)
Travel between story worlds and discover a surprise round every corner with an all-day ticket to the Galleries. Enter a mysterious indoor forest where every tree has a story to tell and a secret to reveal in the Whispering Wood, explore a magical world of stories in the Enchanted Library, and enjoy the Treasure Chamber’s current exhibition.
- This is an all-day ticket.
- Typical visit time is 60-90 minutes.
- Last admission one hour before closing.
- Age 5+
Small Worlds at The Story Museum
£6.50 per person
Welcome to a patchwork land of picture books, nursery rhymes and traditional tales for the very young.
Set off to a land of picture books, nursery rhymes and traditional tales for the very young. Explore five story-themed zones where you can go on a Bear Hunt, discover Traction Man’s under-sink world, relax in the Night Safe, ride on the Story Bus and enjoy a bedtime story our giant bed. Our brand-new Elmer storytelling space is now open too, created in partnership with Andersen Press to mark the 35th anniversary of the beloved picture books by David McKee. Little ones will be able to enjoy a new storytelling experience with everyone’s favourite patchwork elephant!
Sessions start with a special song together, followed by the week's featured story told by one of our Story Guides with lots of opportunities for joining in. You'll then be free to explore the five story-themed zones for the rest of the session before a final story and goodbye song. Sessions also include a creative activity.
- Small Worlds is a story-play gallery particularly recommended for under-5s. Please note that this is a structured session so please make sure you arrive in good time for the start time printed on your ticket.
- Running time for a Small Worlds session is 60 minutes.
City of Stories at The Story Museum
£3.50 per person
Board our fantastical Story Craft and fly through a thousand years of Oxford’s story history, from ancient myths and legends to classics of children’s literature enjoyed across the world.
Board the Story Craft in the heart of a city that has inspired generations of students and scholars, writers and artists. Your flight will transport you to stories including Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Powered by your imagination, our Story Craft can soar above the famous skyline, along winding streets and lazy waterways, and travel back in time, down rabbit holes and through windows into other worlds.
- City of Stories is an audio-visual experience for ages 5 upwards. It lasts 25 minutes. There are regular flights throughout the day when the Museum is open. Please note the film contains flashing lights and visual effects.
- For a list of session times, please visit their website.