Tower House
✓ Rooms built into Oxford's original 400-year-old city walls
🏖️ 2.5 miles from Wolvercote Mill Stream (Poor water quality)
Oxford
Museums & Galleries · Oxford
Museum of the History of Science
📍 OX1 3AZ
Photo: Steve Daniels (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- See Einstein's Blackboard, a famous physics exhibit
- World-leading collection of astrolabes and sundials
- Explore Lyra's Worlds basement display inspired by His Dark Materials
- View historic microscopes from the 17th century onwards
- Discover the Marconi wireless telegraphy collection
The Museum of the History of Science sits in the heart of Oxford, housed in the world's oldest surviving purpose-built public museum building on Broad Street. Inside you'll find around 20,000 objects covering the history of science, including astrolabes, sundials, early telescopes and Einstein's Blackboard, plus displays on medicine, chemistry and Marconi's wireless experiments. There's a basement gallery inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, regular drop-in events and highlights tours, making it a good choice for families and curious visitors alike. Entry is free Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm, though note the lift is currently out of action, limiting level access. Oxford station is just 0.6 miles away, and with 45 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays, it's an easy addition to a city break.
Practical details
- Open
- Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm
- Accessibility
- Lift currently out of action, no level access
- Booking
- Groups must book in advance
- Best for
- All ages, families and science enthusiasts
From the attraction's own website on 15 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Disabled Access
- ✓ Guided Tours
- ✓ WiFi
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Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near Museum of the History of Science
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.1 mi
0.1 mi
The Buttery Hotel
✓ Set on historic Broad Street in the heart of Oxford
🏖️ 2.47 miles from Wolvercote Mill Stream (Poor water quality)
Oxford
0.1 mi
0.1 mi
0.2 mi
Old Bank Hotel
✓ Five-star hotel on Oxford's High Street with city landmark views
🏖️ 2.68 miles from Wolvercote Mill Stream (Poor water quality)
Oxford
0.2 mi
Vanbrugh House Hotel
✓ Boutique Grade II listed hotel in central Oxford
🏖️ 2.44 miles from Wolvercote Mill Stream (Poor water quality)
Oxford
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Museum of the History of Science into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
🚆 Or come by train
- Oxford 0.6 miles
- Oxford Parkway 3.5 miles
- Radley 4.8 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page