Anyone been to Oxford Uni Museum of Natural History?

[alfielooloo]

Thinking of taking 3 & 7 year old tomorrow. Looks really good & it's FREE!!

It is great, they even have touchy feely animals. My ds4 loved the shrunken heads.

It's lovely - a mini version of the London one but more "old-style" with exhibits in glass cases. And because it's smaller, it's more manageable - so no tired feet or grizzly children. DSs (7) and (2) and DD (4) love it.

oooh gosh that DOES look good

oooh

I took a class of Year 11's who were not really interested.......... I thought it was great though and plan to take my boys (8 and 6)

It's pretty good from what I remember (didn't have DS at the time though). If you can, also go to the Pitt Rivers museum which is in the same building I think.

It is great and there are often people doing demonstrations or making things. Not sure if that is a school holiday thing or a weekend one. The upper floors of the Pitt Rivers have been closed for a refurbishment but downstairs is still worth a look. Avoid the shrunken heads if your children are easily upset (mine were curious about them). There are drawers to open and lots of well-informed people to ask questions. There is an awful lot to take in actually and my youngest (4) got a bit museum blind by the end but did love all the dinosaur stuff. It is a fantastic building too.

Go

It is fab - we have been over 30 times and ds would still pick it as a treat - dinaosaurs, skeletons, birds, bees, witches - loads of stuff.

Have family activites and trails on sun afternoon but not vital.

No good cafes nearby so take your juices boxes! You can leave buggies by the side at the front so you can run round.

I URGE YOU TO GO!!!

It's great! We go quite frequently and my kids love it
There's free parking nearby on a Sunday if you could put it off till then.

Thanks eveyone, we will definitely (sp?!) be going tomorrow. They seem to have things going on every weekend for families, nothing this week end though. Next weekend they have a Botanic Garden Summer Picnic and also a Family Fun Day going on but we can't make it for that.
DC never been to a museum before (poor deprived things!) and so are very excited

Just to clarify: the Museum of Natural History (with the dinosaur skeletons) is the big hall you find yourself in when you go up the steps and through the door. The Pitt Rivers museum is through the door at the back - well worth a look! We made a kite there last weekend and flew it on the lawn at the front afterwards

PS yoyo - they have just opened the middle gallery of the Pitt Rivers (top one is still closed tho').

califrau - yes it is that exact one - he told me so!

Pitt Rivers is fantastic. One of the most interesting museums I've been to.

what is a girl like you with a name like that doing in a museum like mine!

Tis wonderful - we've been there loads of times: the boys never tired of it.

The building itself is amazing: drag yourself away from the exhibits for a moment and look UP. Also point out that each of the pillars is made from a different type of rock: they are beautiful.

Usually birds nesting in the tower too at this time of year, and they have a webcam up to it.

Ask at the desk about children's trails - they usually have some sort of quiz going that you can follow.

hewlett's daughter - have they kept the same exhibits on the second floor? I love it! DH and I, before we were married, used to kill many an hour there before sloping off to the pub.

I think the Ashmolean is fantastic too. When DH was doing his PhD we were able to handle the Pre-Raphaelites in the room at the bottom. That was amazing.

Pitt Rivers is fabbo , brilliant ace!

See if you can find the 'witch trapped in the silver bottle' LOLOL

Just to warn you, check the opening times - I've been caught out before. I think they don't open till 12.

Just checked the times and they open at 10 - have fun :-)

The bottle with the witch in is one of my favourite exhibits martianbishop

yoyo - I'm not sure what was upstairs before but there are some kites, toys and games, plus stuff on body decoration, tattoos and lots more

Well we went to both museums at the week end & we all had a brill time, well worth going. DD was a bit unsure of the dinosaurs at first but eventually believed me that they were dead, as were all the other animals. When we went upstairs there were some live creepy crawlies in glass cases to look at, when we got to the cockroaches (urgh!) dd was studying them closely then shouted at the top of her voice "Muuuum, that one isn't dead, it's still moving!" Bless her
We did have a bit of a job finding somewhere to park but someone mentioned a park & ride nearby which was only £2, think we might do that next time so the dc get an extra treat going on the bus too

next time head for the water eaton or peartree park and rides both signposted off a34 as these will go pass the museums.