Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford. Open daily. Free admission.
Details
Accessibility:
Parking is extremely limited near to the college but there are car parks within Oxford city centre. Detailed information on all of these car parks and their current Blue Badge concessions can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/53/categoryInfo/10
The entrance to the museum is from the Museum of Natural History down a flight of nine steps with a handrail. To the right of the stairs there is a lift large enough for a single wheelchair or scooter for people who aren’t able to manage the stairs. There are three galleried levels with a lift close to the main entrance allowing access.
Accessible and wheelchair-adapted toilets are available on the ground floor of the galleried room at the far end from the main entrance.
A self-propelled wheelchair is available for free loan on a first come, first served basis. Users of larger mobility scooters are asked to transfer to a smaller Museum scooter as the exhibits can be quite close together.
Moveable wooden chairs are available. Decorative heating grills on the ground floor could cause problems for walking stick users or cane users. Assistance dogs are welcome. There is an induction loop in the shop, at the information point and in the lecture theatre. There are torches and magnifying glasses available for free loan and a large print introductory text leaflet, with information on many of the exhibits, is available to download from the museum web site.
Some areas may be dimly lit and access around some exhibits may be tricky. Information on lots of exhibits is in historic sepia ink and may be difficult to read in low light.
It is advised that you ring in advance if you have specific requirements. You can view the visitor access information leaflet here: https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/PDFs/Access.pdf
Oxford city has a Shopmobility service which is accessed from within the car park for the Westgate shopping centre (OX1 1TR). The car park itself has 50 disability parking spaces, which are located close to the lobby area. Scooters and wheelchairs can be hired free of charge from the Shopmobility office, which can be booked over the telephone on 01865 263600 (Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm). Further information can be requested via email: westgate.oxford@landsec.com.
Brief Description:
Founded in 1884 by General Pitt Rivers to hold his gun and artefact collection, the museum now holds over 500,000 items in displays on archaeological and ethnographic objects from every corner of the globe and every time period. They are arranged by use rather than geographic region so direct comparisons can be made of similar items between cultures and periods.
Further Information:
Address:
Pitt Rivers Museum, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PP
Telephone:
01865 270927
Email:
Website:
Opening Hours:
Monday: 12.00 - 16.30
Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00 - 16.30
(and bank holiday Mondays)
Free Admission
Directions:
The museum is attached to the rear of the Museum of Natural History and is in the centre of Oxford. From the M40 J8a take the A40 west towards Oxford for 5 miles. At the roundabout continue straight to take the London Road/A420 for a further 2.5 miles. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit (past the pillared monument in the middle of the road) onto The Plain/A420 for around 400 metres/yards then turn right onto Longwall Street. Longwall Street turns slightly right and becomes St Cross Road. Turn left onto South Parks Road then, at the T-junction, turn right onto Parks Road. The entrance to the Museum of Natural History is 30 metres/yards along on the right. The entrance to the Pitt Rivers Museum is through the Natural History Museum and is located in the back wall at ground level.
OS SP 51485 06931
Transport:
Oxford is a very old city and travelling by car can be a problem. However, there is an excellent pubic transport system, which you can find further details of here: http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/oxford-tourist-information/getting-around-oxford
There are six Park & Ride sites located around Oxford's ring road; Bicester, Oxford Parkway and Pear Tree to the North, Thornhill to the East, Redbridge to the South and Seacourt to the West. The parking and bus into town are charged separately and there are no concessions for Blue Badge drivers. Each Park & Ride also has EV charge points for electric car drivers. Further details of the locations and charges can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/56/categoryInfo/13
The main bus services in Oxford are run by the Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach Oxfordshire and Thames Travel. The services run throughout the city as well as the surrounding villages. Further details can be found on the following websites: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/, https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/oxfordshire and https://www.thames-travel.co.uk/.
Oxford’s main railway station is located on the west side of the city centre with bus stops and taxi ranks just outside. There are frequent services to/from London Paddington, London Marylebone and Birmingham New Street. Details of the station can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/OXF/details.html. For ticket information you can telephone National Rail on 03457 484 950.
Amenities:
There are no amenities in either museum on site, but there are cafes, coffee shops, public houses, restaurants and shops to cater for any taste within Oxford town centre.
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
Location
Nearest Venues
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.