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Ashmolean Museum

Half a million years of art and history

VISIT US
WHAT'S ON
- EVENTS
- EXHIBITIONS
COLLECTIONS
RESEARCH
LEARN
SUPPORT
SHOP

VISIT US
WHAT'S ON
- EVENTS
- EXHIBITIONS
COLLECTIONS
RESEARCH
LEARN
SUPPORT
SHOP

Search form

EVENTS

The Ashmolean Museum offers a wide range of events: from daily talks and tours to special workshops, late gallery openings and music as well as family fun and hands-on gallery activities.

TOURS ALL EVENTS

EXHIBITIONS FAMILIES

DON'T MISS

Music at the Ashmolean

EVENING CONCERT – OSJ PROM

Join the Orchestra of St John's for an evening concert in the galleries.

Blue powder exploded on a white canvas

CAI GUO-QIANG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join curator Shelagh Vainker for a tour of our Cai Guo-Qiang Gunpowder Art exhibition

Ashmolean After Hours

ASHMOLEAN AFTER HOURS

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk,...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after wo...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after work.

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after work.

TOURS

Highlight Tours
Lunchtime Tours
Afternoon Tours
Cast Gallery Tours
Interpreted Tours
Exhibition Tours

Highlight Tours

Highlights Tours take place 11am–12pm every Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday and are FREE

Discover the treasures of the Ashmolean with this great introduction to the Museum.

Lunchtime Tours

Lunchtime Tours take place 1.15–2pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and are FREE

Join a different themed tour each lunchtime.

Meet in Gallery 21 on the Ground Floor.

TOUR TOPICS

November

Thur 28	How many stories some objects can tell
Fri 29	Origins of Global Trade
Sat 30	NO TOUR

December

Tue 3	NO TOUR
Wed 4	Japanese Ceramics
Thu 5	Bronze in the Ancient World
Fri 6	The Twentieth Century Gallery
Sat 7	Angels and Heavenly Beings
Tue 10	Images of the Horse
Wed 11	Tea and the Slave Trade
Thu 12	The English Grand Tour
Fri 13	Dutch Still Life
Sat 14	The Arundel Marbles
Tue 17	NO TOUR
Wed 18	The Christmas Story in Art
Thu 19	Crossing Frontiers Crossing Time
Fri 20	Early Pre-Raphaelite Paintings
Sat 21	NO TOUR
Fri 27	NO TOUR
Sat 28	NO TOUR
Tue 31	NO TOUR

January

Thu 2	NO TOUR
Fri 3	British Modern Paintings, 1910-1930
Sat 4	Necessaires and Female Beauty Aides
Tue 7	Pilgrimage
Wed 8	NO TOUR
Thu 9	NO TOUR
Fri 10	Byzantium
Sat 11	The Arundel Marbles
Tue 14	Saints and their Symbols
Wed 15	The Wellby Silver Collection
Thu 16	Chinese Bronzes
Fri 17	Sickert and the London Impressionists
Sat 18	Ancient Egypt Galleries
Tue 21	West meets East
Wed 22	Portraits - a Snapshot in Time
Thu 23	Trade and Commerce in the Ancient Near East
Fri 24	Origins of Global Trade
Sat 25	An Ashmolean Zoo
Tue 28	The Impressionists
Wed 29	Ancient Jewellery
Thur 30	Early Modern Paintings, 1900-1920
Fri 31	Learn how to Read Paintings

Afternoon Tours

Afternoon Tours take place 3–3.45pm every Wednesday & Thursday and are FREE

Join a different themed tour each afternoon.

Meet in Gallery 21 on the Ground Floor.

TOUR TOPICS

December

Wed 4	Picture Frames
Thu 5	NO TOUR
Wed 11	5, 4, 3000 Years Old
Thu 12	Roman Inscriptions
Wed 18	The Alfred Jewel and the England Gallery
Thu 19	Camille Pissarro: his Life and Works

January

Wednesday 1 January	NO TOUR
Thursday 2 January	NO TOUR
Wednesday 8 January	Pre-Raphaelites and more
Thursday 9 January	NO TOUR
Wednesday 15 January	Money: Heads and Tales
Thursday 16 January	Camille Pissarro: his Life and Works
Wedsnesday 22 January	5, 4, 3000 Years Old
Thursday 23 January	NO TOUR
Wednesday 29 January	Renaissance Portraits
Thursday 30 January	TBC

Cast Gallery Tours

Tours of the Cast Gallery take place 2–2.45pm every Thursday and Saturday and are FREE

Learn about the great statues and friezes of ancient Greece and Rome through the collection of plaster casts.

Meet in Gallery 21 on the Ground Floor.

Access: regrettably, due to the layout of the historic building, the lower-ground floor of the Cast Gallery is only accessible by stairs.

Interpreted Tours

Talks and tours at the Ashmolean Museum – Egypt Galleries

INTERPRETED TOUR: BSL

A themed tour with a BSL Interpreter.

Fri 11 Oct, 10.30am–12pm

Meet in Gallery 21

Lunchtime Tours at the Ashmolean Museum

INTERPRETED TOUR: HANDS-ON OR DESCRIPTIVE

A hands-on or descriptive session for blind and partially sighted people.

Thu 10 Oct 10.30am–12pm

Meet in Gallery 21

A fresco showing men buying bread.

RELAXED EXHIBITION OPENING

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and ...

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sat 14 Dec, 9–10am

Exhibition Galleries

A fresco showing men buying bread.

RELAXED EXHIBITION OPENING

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and ...

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sat 7 Dec, 9–10am

Exhibition Galleries

A fresco showing men buying bread.

RELAXED EXHIBITION OPENING

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and ...

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Mon 30 Sep, 9–10am

Exhibition Galleries

A fresco showing men buying bread.

RELAXED EXHIBITION OPENING

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and ...

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Sessions designed for people living with Autism, or with other sensory needs, and their families, friends and carers.

Mon 16 Sep, 9–10am

Exhibition Galleries

Exhibition Tours

Buy a ticket for our special exhibition to attend these tours.

Mosaic showing a marine scene, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Pompeii, 100–1 BC.

EXHIBITION TOUR

Discover more about the themes explored in our exhibition Last Supper in Pompeii

Wed 11 Dec 3.30–4.15pm

Exhibition Galleries

Mosaic showing a marine scene, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Pompeii, 100–1 BC.

EXHIBITION TOUR

Discover more about the themes explored in our exhibition Last Supper in Pompeii

Wed 18 Dec 3.30–4.15pm

Exhibition Galleries

Mosaic showing a marine scene, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Pompeii, 100–1 BC.

EXHIBITION TOUR

Discover more about the themes explored in our exhibition Last Supper in Pompeii

Wed 8 Jan 3.30–4.15pm

Exhibition Galleries

FREE EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS

FREE, no booking required.

Dr Lena Fritsch with installation team in front of A. R. Penck painting

A.R. PENCK CURATOR'S TOUR

Join curator Dr Lena Fritsch for a tour of A.R. Penck: I Think in Pictures to find out more about the artist and...

Join curator Dr Lena Fritsch for a tour of A.R. Penck: I Think in Pictures to find out more about the artist and the inspirations behind his work.

Join curator Dr Lena Fritsch for a tour of A.R. Penck: I Think in Pictures to find out more about the artist and the inspirations behind his work.

Join curator Dr Lena Fritsch for a tour of A.R. Penck: I Think in Pictures to find out more about the artist and the inspirations behind his work.

Two copper coins on top of a page titled The Vertue of the Coffee Drink

FROM ISTANBUL TO OXFORD CURATOR'S TOUR

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in...

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Blue powder exploded on a white canvas

CAI GUO-QIANG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join curator Shelagh Vainker for a tour of our Cai Guo-Qiang Gunpowder Art exhibition

Cartoon of a skinny man wearing a suit to make him look bigger

DING CONG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese...

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Two copper coins on top of a page titled The Vertue of the Coffee Drink

FROM ISTANBUL TO OXFORD CURATOR'S TOUR

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in...

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Join Dr Federica Gigante for a tour of the exhibition From Istanbul to Oxford: The Origins of Coffee-Drinking in England.

Cartoon of a skinny man wearing a suit to make him look bigger

DING CONG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese...

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Join Dr Paul Bevan, Christensen Fellow in Chinese Painting, for an introduction to the life and work of the Chinese cartoon artist Ding Cong

Blue powder exploded on a white canvas

CAI GUO-QIANG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join curator Shelagh Vainker for a tour of our Cai Guo-Qiang Gunpowder Art exhibition

Download What's On PDF

BROWSE ALL EVENTS

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Baby Ashmoles

Fri 17 Jan, 10.30–11.30am

BABY ASHMOLES - PRE-RAPHAELITE ART

Singing and sensory play for babies, with a different object story each week. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1 who are not yet walking.

The Valley thick with Corn, by Samuel Palmer

Mon 20 Jan, 2–4pm

THE PASTORALE TRADITION IN MUSIC

Arcadian landscapes, blue distances, the haunting sounds of a shepherd's pipe. Learn how the pastorale tradition renews itself over time.

Lecture Theatre

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Three Trees, 1643

Tue 21 Jan, 10.30am–4pm

SEEING THE LIGHT

Linking with Rembrandt and ‘chiaroscuro’, learn how to construct a garden painting by overlaying contrasting light areas in vibrant acrylics.

Lecture Theatre

Family Fun, Schools and Learning at the Ashmolean Museum

Thu 23 Jan, 10.30–11.15am

LITTLE ASHMOLES - MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

Explore, play and learn together with a different theme each month. All welcome but particularly suitable for 3–5 year olds.

Mallet Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum

Thu 23 Jan, 2–3.30pm

HARPSICHORD RECITAL

Hear a selection of music played on the Kirkman Harpsichord.

Nianhua or New Year Print Book Cover China

Thu 23 Jan, 2–4pm

NIANHUA: THE CHINESE NEW YEAR PRINT

To celebrate Chinese New Year, this talk will explore the history of the decorative 'nianhua' or New Year print.

Lecture Theatre and Eastern Art Study Room

Baby Ashmoles

Fri 24 Jan, 10.30–11.30am

BABY ASHMOLES - PRE-RAPHAELITE ART

Singing and sensory play for babies, with a different object story each week. For parents/caregivers of babies under 1 who are not yet walking.

The Ashmolean Museum

Fri 24 Jan, 10.30am–12.30pm

MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM

A social workshop for older people and those living with dementia. Explore the museum collection through object handling, gallery tours and talks. Refreshments available.

A black canyon drawing of a young boy writing at a table.

Sat 25 Jan, 11am–12pm

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO AND THE TWO PASTERNAKS

A new translation of Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak has just been published containing numerous illustrations by his father, Leonid Pasternak.

Lecture Theatre

The Greek and Roman Sculpture Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum

Sat 25 Jan, 2–3pm

POETRY IN THE GALLERIES

Oxfordshire poets share new work written in response to the Ashmolean’s collections.

Meet in Gallery 21

Blue powder exploded on a white canvas

Wed 29 Jan, 11 – 11.45am

CAI GUO-QIANG CURATOR'S TOUR

Join curator Shelagh Vainker for a tour of our Cai Guo-Qiang Gunpowder Art exhibition

POTTERY JAR, KITION

Thu 30 Jan & Thu 6 Feb 2020, 10.30am–4pm

CERAMICS WORKSHOP

Make your own Phoenician Kition cylinder out of red earthenware clay and explore both traditional and contemporary decoration before firing your work.

Learning Studio

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EXHIBITIONS

Check to see which Exhibitions and Free Displays will be open during your visit

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