AFTER HOURS IN BLOOM EXHIBITION CURATOR TOUR

Wed 29 Apr 2026, 5–6:00pm

At the Museum and online

An Exclusive After Hours Tour for Members

This event is in-person at the Museum in the Exhibition Galleries, meet at the Welcome Desk from 4:45pm

Tickets are £25 each. Booking is essential

Tickets coming soon

With Francesca Leoni, exhibition co-curator and curator of Islamic Art

Join curator Francesca for a private after-hours tour of our major new exhibition, In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World.

Taking visitors on a journey from Oxford to the farthest concerns of the world and back, the exhibition uncovers the global stories behind some of Britain’s most beloved blooms – from roses and tulips to camellias and orchids.

This small group tour is a wonderful opportunity to discover the stories behind more than a 100 artworks and objects on display including drawings, paintings, rare prints, and ceramics.

Francesca will share insights into how the pursuit of exotic plants transformed landscapes, economies, and cultures, leaving a legacy that still shapes our gardens and world today.

Coloured engraving of banana blossom with life stages of Bullseye moth pictured on the plant by artist Maria Sibylla Merian, 1726

Banana blossom with life stages of the Bullseye moth, Maria Sibylla Merian, 1726, coloured engraving © Bodleian Libraries

Study of an Oriental Poppy by May Morris

Study of an Oriental poppy, May Morris, 1879, watercolour & some bodycolour over indications in graphite © Ashmolean Museum

BOOKING

This event takes place at the Museum in the Exhibition Galleries, meet at the Welcome Desk

Tickets are £25 each, and available only to Members. Booking is essential

TICKETS COMING SOON

Find out more about Ashmolean Membership: Become a Member

MEMBERS GET MORE

Membership gives you unlimited access to exhibitions, with no need to book, members-only previews and curator-led talks and tours, a members’ magazine sent to your door, plus shop, restaurant and café discounts.