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Armillary Sphere in Top Gallery History of Science Museum Oxford

Discover your Museum from home

Discover. Connect. Inspire.

Explore the history of science through our objects, their inventors — and the stories of how they changed the world.

Discover ingenious objects

Heartbeat of the City Time Trail 1800 x 840 px

We're here for culture

Stuck inside and looking for some chillaxation time?

Why not spark your curiosity with stories of beauty and ingenuity from our online galleries.

Could you be the next Brian Cox or Maggie Aderin-Pocock?

Can you share your research—no slides, just you with 3 mins to tell your science story?

Then join the Oxford heats of @FameLab to showcase your content with clarity and charisma (portable props are optional!).

Explore the Collections Databases

Browse over 20,000 records in our Objects Database, and search our Library and Manuscript catalogues. Plus access to bespoke catalogues for Astrolabes, Marconi, and Epact.

Exhibition: Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld - Cultures in Conversation

From stunning court fashion and intricate astrolabes to beautiful bowls and candlesticks, discover how the technical skills of Islamic artisans stimulated cultural conversations through the ebb and flow of people, goods, and ideas.

We'd love your feedback on the Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld exhibition

Help us improve your online galleries

Do you have 5-10 minutes to share your thoughts about our online exhibition for Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld?

It's completely confidential — and you could win a £20 Amazon voucher or a free shop bundle.

We value your feedback. Thank you for your support.

Heartbeat of the City watches display (9) 1800 x 840 px

Exhibition: Heartbeat of the CIty

Take a minute to go inside out with us this winter.

Outside, interact with clock sculpture which draws on your footsteps to beat out the rhythm of our city.

Inside, discover historical timepieces spanning centuries, each one with a story to tell of human ingenuity and engineering expertise.

Photo Oxford 2020 Women in Photography Exhibition Banner 1800 x 840 px

Online Exhibition: Women and Photography

Discover Oxford's rich history of talented, pioneering women photographers.

37148 Astrolabe with lunar mansions (Back detail) 1800 x 840 px

Object of the Month

Combining Indian and Bedouin traditions, the 'lunar mansions' — groups of stars through which the moon moves — are engraved in an inner circle on this exceptionally detailed astrolabe featured in our Islamic Metalwork exhibition.

Object of the Week

In Islamic art, the iconography of the constellations is borrowed from Classical Antiquity. The star positions on this globe were taken from the Book of Constellations by Abu al-Husayn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, who modelled his star charts on those of Greek astronomer Ptolemy.

Visitor's Choice

This beautiful Astrolabe was chosen by our friend Megan (@WritersGreenHse) who often drops in for inspiration when writing in town.

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Meet Stephen, your Pocket Curator

You can carry around our Curator, Stephen, on your phone or tablet.

Download the app, put your headphones on and discover the human stories behind seven objects.

Take the 2-Minute Tour

Fancy a 2-Minute Museum visit?

Take the Virtual Grand Tour: see each of our Galleries, have a mosey around the staircase and leap all 3 floors in a single click!

Be inspired

Young boy in the portrait with Sir John Chardin (Inv: 72661) 1800 x 840 px

Decolonising the HSM Collection

Rhiannon Jones, Head of Public Engagement and Programmes at HSM, introduces a new blog series from Art History student Camille Leadbeater, part of our commitment to decolonise the HSM Collection.

Christmas Light Festival 2020 1800 x 840 px

How a handbag brings us together

Find out how Multaka volunteers are teaming up with the History of Science Museum to create our first ever live-streamed, festival family event.

Rings of Heaven talk: First image astronomers are conducting observations using a 5 3 metre armillary sphere in the late 16th century Istanbul observatory

Watch again: Knowledge in Motion on YouTube

If you missed any of our Knowledge in Motion series of online talks, you can catch up any time on YouTube.

Watch again: Family Fun online

You can join the Multaka team any time to enjoy Art, Music, and Craft: The Mosul Handbag — a jam-packed hour of fun family craft and activities—and learn about what may be the oldest handbag in the world!

Award-winng Multaka-Oxford

We're so proud of our friends and colleagues in the Multaka-Oxford team: 2020 winners of the Vice-Chancellor's Diversity Award for Diversifying Participation at the University of Oxford.

Online Galleries: Astrolabes of Africa

North Africa has a long tradition of making beautiful, ingenious astrolabes.

10 Astrolabes — 3 Pioneers — 1 Exhibition.

Watch the full series

Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Join our experts as they put a selection of our working scientific instruments through their paces. It's rare we have a chance to handle these objects, so we hope you enjoy seeing them come to life as much as we did.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/AaWuJHQL-bQ

Connect with your Museum

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Supporting your Museum

As a registered charity, we make our Collections freely available for everyone to enjoy and offer a wide range of activities for our communities.

Thanks to your generosity — last year our visitors contributed £41,000 in donations — we have been able to support the Museum’s Collections and continue public events and education programmes.

That is why we continue to rely on visitors just like you to support us.

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Volunteering

We are very grateful to all our volunteers who help make our Museum and its Collections more welcoming, interesting, and open to all. Would you like to join them?

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Inspiration in your inbox

Stay in touch with the latest stories, events, learning resources and Museum news.

Browse products from our shop

Visit the online shop

Book: Director's Choice

£9.95

Periodic Table Collection

From books and mugs to tea towels and tags: everything you need to explore the Periodic Table.

Sundial Magnet

£3

Home

Discover your Museum from home

Discover. Connect. Inspire.

Explore the history of science through our objects, their inventors — and the stories of how they changed the world.

Discover ingenious objects

We're here for culture

Could you be the next Brian Cox or Maggie Aderin-Pocock?

Explore the Collections Databases

Exhibition: Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld - Cultures in Conversation

Help us improve your online galleries

Exhibition: Heartbeat of the CIty

Online Exhibition: Women and Photography

Object of the Month

Object of the Week

Visitor's Choice

Meet Stephen, your Pocket Curator

Take the 2-Minute Tour

Be inspired

Decolonising the HSM Collection

How a handbag brings us together

Watch again: Knowledge in Motion on YouTube

Watch again: Family Fun online

Award-winng Multaka-Oxford

Online Galleries: Astrolabes of Africa

Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Join our experts as they put a selection of our working scientific instruments through their paces. It's rare we have a chance to handle these objects, so we hope you enjoy seeing them come to life as much as we did.

Connect with your Museum

Supporting your Museum

Volunteering

Inspiration in your inbox

Browse products from our shop

Book: Director's Choice

Periodic Table Collection

Sundial Magnet

CoronaVirus notice script (DO NOT EDIT)

Coronavirus warning content (Edit this content)

We’re still open online while our doors are temporarily closed.

Home

Discover your Museum from home

Discover. Connect. Inspire.

Explore the history of science through our objects, their inventors — and the stories of how they changed the world.

Discover ingenious objects

We're here for culture

Could you be the next Brian Cox or Maggie Aderin-Pocock?

Explore the Collections Databases

Exhibition: Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld - Cultures in Conversation

Help us improve your online galleries

Exhibition: Heartbeat of the CIty

Online Exhibition: Women and Photography

Object of the Month

Object of the Week

Visitor's Choice

Meet Stephen, your Pocket Curator

Take the 2-Minute Tour

Be inspired

Decolonising the HSM Collection

How a handbag brings us together

Watch again: Knowledge in Motion on YouTube

Watch again: Family Fun online

Award-winng Multaka-Oxford

Online Galleries: Astrolabes of Africa

Behind the Scenes at the Museum Join our experts as they put a selection of our working scientific instruments through their paces. It's rare we have a chance to handle these objects, so we hope you enjoy seeing them come to life as much as we did.

Connect with your Museum

Supporting your Museum

Volunteering

Inspiration in your inbox

Browse products from our shop

Book: Director's Choice

Periodic Table Collection

Sundial Magnet

CoronaVirus notice script (DO NOT EDIT)

Coronavirus warning content (Edit this content)

We’re still open online while our doors are temporarily closed.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Join our experts as they put a selection of our working scientific instruments through their paces. It's rare we have a chance to handle these objects, so we hope you enjoy seeing them come to life as much as we did.