Lyra's Worlds
In the Museum that inspired Lyra's alethiometer
Step into Lyra's Worlds
Props and costumes from the BBC HBO series His Dark Materials
From November 2022
Just like Lyra with her alethiometer, we search for answers to life’s questions in our moving universe.
Discover your Daemon
See Lyra's alethiometer from the BBC HBO series His Dark Materials
Journey through the History of Science Museum with your daemon guide to discover stories of people just like you: creative leaders, resourceful adventurers, daring visionaries and ingenious scholars.
There are objects and stories to find as a family in each gallery before you enter the world of Philip Pullman’s international best-selling trilogy, His Dark Materials.
Lyra's Worlds
Step into Lyra’s study, under a canopy of stars and Dust, to discover props and costumes from the BBC HBO production, including Lyra's alethiometer from the series.
Explore the Museum’s intriguing dials and devices that inspired Philip Pullman to create the alethiometer, and send your questions out to the cosmos.
Basement | Free entry
Explore Lyra's Worlds
Take a look at some of the props and costumes in Lyra's Worlds
Lyra's Oxford
Lyra's Alethiometer
A truth-reader, a compass-like device that finds truthful answers to our questions. From the BBC HBO series His Dark Materials based on the books by Philip Pullman.
Lyra's Leather Purse
Used by Lyra in the BBC HBO series.
Both loaned from Bad Wolf
Lyra's Worlds - Lyra's Alethiometer
Lyra's Worlds - Lyra's purse
Lord Asriel and the Arctic North
Asriel’s Explorer Journal
Asriel’s notebook containing his field notes from his journey to Svalbard, where he continued his research into the mysterious substance called Dust.
Asriel’s Glasses and Gloves
Asriel wore these on his journey to the Arctic North.
Asriel’s Projector Slides
Asriel takes a projector to Jordan College to show the Master and scholars his slides and, to their horror, shows them pictures of Dust and a city seen within the Northern Lights.
All loaned from Bad Wolf
Lyra's Worlds - Lord Asriel's Explorer Journal, Goggles and Gloves
Lyra's Worlds - Lord Asriel's Projector Slide
Costumes from the BBC HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials for characters from left to right (clockwise): Lord Asriel, Mrs Coulter, Billy Costa, Dr Mary Malone, Master of Jordan College, Roger Parslow, Will Parry, Lyra Silvertongue
Costumes from the BBC HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials for characters from left to right (clockwise): Lord Asriel, Mrs Coulter, Billy Costa, Dr Mary Malone, Master of Jordan College, Roger Parslow, Will Parry, Lyra Silvertongue
Book a free Museum ticket
Discover Your Daemon
Say hello to your Daemon
Pick on the one that sounds like you & explore the Museum with your Daemon
Visit us to journey through the Museum with your Daemon and step into Lyra's Worlds.
Book a free Museum ticket
Relive the adventure in 3 Museums across Oxford
On display in three Museums across Oxford
Props and costumes from the BBC HBO adaption
of local author Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials
Download the Map to relive the experience in three museums across Oxford
Trace the steps of Lyra Belacqua through the galleries of the Pitt Rivers Museum.
Discover props and costumes featured in the BBC HBO production of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials at five locations within the famous displays including:
- the Amber Spyglass (in its broken form)
- mulefa seed pods
- Lyra’s Arctic outfit
- Mary Malone’s I Ching Box
- Mrs Coulter’s locket
- witch Ruta Skadi’s outfit.
Download the trail, explore more information about the props and objects, and read what Oxford's local schoolchildren thought about the display.
Enter Torre degli Angeli to relive Will Parry’s first encounter with the subtle knife.
Discover props and costumes featured in the BBC HBO production of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials including the:
- subtle knife in its broken form
- green writing case airmail letters written by John Parry to his wife
- witch Serafina Pekkala’s dress.
Explore The Story Museum’s existing treasures including Philip Pullman’s own alethiometer, specially commissioned in 2005 and on display until January 5th 2023.
His Dark Materials TV series
Relive scenes from the BBC HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials
