Things To Do

Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6GG

Rating: 4.7 ★ (88 ratings)

Details

Bate Collection of Musical Instruments offers a fascinating journey through the history and development of musical instruments from across the globe, spanning from the medieval period to the present day. Situated within Oxford University's new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, this wonderful museum is home to one of Britain's most comprehensive collections of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, alongside string and keyboard examples. Stepping inside feels akin to discovering an Aladdin's cave of musical wonders, presenting a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich material and sonic heritage of historical music.

The collection showcases over a thousand instruments, including rare Baroque oboes, intricate Javanese gamelan sets, and the distinctive winding serpent. Visitors can explore a complete bow-maker's workshop and numerous early keyboard instruments, such as clavichords and harpsichords, some of which were made by renowned English, French, and German craftsmen. An engaging aspect of a visit is the availability of audio guides, allowing you to hear many of these historic instruments played professionally. The museum also encourages deeper engagement through occasional handling sessions and exhibitions like 'Resonant Histories', which illuminate instruments as living connections across different eras and cultures.

This compelling collection is particularly well-suited for music lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone with a curious mind eager to experience the past brought vividly to life through sound. With admission being free, it provides an accessible and enriching outing, often less crowded than other attractions, enabling a relaxed and thorough exploration of its unique exhibits. A visit typically lasts around forty-five minutes, making it an excellent addition to any Oxford itinerary for those seeking a deeper appreciation of musical craftsmanship and heritage.

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Location

Opening Hours

Monday: 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Tuesday: Closed | Wednesday: Closed | Thursday: 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Friday: Closed | Saturday: Closed | Sunday: Closed

Contact

+44 1865 276139 | https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/

Comments

Sharon Cheng
10 Jul 2023
5.0 ★
Free admission. Large and impressive collection of historical instruments, and the staff is nice and informative. There's a Haydn's Broadwood piano on the second floor.
Margareta Schultz (Mary)
11 Apr 2023
5.0 ★
Very interesting display. I don't know much about Musical Instruments so it was very helpful that you could listen to samples of the Instruments.
Kate Wexell
4 Apr 2023
5.0 ★
This museum is sort of tucked away, but I loved it. Oxford has a massive collection of unique musical instruments. You can do an audio tour that shows you examples of each instrument being played. So some variations of normal instruments will be played in the context of opera music especially. If you talk to the worker or schedule a time in advance, you can even play the instruments. They have some instruments that belong to famous musicians, and so that made my heart happy when I got that opportunity. I ended up chatting with the woman working at the front desk for over an hour, and it was interesting to hear about her experiences living in London and Oxford, and it really just opened my eyes to the world of England.
Doug Alexander
5 Mar 2022
5.0 ★
Great little museum of musical instruments. You get a hand held speaker to listen to a short musical extract of a variety of instruments, so you can hear the difference between different horns or flutes etc. We spent an hour in there. You can play a Clavichord. Free to get in and a right next Christchurch meadow.
Josh Brown
22 Jan 2020
5.0 ★
Really fascinating museum in downtown Oxford. Was smaller than what I thought it would be but there’s more than enough to keep you interested there for an hour or so. Guy at the front desk was really friendly. We had to leave our bags there but everything was safe enough. Would highly recommend for a great museum trip!

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