Things To Do

The Story Museum

42 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP, GB

Rating: 4.6 ★ (980 ratings)

Details

The Story Museum in the heart of Oxford stands as a most unusual institution, celebrating the profound power of stories to both teach and delight. Housed within a beautifully redeveloped historic building that once served as a post office and telephone exchange, it cultivates an atmosphere where the boundary between reality and imagination joyously blurs. This distinctive museum aims to enrich lives, especially those of younger visitors, by immersing them in the magic of storytelling.

Within its walls, visitors can discover a wealth of interactive and engaging exhibits. Explore the Whispering Wood, an enchanting indoor forest where each tree shares a tale, or step into the whimsical Enchanted Library, where one might even push through a wardrobe into Narnia. For the youngest guests, Small Worlds provides a playful and sensory adventure inspired by beloved picture books and nursery rhymes. Additionally, the museum features a 100-seat Woodshed Theatre for performances and a Treasure Chamber for temporary exhibitions, ensuring there is always something new to uncover.

This vibrant cultural centre is particularly well-suited for families, children, and anyone with a keen appreciation for literature and creative exploration. It offers a unique and unforgettable experience designed to inspire young minds and foster a lifelong love of reading. The Story Museum excels at providing multi-sensory activities for all ages, from toddlers engaging in imaginative play to adults rediscovering classic narratives, making it an ideal destination for a truly immersive and inspiring day out in Oxford.

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Location

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Contact

+44 1865 807600

Comments

Victoria Press
4 Jul 2026
5.0 ★
Excellent trip to the Story museum today. So immersive and interactive. Both my 5 and 1 year old loved it. We took part in a small worlds session and James, the story leader, was excellent. He was so engaged with the kids and really drew them into the stories he was reading. He clearly had a real understanding of how to engage children in play and language development and was doing this so effortlessly. We will definitely be back!
Joanna x
7 May 2026
5.0 ★
Amazing place to have a day out! Love everything about this place, makes me happy being here especially now they have opened up a retro gaming arcade after you've been through the whole entire museum!!!! 🥰👌🏻

Worth every penny getting an all day ticket, I love that about it you don't have to rush to get there as you purchase an all day ticket.

The cafe and the drinks are fab, and so is the cake I had which was a victoria sponge cake 🍰☕

The lockers aren't all that, they were a struggle 😂

I love the library museum with all the childrens books 📚 that's my favourite and the snowman mini cinema, so relaxing to sit in there and watch ☃️

The dragon exhibition is amazing, I've probably seen this a lot of times now 🐉 love the paper dragons!

The staff are friendly and enthusiastic! ✨

The retro gaming arcade is just another amazing add on!!! 🎮 Lots of retro games, got dress up clothes so you can dress up as one of the gaming characters e.g Luigi from super mario! I personally love space invaders ☄️ I would of stayed in there all day if I lived close by 😂

My many experiences with the story museum have been positive 🖤🤍

Oh and the gift shop is fab too! Love going in there to have a look at the end of my visit 😁
T Hartberg
25 Apr 2026
4.0 ★
We came here to check out if this is a place we could take our grandchildren to. It is definitely better suited for children than adults, despite their website stating that it is a museum for all ages. But if you have children or grandchildren and wonder what to do for a weekend, this is not a bad choice. There are many stairs, but a lift service is available. The café on the ground level was not particularly appealing, so we went elsewhere.
Scott Powell
1 Apr 2026
5.0 ★
A must for anyone who enjoys stories or the art of storytelling. The story arcade is good fun at the end (good old fashioned video games - arcade style). Also, there is a nice cafe for lunch and snacks and a lovely bookshop where you purchase tickets.
Stefani W
8 Mar 2026
4.0 ★
We just visited this museum.
It has a few galleries to see and there were some activities to do, it was fun for younger children.

They also added a new arcade room which was a big hit for the kids.
We enjoyed this museum and would like to visit again
yuyun drwiega
8 Mar 2026
5.0 ★
A cute museum experience for children and parents/adults with thematic rooms and interactive sessions. It's a must-visit museum if you go to Oxford with children. Strongly recommended!
Tamara Reiter
5 Mar 2026
5.0 ★
What a magical place! My child and I spent over 2.5 hours here at the end of half term. We went because of the Here Be Dragons exhibit but we loved the whole museum. From a sensory perspective, it was not too noisy at all, although there were ear defenders to borrow, if needed; it wasn't ever crowded; and the lights weren't overstimulating for us. We were very pleased to see a Changing Places toilet because my daughter uses a wheelchair! The wheelchair access was good throughout the museum and the lifts were functioning. We will return again.
Megan Train
13 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
A fabulous experience with many interactive exhibits that get you into the world of stories. I went for my 31st birthday and myself and my group had a wonderful time. Most notable was the people working there - everyone had such passion and dedication, you could see how much they loved the place and that was delightful to see. Would absolutely recommend to any age group or interest - even my IT maths dad loved it! The café was also very good, and the shop was lovely. Only reason it is a 9/10 and not 10/10 is because I couldn't make an account on the website to book tickets or make a donation, but we were able to make it work through someone else.
Sean Skinner
11 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
A great interactive space. We visited with our 1 and 3 year old, and they loved the tiny worlds area. Great engagement from the team too! Sadly the cafe wasn't serving barista coffees or hot food (on a half term Friday) but had a good pot of tea and some cake!
Dorota Keight
25 Jan 2026
5.0 ★
We had a wonderful time in the Story Museum. It is a unique and beautiful place, where you feel a real magic. The kids age 6 and 10 really enjoyed it. We have spent there 3.5 hours which I do not think it is an average visit time. We just took it all in and engaged with every part of it. You can equally be there 1-2 hours, it all depends what you make of it. The first room for instance has a few stories to listen to, so if you rush through it then this will shorten your visit by 30 min. The staff are very friendly, engaged and passionate about what they do. They all get into a role of presenting visitors with a wonderful and unusual experience. They went over and beyond to ensure that people are happy. The gift shop is lovely too.
There is a lift upstairs to the gallery rooms.

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