Oxford: Cheap activities for families on a rainy day

Fortunately, there are plenty of activities for families to enjoy in Oxford on a rainy day.

Here are the top five ideas for places to explore in the city when the weather has taken a turn for the worse. 

1. Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum

Head to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, where entry is free, to see the Oxfordshire dinosaurs and the only surviving soft tissue of a Dodo.

You could combine your visit with a trip to the archaeological and anthropological museum Pitt Rivers.

Home to more than 500,000 objects from all over the world and all periods of human existence, you could be there for hours.

Visit: www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk or www.prm.ox.ac.uk

2. Modern Art Oxford

There’s always something new at Modern Art Oxford, one of the UK’s leading contemporary art spaces.

Tracey Emin, Yoko Ono and Richard Long are just a few artists of note who have been shown here.

This summer you can take part in a participatory digital drawing project designed to capture community.

There’s also an atmospheric cafe with seasonal food.

Visit: www.modernartoxford.org.uk

3. Covered market

Get lost in the winding alleys of Oxford’s iconic Covered Market.

You’ll find an assortment of independent shops including colourful florists and the popular local business 'The Cake Shop' where you can watch incredible cakes being decorated in the window.

If you’re after something to eat try a famous milkshake from Moo-Moo’s or a pizza from Sartorelli’s.

Visit: https://oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk

4. Blackwell’s Bookshop and the Norrington Room

Shelter from the rain in Blackwell’s bookshop on Broad Street.

Go right to the back and marvel at the Norrington Room as you find yourself surrounded by nearly three miles of shelves and over 150,000 books.

For many years this was the largest single room in the world selling books.

When you’ve had your fix you could visit the Blackwell’s music shop next door or the art shop across the road. 

Visit: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/about

5. Oxford colleges

Although some Oxford colleges charge an entrance fee, many are free.

Worcester College, where Harry Potter star Emma Watson attended, is a particularly pretty college and entirely free to visit.

Set in a Palladian-style building it has a beautiful big green quad.

Although a little walk from the city centre, you could combine your trip with a visit to Little Clarendon Street or Walton Street which both boast a number of independent cafés. 

Visit: www.worc.ox.ac.uk