Science Saturdays

Science Saturdays are running at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History throughout the autumn, with sessions on Saturdays 17, 24, 31 October and 7, 14, 21, 28 November and 5 December 2026. Each one runs from 14:00 to 16:00, and the 31 October session has been cancelled.

The whole thing is built around the museum's collections. It's a Victorian building that holds world-class natural history displays — dinosaurs, minerals, wildlife — and the sessions bring those things off the shelves and onto the table. You meet scientists and work with real specimens from the collection through hands-on, science-based activities. The focus shifts from session to session, covering insects, fossils, rocks, skeletons and microscopes, so if you're more into bugs than bones, you can pick the one that suits you.

It's designed for families, and the hands-on part is the point: you're not just looking at things through glass, you're actually working with them. The sessions are held indoors, and all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and there's some seating available if you need it.

Entry is free and no booking is required, so you can just turn up on the Saturday that works for you. The museum is on Parks Road in Oxford, and the sessions run from 14:00 to 16:00.