The Story Museum Galleries

The Story Museum Galleries are open today at The Story Museum, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP. It's a family museum that celebrates stories through immersive exhibitions, galleries and events for children, families and adults, with '1001 stories' brought to life across the galleries and interactive Small Worlds.

Your visit starts in The Portal, an information bureau for travellers between story worlds. From there, you step into The Whispering Wood, a mysterious indoor forest where every tree has a story to tell. The galleries also include The Enchanted Library, where you can step through a wardrobe into Narnia, fly with a snowman or play Pooh sticks in the Hundred Acre Wood, and The Story Arcade, a newer room exploring the world of gaming and storytelling. The Treasure Chamber is home to Mystery Academy: School for Young Detectives, and The Woodshed is the museum's studio theatre, devoted to live storytelling, theatre, music and author talks. The museum also runs an online collection called 1001 Stories.

It's a well-regarded spot for families: it won the J.M. Barrie Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Arts in 2025 and was named Muddy Stilettos Best Family Attraction in 2025. There's also an annual pass for unlimited access to the Galleries and Small Worlds, which is worth keeping in mind if you're planning on coming back more than once.

The galleries are open daily from 10:00 to 17:30. Beyond the permanent galleries, there's a rotating programme of events: Suitcase stories runs from 7 to 7 November; The Story That Moves is on from 26 to 30 October; The Mystery of The Story Museum is on 27 October (though that one is already sold out); Crime Scene Science is on 29 October; and Little Miss Marple: Muddle at the Vicarage is on 30 October.