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Oxford University Museum of Natural History

This Gothic Revival museum on Parks Road was founded in 1860. It was designed by the Irish architects Thomas Newenham Deane and Benjamin Woodward, mainly Woodward, under the influence of the writings of John Ruskin. Building work began in 1855. The great central court has a glass roof supported by cast-iron columns that divide it into three aisles, and in the arcades the stone columns are each of a different British rock. Around the ground floor there are statues of scientists, from Aristotle to Darwin and Linnaeus. In 1860 the meeting of the British Association was held here, at which the famous debate between Huxley and Wilberforce took place. Among its exhibits is the dodo, the only specimen with soft tissue to survive, alongside a 1651 painting by Jan Savery. On the lawn at the entrance there are replicas of Megalosaurus footprints. Migratory swifts nest in the tower.

Things to do at Oxford University Museum of Natural History: 4 missions

• Step on the Megalosaurus footprints on the lawnBefore going in, look on the lawn in front of the building for the replica Megalosaurus footprints from the Ardley quarry.
• Look at the glass roof above the iron columnsStand in the middle of the court and look up at the glass roof supported by the cast-iron columns.
• Find Darwin's statue among the scientistsWalk around the ground floor of the court and look for the statue of Darwin among those of the scientists around the space.
• Look for the remains of the Oxford dodoFind the dodo's display case, the only specimen with soft tissue preserved, and compare it with Jan Savery's 1651 painting.

Near Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Source: Web oficial - Oxford University Museum of Natural History