Ashmolean Museum
The Asmolean Museum is one of Oxford's permier tourist attractions, and rightly so. First founded in 1683, it is the oldest public museum in the country.
Originally it was built to house the private collections of Oxford resident Elias Ashmole. However, some of this collection dated back even further, to the early 17th century, for part of Ashmole's collection came from the famous Tradescant family who left their own horde of treasures to Ashmole.
Then the Ashmolean was used to house the University's growing collection of art and artefacts from all around the world.
Highlights of the museum include the Egyptian gallery, drawings by Michelangelo and Raphael, Impressionist paintings, British art from the 19th century and of course the Tradescant Room, which houses some of the museum's original exhibits.
But perhaps the Ashmolean's single most famous exhibit is the beautiful Alfred Jewel, dating from the Saxon era and regarded by many to be the best piece of Saxon art ever found.
The Ashmolean Museum is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 2pm to 4pm on Sundays. Admission is free, but a donation is requested.
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