If you’re wondering what to do over half-term, why not try a day out at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) which also houses the Pitt Rivers collection, writes Raine Johnson.
The museum has an amazing atmosphere due to the age of the collections gathered over the years.
Exhibits in the OUMNH range from the mundane to the extraordinary.
For example one exhibit shows a variety of mammal skeletons ranging from elephants and giraffes to pigs and cows.
Some of the exhibits are available to handle such as a dinosaur bone and stuffed bears, so not all the collection is locked away.
While you’re there take time to look up at the roof which is just as much a feature of the museum as its contents.
It is made almost entirely of glass which lets the light in wonderfully and the beams which hold the roof up are made of wrought iron which has been painted to great effect.
While you’re looking up you will also see the skeletons of various sea creatures hung from the ceiling which are awe-inspiring to see from such an angle.
You can find out more at their website www.OUM.ox.ac.uk or call 01865 282456