The Story Museum

The Story Museum sits just off Oxford's High Street and does exactly what it says on the tin - it's all about stories, from the moment you walk in. The place is geared entirely around letting kids (and honestly, quite a few adults) get hands-on with narrative: you'll find interactive displays, dressing-up corners, and rooms where you can actually act out scenes rather than just stand behind velvet ropes looking at things. The building itself has character - converted spaces that feel more like stepping into someone's study than a corporate museum.

It works brilliantly for families with children aged roughly 4 to 12. Younger kids will lose themselves in the costumes and props; older ones engage with the storytelling workshops that run regularly. Parents won't spend the whole visit checking their watches, which is saying something. Expect to spend a good two hours if your children are engaged, perhaps ninety minutes if they're not.

Admission is reasonably priced and well worth it if you've got a rainy afternoon in Oxford - it's the kind of place that actually tires kids out mentally rather than just letting them run around. If you're based at Cedar Hollow Oxford, Valley Farm Campsite, or any of the other parks clustered around Oxford, this makes a cracking half-day addition to park life. Pair it with a walk through the Botanic Garden or along the river, and you've got a proper day sorted. Book ahead during school holidays - it gets rammed.