Ashmolean Museum.

Established in 1683 as Britain’s first public museum, the Ashmolean occupies a grand neoclassical landmark that houses half a million years of human history. The collection originated from a 17th-century "cabinet of curiosities" and has since expanded into a world-class archive of art and archaeology. Across five floors, visitors encounter everything from prehistoric tools and Egyptian mummies to Michelangelo’s sketches and Einstein’s chalkboard. Distinctive highlights include the largest collection of Raphael drawings in the world and the UK’s only major Minoan collection. The layout is intuitive, moving from global basement galleries focused on trade and textiles to upper levels dedicated to European art and modern Chinese painting. For a break from the artifacts, the rooftop restaurant offers a terrace with rare views over Oxford’s famous dreaming spires.