History of Science Museum

What History of Science Museum does

The History of Science Museum is a constituent museum of the University of Oxford, operating as part of its Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) division from a Broad Street building the institution identifies as the oldest public museum building in the world. Founded in 1924 around Lewis Evans's donation of scientific instruments and manuscripts, the museum today holds what it describes as the world's most comprehensive collection of astronomical instruments from the Islamic World, the Marconi wireless technology collection, Einstein's blackboard, and the original penicillin culture. Its core audiences are schools (Early Years through KS5, plus EFL language schools), families, adult lifelong learners, and academic researchers. The museum offers free admission with welcome donations, supported by filming and venue hire, group bookings, and institutional grants.

The museum's product portfolio blends physical exhibitions and programs with a substantial digital infrastructure. The Oxford Mosaic–powered Collections Online database provides searchable public access to over 30,000 records of objects, manuscripts, and archives, supplemented by specialized catalogues (Astrolabe, Epact for medieval/Renaissance scientific instruments, Marconi) and a 20,771-record Library Online Catalogue. On-site offerings include permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions such as Making Waves (Marconi wireless technology), Lyra's Worlds (a tie-in with BBC/HBO's His Dark Materials), and A Healthy Future for All? (vaccine technology). The Vision24 initiative is the museum's ongoing transformational project to make the building fully accessible and inclusive.

The business model is non-commercial and non-profit. The museum is wholly owned and funded by the University of Oxford, with supplemental revenue from UKRI and other research grants (including for the Babbage Archive project with the Clay Mathematics Institute), charitable donations, group-visit fees, and commercial filming and venue hire. Free general admission removes ticket revenue as a variable, so audience growth is leveraged primarily through community programming (MultakaOxford), educational outreach, and partnerships within the GLAM collective rather than pricing. Leadership sits with Director Dr Silke Ackermann and Deputy Director Dr JC Niala, supported by a small team of curators, learning producers, conservators, and engagement staff.

Name

History of Science Museum

Legal name

History of Science Museum, University of Oxford

Website

https://hsm.ox.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The History of Science Museum, founded in 1924 and part of the University of Oxford's GLAM division, is a non-profit museum housing the world's most comprehensive collection of Islamic astronomical instruments and operates from the oldest public museum building in the world. It serves schools, families, researchers, and lifelong learners through free admission, exhibitions, and a digitized 30,000-record collection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Public museum services
• Scientific instrument collection
• Heritage education programs
• Museum exhibitions
• Archival research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission and Donations: Free general admission with welcome donations from visitors
2. Museum Filming and Venue Hire: The museum is available for filming enquiries and events hire
3. Group Bookings: Booking fees for group visits including self-guided tours and educational visits

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The History of Science Museum is a public museum located in the oldest public museum building in the world on Broad Street, Oxford, housing the world's most comprehensive collection of Islamic astronomical instruments alongside the original penicillin culture, Einstein's blackboard, and the Marconi wireless technology collection. It offers free general admission with welcome donations, rotating exhibitions, group and educational visits, an online Collections database of over 30,000 records, a library catalogue of 20,771 records, museum filming and venue hire, and lifelong learning programs for schools, families, and academic researchers.

Product overview

The History of Science Museum operates as a cultural institution offering a portfolio of physical and digital products centered around its role as the world's oldest public museum building. The core product is the Collections Online database providing searchable access to over 30,000 records of scientific instruments, manuscripts, and archives. The museum's digital offerings include online exhibitions such as Making Waves (exploring Marconi's wireless technology), Lyra's Worlds (His Dark Materials-inspired exhibition), and A Healthy Future for All? (examining vaccine technology). Supporting digital services include a podcast archive of academic lectures, the Science in the Islamic World collection featuring Islamic astronomical instruments, and the Library Online catalogue with 20,771 records. The Vision24 accessibility initiative represents the museum's ongoing transformation project for inclusivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collections Online Database Searchable online database providing public access to over 30,000 records of scientific instruments, manuscripts, and archives including astrolabes, telecommunications equipment, and Babbage materials. Available to the global public.
• Making Waves Exhibition Exhibition exploring Guglielmo Marconi's development of wireless technology and its influence on modern communications including mobile phones, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Open to museum visitors.
• Lyra's Worlds Exhibition Immersive exhibition inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, featuring costumes and devices from the BBC series and exploring the alethiometer that inspired Lyra's truth-telling instrument. Open to museum visitors.
• A Healthy Future for All? Exhibition Display examining how innovative COVID-19 vaccine and drug production techniques can deliver wider healthcare benefits, exploring the science and big questions around future healthcare. Open to museum visitors.
• Museum Podcasts Archive of lecture podcasts covering topics in history of science, astronomy, physics, medicine, and scientific instruments, featuring lectures from academics and experts. Available globally online.
• Science in the Islamic World Collection Comprehensive online collection of astronomical instruments from the Islamic World, including astrolabes and the History of the Islamic World in 11 Maps exhibition. Open to the public online.
• Library Online Catalogue Online library catalogue with 20,771 catalogue records, providing access to the museum's extensive collection of scientific manuscripts and printed materials for academic researchers.
• Group Bookings and Educational Visits Advance booking service for groups including school visits from Early Years through KS5, secondary and post-16 educational programs, EFL language schools, self-guided tours, and study days.
• Museum Filming and Venue Hire Commercial venue hire service providing the museum's historic building and galleries for filming productions and private events, available through a dedicated enquiry form.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and exhibition.

• Bodleian LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on Collecting COVID project building a 'living history' collection from Oxford University's pandemic response. Both part of University of Oxford's GLAM collective.
• Pitt Rivers MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultakaOxford partnership brings diverse knowledge to both the History of Science Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum, serving refugees and migrants in Oxford.
• The Courtauld Institute of ArtexhibitionStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld' exhibition - part of Cultures in Conversation program.
• Gardens, Libraries and Museums in Oxford (GLAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal collective of University of Oxford heritage institutions including Ashmolean Museum, Bodleian Libraries, Oxford Botanic Garden, Museum of Natural History, and Pitt Rivers Museum.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing institutional support, academic partnerships, and integration with Oxford's research ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Museum (London): London's flagship science museum covering the history and future of science and technology. Highly comparable as a UK-based public science museum with a similar curatorial remit, school programmes, and free general admission model.
• Deutsches Museum: Munich's world-leading science and technology museum, covering the history of science from antiquity to modernity. Comparable as a major international history-of-science institution with research and educational programmes.
• Ashmolean Museum: Oxford's University museum of art and archaeology and a fellow GLAM institution. Comparable as a University of Oxford public museum with free admission, learning programmes, and shared audiences.
• Museum of Science (Boston): Large US science museum combining historical artefacts with interactive exhibits. Comparable in mission, school programming, and digital content distribution.
• Science and Industry Museum (Manchester): Manchester museum focused on science, technology, and industrial heritage with strong learning and community programming. Comparable in mission and UK regional audience development.
• Museum of Natural History (Oxford): Oxford's University natural history museum and fellow GLAM institution. Comparable as a public-facing Oxford museum with similar operating model, school programming, and family engagement focus.
• Whipple Museum of the History of Science: Cambridge University's museum of the history of scientific instruments. A close peer in scale and scope, sharing the history-of-science focus and university-museum operating model.
• Pitt Rivers Museum: Oxford's museum of anthropology and ethnography, co-running MultakaOxford with the History of Science Museum. Comparable as a GLAM peer with shared community engagement and educational programmes.

Broad incumbents

• British Museum: London's national museum of human history and culture. Comparable as a free-admission, donation-supported UK museum with extensive educational programmes, but with a much broader scope than a specialised history-of-science museum.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Large Smithsonian museum collecting and exhibiting artefacts of science, technology, and culture. Comparable in handling historic scientific instruments and public engagement, but at a significantly larger scale and broader remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HSMOxford
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/historyofsciencemuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/HSMOxford
• Instagraminstagram.com/hsmoxford
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museum-of-the-history-of-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about History of Science Museum