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MOX has been telling the story of Oxford and its people since it first opened its doors in 1975. Fifty years later, we are still just as committed to celebrating local communities and embedding their voices in our collections, exhibitions and activities. With them, we are creating a year-long programme showcasing our most popular stories and objects, sharing new ones, and inviting everyone to get involved in exciting special events.

Whether you would like to learn more about Oxford’s fascinating past, discover how different communities have and continue to shape it, spend time in our galleries with your friends and family, or make your mark on the stories we tell about our city, this is the perfect time to visit MOX and explore our rich local heritage.

Learn about our history

Square Event Photos (3)

Exhibition poster for “Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories. The background is light green. At the top, a collage with the Oxford skyline at the bottom and objects relating to Oxford at the top, including the Oxford coat of arms with a red ox and blue waves, jars of Cooper strawberry preserve, a model of a red double decker bus with “Morris” written on the side, a red cart wheel, and a wooden statue depicting a person carrying a vase on their head. Against the blue sky, embroidered text reads: “Our Oxford”. Below the collage, text reads: “Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories. Exhibition. 26 April 2025 – 3 January 2026, Museum of Oxford, Town Hall, OX11BX, Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. The MOX 50 – 1975-2025 logo and the Community Lottery Heritage Fund logos can be seen in blue at the bottom.

Special Exhibition: “Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories”

26 April 2025 – 3 January 2026

To celebrate our special year, we are working with Oxford’s communities on an exhibition sharing 50 new stories about the amazing heritage of our city. We are celebrating and bringing together diverse stories, memories, and experiences to create a vibrant community-woven archive that represents Oxford in 2025. Through collaborative artworks, community-collected objects, oral histories, and community labels, the exhibition spotlights community groups, volunteers, change-markers, and artists across the city.

The exhibition will evolve throughout 2025 as we gather new stories, reflecting Oxford’s patchwork nature, opening it up to new perspectives, and celebrating each individual voice. Everyone is invited to share their own stories, explore Oxford’s diverse heritage, and celebrate our weaving together of 50 new community stories.

Learn more

Events

Two people sit at a table and enjoy a conversation. The woman in focus, who has short light hair, gestures animatedly. There are museum objects, including a jug and old-fashioned steering wheel on the table in front of them.
Talks
Guide Elizabeth Sandis leads a tour outside an Oxford college. She is wearing a dress with a blue, yellow, and light blue floral pattern and a rainbow lanyard and smiling.
Tours
A young girl, aged around three, happily raises her paint-covered hands in the air. Her parent can be seen smiling in the corner, raising her hands too.
Family activities
Two people smile while handling and observing a MO object - a brown teapot with cream and light green decorations. The person on the left is wearing a beige jumper, a light blue shirt and glasses. The person on the right also wears glasses and a teal jumper.
Older people

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Our 50th year so far

A big group of people poses holding up objects they have brought to a Chinese community collecting event.
A woman in a black top sitting at a table holds up an embroidery frame with a floral piece against a yellow background. A group of people also sitting at the table look at her and the object.
A close-up of colourful children’s shoes, embroidered to look like stylised dragons. A red label next to them has Chinese characters at the top; a phrase in English reads: "Handmade Tiger Head Boots (from great-grandma to her great-grandson). A memory of family love that pass-on generations".
A woman wearing a black hijab and a green checkered shirt sitting at a table covered in a yellow tablecloth, working on a craft activity involving a black and white photo.
A member of Shadowlight Artists in a black tank top and red shorts performing in front of a green screen while two members of Film Oxford film him.
A group of people (members of Shadowlight Artists) stand around a camera on a tripod, looking at the viewer and smiling. The first and second people from the right are wearing blue jumpers and trousers. The second person on the left is wearing a pink hoodie. The first person on the left is wearing an orange t-shirt. The person standing behind him is wearing a light-coloured t-shirt. The person furthest to the left is wearing a blue jumper and light blue jeans, and headphones which are plugged into the camera. They are making the peace sign with their right hand.
A member of Shadowlight Artists in an orange t-shirt sits on a chair in front of a green screen, addressing the camera and holding a book. Two members of Film Oxford watch him.
Rav Singh leading a walking tour in front of a 19th century building, surrounded by people wearing coats listening to his explanation.
A group of people of different ages, including many children, taking part in arts activities around a big table, using printouts of photos relating to the Sikh walking history tour.
A close-up of women’s hands writing on a white piece of cloth using brushes and purple, orange and red ink. The writing is in different languages and alphabets.
Four people work on a white section of the quilt laid out on a table, using paint and cardboard printing. One of them has medium-length auburn hair, the other has long dark hair and wears a green bandanna. A third person close to them has brown hair in a ponytail, a striped red and white dress and a dark blue shirt. In front of them, a fourth person has cropped brown hair and a white t-shirt.
People look at a long yellow section of fabric laid out on a table, with words and drawings printed and painted on it. Artist E West has pink and light blue hair and is wearing a lilac dress. Another person has brown short hair and is wearing a white t-shirt and blue glasses. Another person has blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and a dark red tartan dress. The person furthest to the right has short brown hair and is wearing dark earrings, a black top and blue plastic gloves. A person on the other side of the table, wearing a long dress with a yellow and black pattern, looks to the left.
Two people work on a long white section of fabric laid out on a table using paint and wooden stamps. One of them wears a black hijab, a leopard-patterned top, and blue plastic gloves. The other has blonde hair in a ponytail and wears a dark top and glasses. A third person sitting at the table is smiling and looking at the camera; they have short blonde hair and wearing a pink top with dark polka dots. Other people can be seen in the background working on a different piece of fabric.
A group of women stand behind a table with craft materials on it, looking at the camera and smiling. About half of them are wearing hijabs. Some are standing around a dress form on which a white dress is pinned. The woman furthest on the left is holding up a cream-coloured bowl with orange designs representing animals and flowers, as well as a printed out photo of the same bowl.

A round image of the National Lottery Heritage Fund name and logo, a hand with two fingers crossed, in white against a teal background

50 Years and Beyond: Embedding Community Voices is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to work in partnership with local communities on MOX’s 50th anniversary year to co-create an exhibition and events that celebrate their cultural heritage and the history of Oxford.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players, it supports projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Its vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.