Oxford museums offer quirky delights without the London crowds

I have twice had the misfortune to visit London's Natural History museum during the school holidays.
Young family members pleaded, we obliged, but it wasn't great for any of us.  The dinosaur museum ... as the little people are more likely to know it ... is a case study in the perils of popularity. We all flock to see extraordinary things, until the crowds are so thick the experience becomes one of survival rather than joy.

I'm happy to say that I've found a worthy substitute in Oxford. The Natural History Museum there is a scaled-down version of its London cousin. While lacking the animatronic T Rex, it offers dinosaurs and all the other wonders you'd see in South Ken, but in quantities more suited to a youthful attention span. Without the fame and expectations of London, they also seem free to have a but more fun. As you approach the museum, you'll notice dinosaur footprints stamped across the green field in front. You've just missed one ... pop inside to see others!

With a fraction of the crowds, you'll actually be able to wander at your leisure and enjoy. Better yet, it's linked to the Pitt-Rivers Museum. This is one of the most delightfully quirky collections in the country, and a place with vast appeal for the kids. (Pictured above.)

Visiting the Pitt Rivers is like having a time machine whip you back to 1890. Though the collection has expanded considerably since the eponymous general donated his 22,000 items, you'd never know it, because the architecture and the displays are all resolutely Victorian. It's a magical eyeful from the moment you cross the threshold: A sunken ground floor packed with old display cases, two encircling levels of balconies with more treasures, and the vast space in the middle dominated by cultural artefacts like totem poles and fishing boats. It is, for any Harry Potter fan, the room of hidden things brought gloriously to life.

General Pitt Rivers' philosophy ... vastly unpopular today ... was that culture evolves from simple to complex. If you collect and study the objects from more "primitive" cultures, you can build a picture of the evolution of mankind. Thus we have items that do similar things, but are from all over the world, grouped together. Consider, for example, the case on body shaping and decoration, where a Victorian corset, Japanese foot binding equipment, African neck-stretching rings and a South Seas tattooing kit sit cheek by jowl. Forget evolution. For me, the fascination is simply to see how similar humanity is across differences of distance, time and culture.

But that's all far too esoteric for the kids. They'll love the Pitt Rivers quite simply because it's filled with cool and bizarre stuff. Shrunken heads, scary funerary masks, boats, musical instruments, saddles, dolls, card games and clothing. Don't miss the stylish cape made out of seal intestine by some enterprising Eskimos, in the case devoted to waterproof clothing. The weaponry collection on the top floor is particularly good. Who knew there was such variety in throwing weapons, or that they could be so beautiful?

I'd head for the Pitt Rivers before the Natural History museum, even though you have to cross through the first to get to the second. That's because, frankly, the Pitt Rivers is so fascinating, and stimulating, you'll want to attack it with a fresh brain.

Back in the Natural History Museum, the kids have the convenience of most of the major displays being in a single vast hall under one roof. And what an extraordinary roof it is. Gothic in style, but Victorian in construction, cast iron foliage wraps around around columns and stretches to the glass roof above. Don't forget to look up. Below, in addition to the dinosaurs and the parade of ancient mammal skeletons, don't miss the collection of beautifully taxidermised animals you can get nose to nose with. The Shetland Pony is, evidently, most popular, though my choice is the bear. There's a
brilliant Dodo bird to show you what we've recently lost, and wonderful butterfly collections to show you what's in danger. Best of all is a little free-standing cabin with a curtain. Slip inside, and you're in darkness only lit by the strange glow of different kinds of luminous rocks.

Over the years I've spent my Oxford museum time at the Ashmolean. (I've written about it here.) Another great museum in miniature, it's like a mash-up of the British Museum and the National Gallery. And it's worth your time, too. But if you have kids in tow ... or if you're in the mood for some childish fun yourself ... head across town and check out the other two.