Ashmolean Museum, one of the four museums of the University of Oxford and the oldest public museum of art, archaeology, and natural history in Great Britain. It was established to house collections donated to the university in 1677 by Elias Ashmole, an antiquarian who had inherited the bulk of the collections from a friend, John Tradescant. The museum was opened to the public in 1683 in a building designed by Thomas Wood. Initially the collection was primarily concerned with natural history, and it remained the centre of scientific studies at Oxford for 150 years. In the 19th century the growth and variety of new acquisitions resulted in the dispersal and rehousing of the collections, with the Ashmolean Museum retaining the archaeological and art collections. The museum has especially rich collections of ancient Egyptian art and Italian Renaissance drawings.
The present Ashmolean Museum building was designed in the Neoclassical style by C.R. Cockerell and erected between 1841 and 1845. It houses the collection of art and archaeology, while the old Thomas Wood building has become the History of Science Museum. In 2009 the Ashmolean opened an addition designed by Rick Mather.
