Plan your visit
Visitor information

Whether you’re planning a sightseeing trip to Oxford or popping into our free exhibitions, you won’t be short of things to do at the Bodleian Library.
The Bodleian Library is spread across three buildings in the city centre: the Weston Library, the Old Library and the Radcliffe Camera.
We offer guided and self-guided tours of our historic library spaces and the city. Or check our what’s on calendar for upcoming exhibitions, lectures, family events and more.
Come and discover our iconic buildings and beautiful collections.
Opening hours
We’re open to sightseers and the public:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Tickets
The Weston Library is free to enter, with no ticket required.
If you want to explore the Old Library or Radcliffe Camera, you will need to book onto a Bodleian tour.
What is open to the public
The ground floor of the Weston Library is free and open to everyone. Here you'll find our free exhibitions, tour ticket desk, café and shop.
The Old Library and Radcliffe Camera are only accessible with a Bodleian tour ticket.
We’re open to sightseers and the public:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Check our upcoming closures for any changes to our normal hours.
Exhibitions at the Weston Library
Our exhibition galleries are open:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Café and shops
October
- Wednesday 1 October: The Divinity School will be closed. No 60-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours will be available.
- Thursday 2 October: The Divinity School will be closed. No 60-minute tours available. 30 minute library-only tours will be available.
- Saturday 4 October: The Divinity School will close at 4pm.
- Sunday 5 October: The Divinity School will be closed. No 60-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours will be available.
- Tuesday 7 October: The Divinity School will be closed. No 60-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours will be available.
- Saturday 11 October: The Divinity School will close at 11.30am. No 60-minute library tours available. Only 30-minute library tours will be available.
- Sunday 12 October: The Weston Library (including shop, cafe and exhibitions) will be closed until 1.30pm due to the Oxford Half Marathon. The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60- or 90-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours will be available.
- Wednesday 15 October: No 60-minute library tours available on this day.
- Thursday 16 October: The Divinity School will open at 2pm.
- Saturday 18 October: The Divinity School will be closed. No 60- or 90-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours will be available.
- Friday 24 October: The Divinity School will be closed and there will not be any 60-minute library tours available. 30-minute library-only tours available.
- Friday 31 October: There will not be any 60-minute library tours available.
November
- The Treasured exhibition will be closed from 3–7 November.
- Sunday 2 November: The Divinity School will close at 2pm. There will not be a 60-minute library tour at 2pm.
- Wednesday 5 November: The Divinity School will close at 4pm.
- Friday 7 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Saturday 8 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60- or 90-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Monday 10 November: The Divinity School will close at 4.30pm.
- Wednesday 12 November: No 60-minute library tours on this day.
- Thursday 13 November: No 60-minute library tours on this day.
- Friday 14 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Saturday 15 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60- or 90-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Sunday 16 November: No 60-minute library tours on this day.
- Tuesday 18 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Wednesday 19 November: The Divinity School will be closed all day. No 60-minute library tours available; the only library tours available will be 30-minute Duke Humfrey’s Library tours.
- Friday 21 November: The Divinity School will close at 2.30pm. There will not be a 60-minute library tour at 2pm.
- Saturday 29 November: No 60-minute library tours on this day.
We recommend starting your sightseeing visit at the Weston Library:
Weston Library, Broad Street, OX1 3BG
Here you can buy tour tickets, pick up a map, visit our free exhibitions, stop for a drink at the café or pop into the shop.
If you have a pre-booked Bodleian tour ticket, you can go straight to the Old Bodleian Library via the Great Gate on Catte Street.
Enjoy delicious drinks, snacks, and hot and cold meals in the Bodleian Café at the Weston Library, including vegetarian and vegan options.
Our traditional afternoon tea includes finely cut sandwiches, freshly baked scones served with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a delightful selection of sweet treats, served with tea and coffee – or add a glass of prosecco to your booking.
We want to ensure that everyone can explore our buildings as comfortably as possible. We have different kinds of support in place for visitors with specific access needs.
Find out more about accessibility at our site.
Please note: all library guided tours involve stairs, and the 90-minute tour also includes a substantial amount of walking. We are working on improving accessibility on our guided tours to ensure visitors have an equitable experience.
We ask that visitors follow these rules in all of our spaces:
- Please do not leave bags unattended.
- When walking around library buildings, please observe 'quiet please' signs to avoid disturbing those working inside the Old Library and Radcliffe Camera.
- You are very welcome to take photographs, as long as this is for your personal, non-commercial use only. We do not allow the use of video cameras, flash or tripods (including selfie sticks) inside our buildings. Photography is not allowed in the Radcliffe Camera.
Exhibition galleries
Please follow these rules when visiting the exhibition galleries in the Weston Library. We aim to provide a safe environment for our visitors and make sure that our collections are preserved for the future.
- Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries, including bottled water.
- Children are very welcome, but please make sure they are supervised at all times.
- Pushchairs and buggies are welcome in the galleries. At very busy times we may need to limit the number of buggies in the gallery, and this will be at the discretion of the room attendant. Very large double-buggies cannot be brought into the exhibition galleries, due to the narrow walkways between exhibits.
- Assistance dogs are welcome in the galleries.
- Large items such as rucksacks or wheeled cases may not be taken into the galleries, due to space limitations. This includes any item larger than aircraft carry-on luggage. Medium-sized backpacks or cases should not be worn on the back or wheeled, but may be carried. Very small bags and day-packs may be carried on the owner’s back. These rules help avoid damage to works on the walls or to the display cases. The room attendant will use his or her judgement on which bags may be admitted, and how they should be carried, to avoid any risk of damage to the galleries, collections, or other members of the public. For guidance, bags larger than approx. 50 x 40 x 25 cm will be excluded from the galleries. We are unfortunately not able to provide any storage for large bags which have been excluded.
- Please do not bring wet umbrellas into the galleries. You can leave coats or umbrellas on the coat rack outside the galleries (please note that this is at the owner’s risk).
- You may bring pencils into the galleries. Pens and markers are not allowed.
- We encourage all visitors to use Park and Ride options to travel into Oxford to visit us.
- We provide e-tickets for all tours purchased online and we recommend that visitors recommended show their tickets on their devices. Onsite, we have halved the amount of paper being used for printing receipts/tickets.
- Read about sustainability at our café and shops.
What to do on your visit

Library guided tours
City walking tours
Exhibitions and events
For families
Explore the Bodleian Libraries
