📍 Woodstock
Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum
Military history museum in Woodstock with a full-scale WW1 trench, WW2 Anderson shelter, dress-up activities and dedicated sensory sessions for children with SEND.
✦ We visited
We went on a Tuesday morning and the trench was quiet enough for the children to take their time. The volunteer on duty was genuinely knowledgeable and happy to answer questions, which made the WW1 section come alive in a way that a label alone would not manage.
The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum occupies the same site as The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock but is a completely separate institution, with its own entrance, collection and team. While the county museum covers the natural and social history of the area, SOFO focuses on the military history of the county and the personal experiences of the people who served, from the Civil War period through to recent conflicts.
The exhibits are designed with family visits in mind. The WW1 trench is a full-scale reconstruction that visitors can walk through, fitted with period equipment and sounds that give a strong sense of the conditions. The WW2 Anderson shelter provides a domestic counterpoint, showing what life was like for families at home during the Blitz. Uniforms can be tried on, objects can be handled, and the labelling throughout is written to be read rather than studied.
The museum also runs dedicated sensory sessions on selected dates, designed for children with autism and other sensory processing differences. These sessions reduce sound and lighting levels and limit the number of visitors in the building at any one time. Details of upcoming dates are on the website.
The layout is manageable for younger children and accessible at ground level. Free parking is available on site and Blenheim Palace is a short drive away if you want to combine the two into a full day.
Good for: history, rainy-day, sensory. Ages: 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.
Good to know
Is the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum the same as The Oxfordshire Museum?
They share a site in Woodstock but are completely separate institutions with different entrances, collections and admission prices. You can visit one or both on the same trip.
Does the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum have sensory sessions?
Yes, the museum runs dedicated sensory sessions for children with autism and sensory processing differences on selected dates, with reduced lighting, lower sound levels and fewer visitors in the building. Check the website for the current schedule.
Is parking free at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum?
Yes, there is free parking on site shared with The Oxfordshire Museum. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 2pm to 5pm; it is closed on Mondays.
