South East - Oxfordshire

First opened to scholars in 1602, it incorporates an earlier library erected by the University in the fifteenth century to house books donated by Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester. Since 1602 it has expanded, slowly at first but with increasing momentum over the last 150 years, to keep pace with the ever- growing accumulation of books and papers but the core of the old buildings remain intact. These buildings are still used by students and scholars from all over the world, and they attract an ever- increasing number of visitors.

You can enjoy a number of guided tours; the 30 minute and 60 minute tours include visits to the Duke Humfrey Library, the oldest reading room in the University and the Divinity School, a medieval masterpiece of English Gothic architecture. The 90 minute tour also visit the iconic Radcliffe Camera (Camera, meaning "room" in Latin) which is known to locals as “the Rad Cam" or "the Camera".

There is also the option to take a self-guided tour audio tour of the Divinity School (as featured in the Harry Potter films) and Quadrangles (often seen in the Inspector Morse series). Combine your tour with a visit to the newly refurbished Weston Library, home to the Bodleian Libraries Special Collections, some of which can be seen in the new exhibition rooms (check website for current exhibition details). Take a break and enjoy a coffee in the Bodleian café or browse the Zvi Meitar Bodleian Shop for exclusively designed gifts and books.

We look forward to welcoming you to one of the great libraries of the world.