The Story Museum

A wedding day should feel personal and distinctive, not like every other celebration. For those seeking a unique wedding venue in Oxford, The Story Museum offers imaginative, story-filled spaces in the heart of the city.

Across the museum, guests will discover spaces unlike anywhere else—each with its own character and designed to feel memorable from the moment of arrival.

• The Whispering Wood – an atmospheric indoor forest that has to be seen to be believed (perfect for dining).
• The Magic Common Room – richly decorated and ideal for drinks, canapés and conversation.
• The Woodshed Theatre – a full party space with stage, AV, and dancefloor for live bands, DJs, or curated playlists.
• The Galleries - included as standard with a booking, guests get exclusive access to the immersive gallery spaces
• For younger attendees, Small Worlds (an under‑fives story play space) can be added from £300 + VAT.

While many wedding venues simply accommodate children, The Story Museum takes a different approach. The venue has been designed with years of expertise in creating experiences where children are active participants rather than passive guests.

The museum’s experienced children’s team can act as Story Guides throughout the day, creating engaging moments for younger guests and helping them remain entertained so that parents can relax and enjoy the celebration.

'An unexpected bonus was how much the children loved listening to the stories in the trees, thus allowing the adults to enjoy their food.' – Bodil and Ace, April 2024

The Story Museum manages drinks service with an in-house bar team and a fully licensed bar. The standard licence runs until 11pm, with the possibility of a late licence available upon request.

For catering, The Story Museum operates primarily as a dry hire venue, allowing couples the flexibility to choose their preferred caterer. A recommended partner is Greens Catering, although other caterers can be accommodated with prior discussion to ensure smooth coordination on the day.

'We couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate our wedding day. If you're looking for a wedding venue that is unique, quirky as well as elegant with exceptional and dedicated service, The Story Museum is the place for you. Thank you TSM team!' – Mr & Mrs Davenport, August 2024

Wedding Packages and Pricing

The Story Museum offers four flexible options, ranging from ceremony-only packages to full-day celebrations:

• Full Day (ceremony to last dance): from £4,500 + VAT
• Part Day (from 2pm): from £2,750 + VAT
• Celebrant Ceremony (ceremony only): from £1,250 + VAT
• Meal & Evening Reception (legal ceremony elsewhere, celebration at the venue): from £1,400 ex VAT

Please note: The Story Museum is not licensed for legal wedding ceremonies. The venue offers celebrant-led (unofficial) ceremonies, and many couples choose to complete the legal element nearby before celebrating at the museum.

When couples choose to marry at The Story Museum, their celebration also contributes to a wider purpose. The Story Museum is a registered charity so all proceeds from their venue hire go towards supporting their work to enrich lives, particularly young lives, through stories. From early childhood through the teenage years, the organisation delivers a creative learning programme across family centres, schools, youth groups, and within its award-winning museum, supporting creativity, literacy, and wellbeing.

The charity prioritises families in Oxford’s least served communities and ensures that cost is not a barrier through a free-to-access programme of tailored support. The need for this work in Oxford is significant: 26% of children grow up in poverty, and despite the city’s strong academic reputation, disadvantaged pupils locally perform below their peers nationally.

Through its Learning, Access and Participation programme, The Story Museum is working to change this narrative, supporting nearly 13,000 children, teachers and families in the past year alone.