AFTER HOURS IN BLOOM EXHIBITION CURATOR TOUR

An Exclusive After Hours Tour for Members

This event is in-person at the Museum in the Exhibition Galleries, meet at the Welcome Desk from 4:45pm

Tickets are £25 each. Booking is essential. Book below.

This event will be repeated on 20 May 2026

With Francesca Leoni, exhibition co-curator and curator of Islamic Art

Join curator Francesca for a private after-hours tour of our major new exhibition, In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World.

Taking visitors on a journey from Oxford to the farthest concerns of the world and back, the exhibition uncovers the global stories behind some of Britain’s most beloved blooms – from roses and tulips to camellias and orchids.

This small group tour is a wonderful opportunity to discover the stories behind more than a 100 artworks and objects on display including drawings, paintings, rare prints, and ceramics.

Francesca will share insights into how the pursuit of exotic plants transformed landscapes, economies, and cultures, leaving a legacy that still shapes our gardens and world today.

Banana blossom with life stages of the Bullseye moth, Maria Sibylla Merian, 1726, coloured engraving © Bodleian Libraries

Study of an Oriental poppy, May Morris, 1879, watercolour & some bodycolour over indications in graphite © Ashmolean Museum

BOOKING

This event takes place at the Museum in the Exhibition Galleries, meet at the Welcome Desk

Tickets are £25 each, and available only to Members. Booking is essential