Parties & Celebrations

FAQs

• Where is The Story Museum?
  The Story Museum is located in the centre of Oxford, between St Aldate's and St Ebbe's Street. Our address is 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP. For more information about getting here, click here. Please note that parking in central Oxford is very limited.

• Why hire The Story Museum?
  The Story Museum is a most unusual museum in the heart of Oxford celebrating the power of stories. We offer a range of interesting, creative spaces available for hire. Whether it’s a party, workshop or conference, we can provide you with the right space. Highlights include the Woodshed, a 100-seat theatre space, the Magic Common Room, a learning studio inspired by Hogwarts, and the Link Room, a bright and spacious room with courtyard views. We are licensed for alcohol and live entertainment and have an on-site café providing freshly prepared food and refreshments. Whatever your event and requirements, we’re always keen to make it work.

• What kinds of events do you host?
  The Story Museum is full of quirky spaces which can accommodate a variety of events. During the day, we host away days, meetings, workshops, conferences and filming projects. During the evening, we host a range of events from drinks receptions and dinners to recruitment events, author talks, wedding receptions and Christmas parties. If you have something in mind and it’s not on the list, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request.

• Which room is right for me?
  The maximum capacity of our spaces varies depending on the room and set-up of your event, but as a rough guide:

• The Woodshed Theatre – 50 (cabaret-style), 105 (seated on bleecher seating with additional row), 120 (standing)
• The Magic Common Room – 36 (tables and chairs), 50 (theatre-style), 50 (standing)
• The Link Room – 30 (tables and chairs), 45 (theatre-style), 45 (standing)
• The Triangle – 12 (tables and chairs)
• The Alice Room – 10 (tables and chairs)
• The Whispering Wood – 60 (seated dinner), 80 (standing)
  For more information, please see our Venue Hire Pack.

• What are your prices?
  Prices start from £135 for a half-day hire of an individual room through to £550 for a full-day hire. Additional charges may apply for events outside standard opening hours. Charity discounts are available for local charities and organisations which share The Story Museum’s vision.

• Do you have Wi-Fi?
  There is free Wi-Fi throughout the Museum. If you have a specific requirement, please get in touch. Please note that bandwidth availability can vary according to demand, and we cannot provide an unrestricted dedicated line.

• What AV equipment is available?
  All our rooms have facilities to project a PowerPoint. The Magic Common Room has an in-built smart board; the Triangle has a wall-mounted screen; the Link Room has a wall-mounted screen, and the Woodshed has a pop-up projector (venue hires) or high quality projector and cyc screen (theatre shows). All use an HDMI input so please make sure you bring an adaptor, if required. We also have speakers for use in each room.
  For a full tech spec of The Woodshed, our dedicated theatre space, please request a copy of our Tech Spec.

• What’s included in the venue hire?
  The venue hire fee includes the use of the space, as well as furniture or equipment, including tables and chairs, subject to availability. We can also supply coat rails and hangers, a flip chart and whiteboard and a microphone and speaker for speeches provided that these are requested in advance.

• Can I visit before I make a booking?
  Yes, of course! Please get in touch by email or call the office on 01865 790050 to talk through your plans and arrange a site visit.

• What is the booking procedure?
  We can hold provisional dates without commitment for one week. We will always give you notice and an opportunity to confirm before releasing a provisional date. Once you have notified us that you would like to book an event, we’ll issue a contract which needs to be returned as soon as possible and no later than a fortnight before the event. We will then discuss catering requirements and raise an invoice for your hire. Hire fees must be paid in advance of the event.

• What is the cancellation procedure?
  Events cancelled with more than 6 months' notice will be eligible for a full refund. Events cancelled or rescheduled between 2-6 months prior to an event will incur a fee of 50% of the total room hire. Cancellations received with less than 2 months' notice will incur the full hire fee.

• Can we have a look around the museum while we’re here?
  Yes, we’d love you to explore our most unusual museum! We offer group booking discounts for visits to our Galleries and can also arrange for a Story Guide to accompany you. Why not upgrade your day by booking our City of Stories film screening or a storytelling session. To find out more, please get in touch.

• What time can I access the venue for set up?
  Access to the site is permitted from the Organiser Arrival Time stipulated on the Booking Form. This is usually 9am on the morning of your event. In the case of evening hires, it is typically no earlier than 5.30pm, when the museum closes to the public. Early arrival/late departure can be arranged by agreement in advance of your event.

• Can I bring my own food?
  As a registered charity, all proceeds from our tickets, café, shop and venue hire business support our work to enrich lives through stories. We therefore require all catering orders to be made through our café. Exceptions can occasionally be made in the case of stringent dietary requirements and babies - please discuss this with us in advance. If we are not able to meet your catering requirements, all catering must be provided by one of our approved suppliers. We work with a list of reputable suppliers who will be happy to provide you with more information. Alcohol can only be served by licensed members of staff, whether that’s a member of The Story Museum staff or a licensed caterer.

• Can you recommend any particular suppliers?
  For daytime events, catering is provided by our in-house café which supplies a delicious selection of locally sourced food, ranging from tea, coffee and cake, through to breakfast, lunch and canapés/nibbles. We also have an on-site bar called Ginny’s Bar for evening events. For evening events, we work with a range of local suppliers at a range of price points. We are always open to working with new suppliers, subject to a site visit prior to the event and adherence to our Terms and Conditions. Please get in touch for more information.

• Are all your event spaces accessible?
  Wheelchairs: The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with step free access to all floors. The majority of our doors are sensor activated or power assisted.
  Lifts: All lifts in the museum are wheelchair accessible and have audio announcements. The majority of museum lifts have Braille labelling on the buttons. Our main venue hire spaces are on the first and second floors.
  Toilets: There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet on every floor, next to each of our public toilets. The ground floor toilet by the Courtyard is equipped as a changing spaces room, with a wet room-style shower, height adjustable bench and a ceiling hoist.
  Induction loops and infrared systems: An induction loop is installed in the Woodshed when it’s set up as a theatre. There is a portable induction loop which can be set up in other spaces with prior notice.
  Visual story: There is a visual story of The Story Museum, along with more detailed information about accessibility at the Museum here. If you have any further questions, please get in touch.

• Are there any restrictions on activities or decorations?
  Because of the risk to our buildings, we can’t allow naked flames, smoke or haze machines, dry ice, internal fireworks, party poppers, crackers, helium balloons, soil or similar items. This list is not exhaustive and our Duty Manager has the right to stop anything that they believe may pose an unacceptable risk to our building. If you have any concerns about this, please contact us in advance. Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes are not allowed in any of our buildings or the Courtyard. Red wine is only permitted at seated dinners in the Whispering Wood. For drinks receptions and events in other spaces, only light-coloured drinks are allowed (fizz, white wine and soft alternatives).

• Is parking available on site?
  There is no parking available on site. We are located in central Oxford and are easily accessible by public transport. City centre parking is limited and we strongly recommend using Oxford’s Park and Ride system where possible. The nearest public car park is located at the Westgate Shopping Centre. More information about Blue Badge parking for disabled visitors can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council’s website here: Blue Badge guidance | Oxfordshire County Council. A list of local car parks can be found here: Parking - Google Maps

• Do your event spaces have natural daylight?
  All our spaces have natural daylight, with the exception of the Woodshed which is a theatre space. The Woodshed has an external door which can be opened to allow air flow. Windows in the Whispering Wood are covered as part of the atmospheric décor, but there is some light transfer from outside.