Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO)

About

SOFO is a vibrant place for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

Presenting visitors with engaging and immersive experiences through a changing exhibitions programme and permanent galleries including a recreated Great War trench, a mock-up section of a Horsa Glider from D Day and Afghan Alley.

Our galleries take visitors through the life of a ‘21st Century Soldier’, the ‘Blood and War’ of the frontline, Winston Churchill and the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars and the ‘Liberation of Bergen-Belsen’ by the Oxfordshire Yeomanry.

We offer an under-fives den, kids art cart, trails and quizzes, as well as dress up, feely boxes and code breaking!

SOFO is Oxfordshire's only dedicated military history museum, telling stories of local people involved in conflicts throughout history. We are home to the collections and archives for two county regiments, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars.

Our permanent exhibition hall includes eight exciting and interactive displays.
• Blood and War, Life on the Front Line
• 21st Century Soldier, Modern Conflict
• The Secret War of 1939-1945
• Prisoners of War At Home and Abroad
• Winston Churchill and the Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars
• Oxfordshire Airpower, the Airmen and Airfields
• The Liberation of Bergen Belsen by the Oxfordshire Yeomanry
• Battles, the Stories of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

All year round our permanent displays pack in plenty for families and children of all ages to get involved with. Sit in the back of a D-Day glider or walk through a Great War trench with interactive exhibits, or try your hand at code breaking with one of our activity trails.

Plus, we host a wide range of changing exhibitions in our temporary exhibition spaces.  

18 May 2021 - 24 April 2022 Spy Oxfordshire: Lifting the Veil of Secrecy - exhibition featuring real WW2 spy stories and iconic props and memorabilia from the James Bond film franchise.  Spy Oxfordshire combines the world of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, with the beginnings of intelligence from the exploits and lives of Oxfordshire men and women during the Second World War. Learn about espionage, sabotage and the reality of the secret intelligence world. Plus, explore the blurred lines between fact and fiction with iconic Bond film props and memorabilia, personal objects from Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye home in Jamaica, and rare publicity material. The exhibition is the perfect place to consider all things Bond, and its enduring legacy.