If you are an Old Member visiting Oxford you are very welcome to visit Queen’s during your stay.
Enter the College via the main High Street gate and report to the Porters’ Lodge. Mention that you are an Old Member wishing to visit and say if this visit has been pre-arranged with the Old Members’ Office. The Porters will need to check your Old Member credentials, so you can either show your University of Oxford Alumni Card (‘My Oxford’ card) or answer a couple of questions so the Porters can locate you on their database.
Do I need to book my visit?
You do not have to pre-arrange a visit, but we do encourage it, so we can check there are no restrictions on the areas you want to see. You can bring friends or family with you, including children, but if you are a group of six or more, let us know in advance, if you can.
Generally Old Members are able to walk around the cloisters, quads, gardens, and Chapel and Hall, if the spaces are not being used for other purposes. The Lodge Porters will advise on which areas are not accessible.
You will need to let us know in advance if you would like to look around the Library. The Library has different visiting times to the main College – as visits can only take place when the Library is staffed – and this varies depending on whether you plan to visit during term, vacation time, or at a weekend. The Library is also closed for Old Member visits during Trinity Term (from mid April until late June) and sometimes closed at other times for events. Read more about Library access on the Library’s web page.
When are you open?
The College is generally open to Old Member visitors most of the year, with the exception of the two-week closure period over the Christmas vacation and on occasions where there are large events taking place in College, such as the College Ball. Visits between 9am-6pm are preferable, and the College is open at weekends and on most of the public holidays (except Christmas/New Year).
