IT’S perhaps not quite as good as a trip down the rabbit-hole with Alice in Wonderland.

But young readers will be excited to step inside the building that is being transformed into Oxford’s new Story Museum.

The museum in Pembroke Street is opening its doors to the public for the first time over the weekend September 11 and 12.

Rochester House, which was bought for the museum project last year, is opening from 11am to 5pm both days, as part of the Oxford Open Doors event.

There will be free half-hourly tours of the buildings where writings, treasures and memorabilia of Oxford writers such as JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and Lewis Carroll are expected to be displayed.

Story Museum event coordinator Esther Browning said: “The buildings each have their own history, having once housed the city’s telephone exchange and postal sorting office, as well as a pub and college lodgings.

“I think the public will be fascinated to see the layout of the buildings which have large open spaces and lots of small rooms which would be good for workshops.

“There’s a variety of rabbit warrens and open spaces and talks are ongoing with the architects about the final design.

“I’m sure the museum will become a popular fixture on the tourist trail once it opens.”

Mrs Browning said her three children, Cecelia, nine, Theo, eight, and Will, five, were looking forward to the museum opening.

Tish Francis, Story Museum capital project director, added: “When we discovered them the buildings were like something out of Sleeping Beauty, with ivy climbing through the window and pigeons roosting on the stairs.

“We have cleaned them up a bit since then and we thought people would like to have a peek inside.”

In November, Story Museum trustees announced it had finally found a home for the £14m attraction.

A £2.5m donation from an anonymous donor helped to secure three-storey Roch-ester House on a 130-year lease.

Members of the public are being asked to contribute towards an £11m target to turn the building into a visitor attraction and teaching facility for schools.

The idea of a Story Museum was first put forward in 2004, with Oxford author Philip Pullman becoming its first patron.

Museum trustees were delighted to find a home with its roots in the Victorian era, when Oxford became the focus of a golden era in children’s literature.

It is a short distance from Christ Church, in St Aldate’s, which has famous links with Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, and provided a film set for the Harry Potter movies.

The museum is scheduled to open in 2014, the same year that Oxford hopes to be Unesco World Book Capital.

There are plans for performance spaces and a small theatre for storytelling, puppet shows and visits by authors. The building will also have galleries, a cafe, shop, education rooms. a studio and offices.

Oxford Open Doors 2010 is organised by Oxford Preservation Trust, in partnership with Oxford University as part of Heritage Open Days.

For a full list of participating venues visit oxfordopendoors.org.uk