Hull Museums

(Kingston Upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK)

The star attractions in Kingston Upon Hull are without doubt the city's excellent museums, the majority of which are completely free and open year-round. It is the outstanding Museums Quarter in Old Town Hull where these cultural stars reside, on or close to the High Street and alongside the river.

Enjoy a simulation of a mail coach ride, a recreation of a steam locomotive station, and the hard maritime life of Arctic trawler men, as well as learning about Hull's importance in the abolition of the slave trade and its resident tireless campaigner, William Wilberforce. For interactive family fun, the Hands on History Museum is a must, while to learn about Hull's past whaling industry, check out the Hull Maritime Museum on Queen Victoria Square.

Hull Maritime Museum

Address: Dock Offices, Queen Victoria Square, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 3DX, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 613902
Established as far back as 1912 as the city's Museum of Fisheries and Shipping, the Hull Maritime Museum moved from Pickering Park to its current location on Queen Victoria Square in 1974, being situated within the magnificent Dock Offices and just across from the Queens Gardens. Exhibits here relate to the city's past Arctic whaling industry, which was at its peak during the early part of the 19th century, and include a large collection of scrimshaw (carved whale bones and teeth). Further displays remember the prominence of the North Sea fishing industry and the city's thriving maritime trade, which dates back as far as the Middle Ages. Temporary exhibitions are regularly staged within the beautifully decorated Victorian-style Court Room.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Arctic Corsair (H320)

Address: High Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1PS, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 613902
A historic deep-sea trawler lying in the River Hull, between the Drypool Bridge and the Myton Bridge, the Arctic Corsair became a museum ship in 1999 and is actually the city's last 'sidewinder trawler' in existence. Exhibits on the Arctic Corsair celebrate the city's deep-sea fishing industry, with guides being on hand to answer any of your questions. The ship itself has lead a particularly interesting history, being built at the Beverley Shipyard in 1960, and badly damaged in 1967, following a collision with another boat in thick fog. Measuring just under 60 metres / 197 feet in length, the Arctic Corsair actual broke a world record in 1973, when it landed an enormous catch of haddock and cod from the White Sea.
Open hours: Wednesday and Saturday - 10:00 to 16:30, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Hands on History

Address: South Church Side, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1RR, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 613902
A fun interactive attraction for all ages, Hands on History stands within the Old Grammar School building, which is believed to have been built in the middle of the 14th century and extended in the 16th century. Hands on History was opened in 1988 and was originally designed to be a local resource for schools. Today, a variety of hands-on exhibits reside on the ground floor and examine many different angles of Victorian Britain. Head up to the first floor to discover 'The Story of Hull and its People', along with a multitude of artefacts from Ancient Egypt.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Spurn Lightship

Address: Hull Marina, Castle Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1TJ, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 613902
The Spurn Lightship is anchored within the Hull Marina and was constructed in 1927, after which it was in operation for almost 50 years, serving as both a lightvessel (lighthouse ship) and a navigation aid within the River Humber. Step onboard the ship to learn more about the actual role of the Spurn Lightship and how the ship's crew once lived and worked. Essential and extensive repair works have recently been carried out, ensuring the survival of the Spurn Lightship for future generations.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Hull and East Riding Museum

Address: 36 High Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1NQ, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 613902
Another popular High Street attraction, the Hull and East Riding Museum allow visitors to trace the city's history, from the days of Romans, right up to the present day. Highlights include the recreation of a Roman bath house and Iron Age village, and an enormous Iron Age longboat known as the 'Hasholme', as well as life-size models of Anglo-Saxon invaders and even a woolly mammoth. There are also displays relating to prehistoric times in East Yorkshire, including a number of fossils and dinosaur bones found in this very area.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Streetlife Museum of Transport

Address: High Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1PS, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 300300
Located on the High Street and in the city centre, the Streetlife Museum of Transport was opened in 1989 by famous politician, John Prescott. This popular attractions enjoys annual visitor numbers exceeding 125,000 people and features an extensive collection of historic vehicles, including horse-drawn carriages and exhibits relating to past city public transport, such as electric trams. In 2002, the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled the addition of a series of galleries, where recreated streets from the 1930s are now housed.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free

Wilberforce House

Address: 23 to 25 High Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 1NQ, England, UK
Tel: +44 01482 300300
Close to the city's Streetlife Museum of Transport, the Wilberforce House is actually an important historical landmark, since it was here in 1759 where famed British politician William Wilberforce was born. Known for his tireless and successful campaigning to abolish the slave trade, which ultimately resulted in the arrival of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, Wilberforce actually died just a matter of days after he heard that this famous Act of Parliament was to be enforced. This house is now dedicated to the life of William Wilberforce and is actually an attraction in its own right, being a Grade 1 listed building. The museum has been open since 1903 and has recently enjoyed much refurbishment and redevelopment, at the cost over more than £1.5 million.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free