Hull Maritime Museum

About the museum

Hull Maritime Museum began in 1912 as the Museum of Fisheries and Shipping in Pickering Park. In the 1970s it moved into the former Dock Offices on Queen Victoria Square, a Grade II* listed building constructed between 1867 and 1871 as the headquarters of the Hull Dock Company. Hull City Council runs the museum as part of the Hull Museums group.

The museum tells the story of the city and its port over some 800 years. Its collections cover Arctic whaling, the North Sea fishing fleet, merchant shipping, shipbuilding and the lives of the dockers and trawlermen. They also include one of the finest collections of scrimshaw, the carved folk art made by whalers, and a large body of maritime paintings.

The museum closed in 2020 for a major conservation and modernisation project, part of the wider Hull Maritime project. The works added a new exhibition floor, a glass-roofed atrium and access to one of the building's domes. After several delays the museum reopened in August 2026 with new galleries spread over three floors.

Highlights

• 40-foot skeleton of a North Atlantic right whale in the Age of Sail gallery
• Scrimshaw collection and polar displays in the Hidden Treasures attic
• Under the Sea gallery with marine life projected beneath the floor
• Giant interactive globe tracing Hull's trade routes
• Story of the Hessle Road Women's Committee and the fishing-safety campaign
• Panoramic views from one of the building's domes

Permanent exhibitions

• Age of Sail – Hull's growth from a medieval trading town to an international port, with the skeleton of a North Atlantic right whale at its centre.
• The Price of Fish – Life aboard Hull's trawlers in the twentieth century, told through objects and recorded memories of former trawlermen.
• Hidden Treasures – Attic galleries on Arctic wildlife, polar exploration and whalers' scrimshaw.

Founded

1912

Operated by

Hull City Council (Hull Museums)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free; advance booking of free tickets is recommended to avoid queues at busy times, and walk-up entry is available daily. Some activities, such as the planetarium film and the Open Store Tour, need a separate ticket that can only be bought at the museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Ramped entrance with a shallow incline and lifts between the gallery floors. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed at the front desk. Accessible toilets are on the ground and first floors, and a Changing Places toilet is listed among the facilities. Nine designated disabled parking spaces are on Paragon Street, a few minutes away. A visual story, quick access guide and AccessAble guide are available. The planetarium film includes audio description.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Families can borrow a free Maritime Explorer Backpack, follow a Family Discovery Trail and join drop-in Object Encounters. Hands-on interactives are part of several galleries. Baby-change facilities are on the ground, first and second floors.

Getting there & parking

The museum is opposite the Ferens Art Gallery in Queen Victoria Square in the city centre. A bike park is opposite the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The museum cafe serves barista coffee, cakes, light lunches and food for young children. The gift shop sells maritime books, prints and gifts.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 100 guests.

The Courtroom holds up to 100 people standing or at ceremonies and up to 60 seated at round tables for dining. Bar service, catering and audio-visual equipment are available.

Plan your visit