Museum of Hartlepool

About the museum

Hartlepool's museum service began on 4 November 1920, when the Gray Museum and Art Gallery was opened to the public in a house given to the town by William Cresswell Gray. That museum closed in 1994, and its collections moved to the new Museum of Hartlepool at the dockside, which opened in 1996. The fine art collection went to the new Hartlepool Art Gallery, and the collections of the former maritime museum on the Headland also came to the dockside.

The museum is run by Hartlepool Borough Council and is free to enter. It stands at Jackson Dock beside the National Museum of the Royal Navy's Hartlepool site, and visitors use the same entrance building. Displays tell the story of the town from early times to the present, with a focus on its shipbuilding, fishing and the sea. Among the exhibits are Hartlepool's oldest known man, Herman the Merman, and the story of the town's First World War battlefield site.

The paddle steamer PS Wingfield Castle, built in 1934, is moored beside the museum and can be seen from the Quayside, although it is currently closed to the public. The museum and the paddle steamer are part of the Tides of Change regeneration project, a £52 million plan with the Royal Navy museum and the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Highlights

• Hartlepool's oldest known man
• Herman the Merman
• The story of the town's First World War battlefield site
• Maritime, shipbuilding and fishing history of the town
• Quayside beside PS Wingfield Castle

Permanent exhibition

• The story of Hartlepool – Displays on the maritime, shipbuilding and fishing history of the town, including Hartlepool's oldest known man and Herman the Merman.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Hartlepool Borough Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free. The neighbouring Royal Navy Museums Hartlepool, which shares the entrance building, charges its own admission and sells tickets separately.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• 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: no information

All internal areas are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs and the museum is on one level, with seating throughout. A wheelchair can be borrowed from staff. There is an accessible toilet near the entrance with a baby change station (not RADAR-key operated); a Changing Places toilet is in the car park near Marina Way. The car park has 8 accessible bays. Assistance dogs are welcome. A hearing loop is not available. The museum is usually quieter from 3 to 4pm in winter and 4 to 5pm in summer, but it offers no dedicated relaxed sessions.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Regular family sessions are run with Hartlepool Art Gallery, together with self-led trails and reading dens. The museum is accessible for pushchairs and has a baby change station in the accessible toilet.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is signposted National Museum of the Royal Navy, Hartlepool; after the entrance doors turn right, then right again. From the A19 follow the brown signs and head for the masts of HMS Trincomalee.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no café on site; drinks, snacks and meals are available nearby, and the Quayside has benches for picnics. The reception shop in the entrance building belongs to the Royal Navy museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit