Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre
Volunteer-run museum on Eastborough telling the story of Scarborough’s harbour, fishing fleet, boats and seafarers.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre grew out of a gift made in 2003, when thirty boxes of photographs, log books, certificates, harbour records and maritime souvenirs were donated to a local group so that they would be kept for future generations. A committee was formed in 2006 to find a home for the collection, and in 2008 the group became a registered company. Another lifetime collection of more than 25,000 maritime photographs was added in 2009.
The centre first opened on Eastborough in 2009 with a grant from the local council, and it became a registered charity in 2011. In 2015 it bought its own building at 45 Eastborough with the help of sponsors, and in 2016 the volunteers received the Queen’s Award for Volunteering. The centre is staffed entirely by volunteers.
The displays and the archive cover the town’s fishing industry (herring, line fishing, trawling and tuna), the harbour and Old Town, shipbuilding and boats, storms, shipwrecks and the lifeboat service, Scarborough in wartime, women’s work and the wider Yorkshire coast. The collection also includes a set of wooden moulds for building a Yorkshire coble, donated when the last working boatyard in the town closed.
Highlights
- Collection of more than 25,000 maritime photographs
- Wooden moulds for building a Yorkshire coble
- Displays on fishing, the harbour and Old Town life
- Stories of shipwrecks, storms and the lifeboat service
- Archive library and family history research help
- Founded
- 2009
- Operated by
- Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre Limited (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The main exhibition is on the ground floor, but the entrance door is about 70 cm wide with a small step of about 4 cm, so it cannot be used by a standard-width wheelchair or by a wide mobility scooter. The archive library is down a flight of steps. The centre offers video and audio recordings for visitors who have difficulty reading or with sight impairments and asks visitors to get in touch in advance with any concerns.
Kids & families
The centre runs a Children’s University programme and outreach for schools; no specific family offers are described for ordinary visits.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Scarborough is served by rail, by bus and by the Coastliner intercity bus service; the centre advises checking timetables in advance.
By car
Parking available
Limited-time parking is available on the street outside. Four car parks are nearby: Eastborough, West Pier, King Street and Friarsway.
The centre is on Eastborough, about 200 yards up from the West Pier traffic lights on the seafront.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Books about the town’s maritime history can be ordered by email.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Volunteers staff the centre. Talks and visits for schools and community groups can be arranged. |
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