Hull Maritime Museum’s opening weekend is fully booked as it prepares to reopen with immersive galleries, a new planetarium and the return of Erik the polar bear. More than 8,000 visitors have already grabbed free tickets for the opening month of the revamped museum with all advance timed-entry slots for the first weekend booked up.
The museum will reopen on Saturday, August 8 after a six-year, £20.4m refurbishment. A limited number of walk-up visitors will still be able to enter the museum each day, but this will be subject to capacity. New photography released today reveals the transformation of one of Britain’s oldest maritime museums. The refurb has restored the Grade II former Dock Offices.
The transformation has doubled the museum’s public space and displays around 1,300 objects, bringing Hull’s internationally important maritime collections to life through immersive interpretation, major new displays and interactive experiences designed for people of all ages.
Visitors will be able to journey through more than 800 years of maritime history, detailing stories of trade, migration, fishing, whaling, Arctic exploration and the communities whose lives have been shaped by the sea. There are restored historic interiors and contemporary galleries which reveal how Hull became one of Britain’s great maritime cities and why the Humber remains the UK’s busiest port complex today. There’s the 40ft skeleton of a North Atlantic right whale, internationally significant scrimshaw collections, objects from Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, Erik the polar bear and the Sirius figurehead from the first steamship to cross the Atlantic under steam power.
Visitors can crawl beneath the whale skeleton, lift the weight of a traditional harpoon, navigate using a compass, operate a steam engine model and explore exhibits designed to make the collections accessible to visitors of all ages and abilities. The planetarium is a new feature, where visitors can discover how generations of sailors navigated using the stars long before satellite technology. The 10-minute experience recreates the night sky above Hull and the northern hemisphere, revealing the constellations that guided ships across the world’s oceans.
Hull Maritime Museum is housed within the city’s former Town Dock Offices, first opened in 1871 when ships sailed directly past the building. Closed since January 2020, the building has been restored by Purcell and Simpson of York to reveal historic spaces while creating contemporary galleries, improved accessibility and environmentally sustainable museum facilities.
Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people wanting to visit Hull Maritime Museum, with tickets for the opening weekend snapped up ahead of the opening. This museum has been cherished by generations of residents and visitors, and the transformation has created something truly special that honours its remarkable heritage while bringing it firmly into the future. This is another example of why 2026 is a landmark year for the city.
“Hull’s maritime story is at the heart of our city’s identity, and we’re incredibly proud to be reopening one of Britain’s finest maritime museums following this £20.4 million investment. We look forward to welcoming visitors through the doors and seeing their reactions first-hand as they experience the museum’s stunning new galleries, collections and interactive experiences.”
Gillian Osgerby, Hull City Council’s Project Director of Hull Maritime, said: “The response ahead of opening has been incredible and reflects the affection people have for Hull Maritime Museum. For many families, this building holds cherished memories, so it’s wonderful to see so much excitement about its return.
“Over the past six years, we’ve worked hard to transform the museum into a world-class visitor experience while preserving everything that makes it so special. We can’t wait to welcome people back inside and see their reactions first-hand as they rediscover familiar treasures, explore new galleries and experience Hull’s extraordinary maritime stories in a completely new way.”
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see that Hull Maritime Museum will reopen this summer and is ready to welcome visitors from near and far to share and celebrate the city’s rich and fascinating maritime heritage. Not only will visitors be captivated by the significant collections of the museum, comprising of around 1,300 artefacts, they will be able to take in the striking beauty of the Grade II* listed building and its stunning architecture, which has been preserved as part of the project.”
The reopening of Hull Maritime Museum marks a major milestone for the city’s ambitious heritage regeneration programme. The scheme includes the restoration of Spurn Lightship, Queen’s Gardens, new maritime collections facilities and the future reopening of the Arctic Corsair.
Photos by Olivia Rickman
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