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Hull Maritime Museum welcomes thousands back after £20.4m transformation

Hull Maritime Museum has reopened after a six-year redevelopment, with expanded galleries, improved accessibility and around 1,300 objects on display.

By The TEA Editorial Desk · 28 August 2026

The restored Hull Maritime Museum Image: The Yorkshire Post / Hull MaritimeOriginal source

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Hull Maritime Museum has reopened after a six-year, £20.4 million transformation, bringing one of the city’s best-known cultural buildings back into public use.

The restored Grade II* former Dock Offices now has twice as much public space and around 1,300 objects on display, with many items being shown publicly for the first time. New galleries cover more than 800 years of Hull’s relationship with the sea.

Highlights include a 40-foot North Atlantic right whale skeleton, Arctic exploration material, the museum’s internationally important scrimshaw collection and new interactive displays. Accessibility has also been improved throughout the building.

More than 3,000 people visited over the opening weekend, while more than 8,000 free tickets had been booked for the first month before the doors reopened. The museum forms part of the wider Hull Maritime programme reconnecting several sites across the city.