Free things to do in Kingston upon Hull

9 places in Kingston upon Hull with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Arctic Corsair
Hull's last remaining sidewinder trawler, berthed in the River Hull to the rear of the Museum Quarter complex. Guided tours are available.
Free
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Ferens Art Gallery
Permanent collection of Sculpture and Paintings from medieval to present day, and a regular programme of temporary exhibitions from around the world. Strong on old European Masters, particularly Dutch and Flemish, the Ferens also houses some of the best contemporary art in the country. Includes masterpieces by Frans Hals, Antonio Canaletto, Stanley Spencer, David Hockney, Helen Chadwick and Gillian Wearing. There is a pleasant cafe on the ground floor of the gallery with an outside section overlooking part of Prince's dock. In February to April each year it hosts the 'Open Exhibition' to which, for a modest fee, amateurs and professional artists can submit their own work for sale or just display.
Free
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Hands on History Museum
Old Grammar School
This is one of the oldest grammar schools in England dating back to the 16th century and open until 1873. From 1884 to 1915 it was the Choir School for Holy Trinity church. Among its many famous past scholars were Andrew Marvell and William Wilberforce. In 1988 it became Hands on History Museum which focuses on the history of Hull and its people, recreates Victorian Childhood in the classroom and contains a genuine Egyptian Mummy. Child friendly.
Free
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Maritime Museum
Formerly the Whaling Museum and housed in the original Dock Offices for the Prince's Dock and Queen's Dock (now Queen's Gardens). It is a huge, quaintly old-fashioned museum dedicated to Hull's glorious conquest of the High Seas and to the often tragic sacrifices made to it. An elegant staircase rises from the entrance hall and there are displays to interest all ages from the skeleton of a whale to models of ships to explanations of fishing methods. The museum is closed for refurbishment and is expected to reopen in 2025.
Free
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Spurn Lightship
Built in 1927, it served for 48 years as a navigation aid in the approaches of the Humber Estuary.
Free
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The Guildhall
Runs adjacent to and on the south side of Queen's Gardens and with Alfred Gelder Street on its south side. Built between 1903 and 1916, to a design chosen by competition, it is the home of the City Council, it also houses the city's silver, the Hull Tapestry, the old magistrate's court, and below this the cells! The Guildhall is a great slab of early 20th-century civic pride, prosperity and confidence. At the west end sits a sculpture symbolising 'Maritime Prowess' atop its ornate Neo-Classical design and at the east end a clock tower. Starting in 1991 The Hull Tapestry took 15 years to complete and in 19 panels depicts important aspects of the city's history and development. The tapestry can be viewed (free of charge) Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-4:30PM, and Friday 8:30AM-3:30PM. To view it ask at the reception desk of the Guildhall. Guildhall tours are also available free of charge but these must be booked in advance.
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Wilberforce House
Birthplace and residence of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), MP for Hull and slavery abolitionist, whose anti-slavery bill was finally passed in 1807 after his tireless campaigning. The house has been a museum in his memory since 1903.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 1:30PM-4:30PMFree
Do Not mapped
Sea Fever Shanty Festival
The major part of Hull's Maritime Festival. It attracts major shanty singers from the UK as well as from around the world. The main stage is along the Prince's dock side and groups sing in the pubs nearby. While some stalls along the dock sell a variety of things, others represent various organisations. All performances are free though the concerts in the City Hall on Saturday evening and the Survivors Concert on Sunday evening are by ticket. Various barges are moored alongside and can be visited free of charge. If you're into shanty singing it's a really good weekend.
11-13 July 2025
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Streetlife Museum of Transport
Showcases 200 years of transportation history.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PMFree

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kingston upon Hull (CC BY-SA 4.0).