About
Hands On History is Hull's interactive museum of local history, housed within the magnificent Old Grammar School on South Church Side in the heart of the city's Old Town. The building itself is one of Hull's most important historic structures, with origins dating back to 1486 when it was founded as a grammar school by John Alcock, Bishop of Ely. The school educated generations of Hull children for nearly five centuries before the museum opened in 1988, and the building retains medieval and Tudor architectural features that form an atmospheric backdrop for exploring Hull's rich and varied past.
The museum takes a hands-on, interactive approach to history, making it particularly appealing to families and younger visitors. Rather than traditional glass-case displays, Hands On History encourages visitors to touch, handle, and engage directly with historical objects and reconstructions. This approach brings the past to life in ways that static displays cannot, helping visitors of all ages connect with the experiences of people who lived in Hull across the centuries.
Among the museum's most popular exhibits is a genuine Egyptian mummy, part of a small but fascinating collection of Egyptian antiquities that has captivated Hull visitors for generations. The Victorian street scene reconstruction transports visitors into nineteenth-century Hull, complete with period shopfronts, domestic interiors, and the sights and sounds of Victorian daily life. Visitors can dress up in period costumes, handle replica artefacts, and experience what life was like for Hull's residents in previous centuries.
The museum's collections also explore Hull's maritime heritage, its role as one of England's most important medieval ports, the development of the fishing industry, and the city's experiences during the Second World War when Hull was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Britain. Through interactive displays, costumed interpretation, and creative storytelling, Hands On History transforms historical knowledge into memorable personal experiences.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings for quieter visits. School holidays are busy with families but the interactive exhibits have good capacity.
💡 Visitor Tips
- This is an ideal family museum with genuinely interactive exhibits. Children can touch, handle, and dress up throughout, making it one of the best museums in Yorkshire for young visitors.
- The Egyptian mummy is the star attraction and can get crowded during school holidays. Visit on a weekday morning for a quieter experience with this remarkable ancient artefact.
- The Victorian street scene dressing-up area is extremely popular with children. Allow plenty of time here as younger visitors will want to try on multiple costumes and explore every shop.
- Hull's Old Town museums are all free and within easy walking distance of each other. Combine Hands On History with Wilberforce House (5 mins) and Hull Maritime Museum (8 mins) for a full day of free culture.
- The building itself is historically significant - look up at the medieval stonework and Tudor features. William Wilberforce was educated in this very building.
- No cafe on site, but Hull's Old Town has numerous cafes and restaurants within a few minutes' walk. The museum is compact enough to visit before or after lunch.
- The museum is in Hull's Old Town, which is a pedestrianised historic quarter. The nearest car parks are at Princes Quay and Scale Lane, both a short walk away.
- Check the Hull Museums website for details of holiday activities and special events. School holiday programs often include themed crafts, storytelling, and costumed characters.
Highlights
The Egyptian Mummy
One of the museum's most celebrated exhibits, a genuine Egyptian mummy that has fascinated Hull visitors for generations. The mummy and associated Egyptian antiquities were acquired during the nineteenth century when Hull's maritime connections brought exotic artefacts from around the world. Displays explain ancient Egyptian mummification practices, beliefs about the afterlife, and the archaeological context of the collection.
Interactive elements allow visitors to learn about how scientists study mummies using modern techniques including X-ray and CT scanning to discover information about the individual's life, health, and death without unwrapping the delicate remains. The mummy provides a tangible connection to a civilisation that flourished thousands of years ago.
Victorian Street Scene
A meticulously reconstructed Victorian street transporting visitors into nineteenth-century Hull, complete with period shopfronts, domestic interiors, and atmospheric details that evoke daily life in the Victorian era. Visitors can explore a Victorian chemist's shop with its bottles and remedies, peer into period domestic rooms furnished with authentic objects, and experience the sights and textures of Hull's commercial life during the age of empire and industry.
The reconstruction draws on historical photographs, trade directories, and archaeological evidence to create an accurate and immersive environment.
Dressing up in Victorian costumes is encouraged, making this a particularly engaging experience for children who can step directly into the past.
The Old Grammar School Building
The museum's home is itself a major historical attraction, one of Hull's oldest surviving buildings with origins dating to 1486 when Bishop John Alcock founded a grammar school on this site.
The building retains medieval and Tudor architectural features including stone arches, timber beams, and brick construction that represent some of Hull's finest surviving medieval craftsmanship.
William Wilberforce, the famous anti-slavery campaigner, was educated here in the eighteenth century, adding another layer of historical significance.
The building's architectural character creates an atmospheric setting for the museum's collections, and interpretation panels explain its long history as an educational institution spanning five centuries.
Hull's Maritime Heritage
Displays exploring Hull's centuries-long relationship with the sea, from its medieval origins as one of England's most important trading ports through to the twentieth-century fishing industry that defined the city's identity and economy. The collection includes ship models, navigational instruments, fishing equipment, and personal stories of Hull's trawlermen who worked the dangerous waters of the North Sea, Arctic, and Iceland.
Hull's role in the whaling industry and as a major port for trade with Scandinavia and the Baltic states is also covered.
The maritime displays connect Hull's economic history to broader themes of global trade, exploration, and the working lives of seafaring communities.
Collections
Hands On History holds diverse collections relating to Hull's history and heritage, with particular strengths in social history, local archaeology, maritime heritage, and Egyptian antiquities. The Egyptian collection, centred on the mummy, includes associated funerary objects and antiquities. Archaeological holdings from Hull Old Town excavations document medieval and post-medieval urban life.
The social history collection spans costumes, domestic objects, photographs, trade and industry artefacts, and wartime memorabilia. Maritime collections include ship models, navigational instruments, and fishing industry material. The museum emphasises accessibility and engagement, with many objects specifically chosen or replicated for handling and interactive use.
The collections serve both as heritage resources and as educational tools, supporting the museum's mission to make history tangible and relevant for visitors of all ages.
Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian mummy and associated antiquities, with interactive displays explaining mummification, ancient Egyptian beliefs, and modern scientific techniques for studying ancient remains.
📍 Egyptian Gallery
Victorian Hull
Reconstructed Victorian street scene with period shopfronts, domestic interiors, dressing-up opportunities, and interactive activities bringing nineteenth-century Hull to life.
📍 Street Scene Gallery
Story of Hull
A journey through Hull's history from medieval port to modern city, covering maritime heritage, wartime experience, industry, and community life across the centuries.
📍 Multiple galleries
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.