Museum of Hartlepool

The Museum of Hartlepool sits beside the town’s waterfront inside Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience. It replaced two older museums, the Gray Art Gallery and the Maritime Museum on the Headland, both now closed. Hartlepool’s shipbuilding, fishing and maritime trades shaped the collections now shown here. Fine art has moved to Hartlepool Art Gallery nearby. The displays tell the story of a North East coastal town through hundreds of exhibits. Among the exhibits is the restored Paddle Steam Ship PS Wingfield Castle. Built in 1934, it once carried passengers across the Humber. After restoration in Hartlepool it became a floating display with a coffee shop inside. Other items include the first gas-lit lighthouse, a merman figure, and a real coble boat visitors can climb aboard. The museum also explains the Monkey Legend and why locals are sometimes called Monkey hangers. Temporary shows bring in local, regional and national displays. Visitors walk past the ship’s decks and peer into its engine room. The merman and coble boat sit close to the entrance for easy viewing. Information panels describe the lighthouse’s gas lighting and the town’s fishing past. The Monkey Legend corner includes pictures and captions about the tale. Temporary exhibitions change regularly in a dedicated gallery space. Outside, views across the dock show Hartlepool’s working harbour.