Free things to do in East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire is great for free days out because so much of the best stuff costs nothing. Hull's council-run museums, including the Ferens Art Gallery and the Streetlife Museum of Transport, are free to enter. On the coast, the white chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head are home to an estimated 200,000 nesting seabirds.
You can spend a wet day in Hull's Museums Quarter or Beverley's East Riding Treasure House, then head out on a dry one to the beaches, lighthouses and nature reserves along the coast. Spring and early summer are the time for seabirds at Flamborough. Spurn is good for a bracing walk even in winter.
Highlights
Admiral Storr's Toweri
Bettisons Follyi
Beverley Minsteri
Boynton Hall Gazeboi
Carnaby Templei
Cave Castle Gate Housei
Best for rainy days
See more ›Hull's museums all have free entry, so on a wet day you can go between the Ferens Art Gallery, the Streetlife Museum of Transport and Wilberforce House Museum. In Beverley, the East Riding Treasure House and Beverley Art Gallery share a building and are free too.
Ferens Art GalleryOld masters to contemporary art in the heart of Hull.✓ Free
Howden MinsterLarge medieval minster with a ruined 14th-century chancel and chapter house cared for by English Heritage.✓ Free
Hull MinsterHull's medieval parish church, known for its fine brickwork, where William Wilberforce was baptised.Free entry · paid extras
Streetlife Museum of TransportWalk-through Victorian streets, trams, carriages and vintage cars.✓ Free
Wilberforce House MuseumBirthplace of William Wilberforce and the story of abolition.✓ Free
Best for families
See more ›East Park is Hull's largest park at about 120 acres, with a boating lake, a walk-through aviary and an animal education centre. In the city centre, kids can hunt for all 41 fish on the Hull Fish Pavement Trail, from a tiny anchovy to a ten-foot ray.
East ParkHull's biggest park with a lake, animal area and splash park.✓ Free
Ferens Art GalleryOld masters to contemporary art in the heart of Hull.✓ FreeFlamborough HeadChalk cliffs, sea caves and seabirds on the East Yorkshire coast.✓ Free
Hull Fish Pavement TrailHunt for 41 fish sculptures set into the pavements of Hull.✓ Free
Hull MinsterHull's medieval parish church, known for its fine brickwork, where William Wilberforce was baptised.Free entry · paid extrasBest for walks and views
See more ›Flamborough Head has sheer chalk cliffs, sea caves and seabirds, with bird hides and viewpoints like Breil Nook along the way. Further south, the walk out to Spurn Lighthouse is about seven miles there and back on sand, and part of the route floods at high tide, so check tide times first.
Bird hideA viewpoint with views across the area near Flamborough.✓ Free
Bishop Wilton Deep Dale SSSIA nature reserve to explore on foot near Bishop Wilton.✓ Free
Brantingham Dale SSSIA nature reserve to explore on foot near Brantingham.✓ Free
Breil NookA viewpoint with views across the area near Flamborough.✓ Free
Bryan Mills Field SSSIA nature reserve to explore on foot near Scorborough.✓ Free
Best for history
See more ›Wilberforce House Museum in Hull is the birthplace of William Wilberforce and tells the story of the campaign to end slavery. At Flamborough, the Old Lighthouse from 1669 is England's oldest surviving complete lighthouse, and the Bayle Museum covers Bridlington's local history.
Bettisons FollyA folly or tower to walk up to in Hornsea.✓ FreeBeverley MinsterOne of the largest parish churches in the UK, a Gothic minster bigger than many cathedrals.Free entry · paid extrasBoynton Hall GazeboA folly or tower to walk up to in Carnaby.✓ FreeCarnaby TempleA folly or tower to walk up to in Carnaby.✓ FreeCave Castle Gate HouseA folly or tower to walk up to in South Cave.✓ FreeAll free places in East Yorkshire
See them all on the map ›Godwin BatteryFirst World War gun battery, ruined by coastal erosion.✓ Free
Grimston GarthA folly or tower to walk up to in Roos.✓ Free
Mill Beck Nature ReserveA large park with lots of open space.✓ Free
Old LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Flamborough.✓ Free
Paull LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Paull.✓ Free
Pilot JettyA pier to stroll along in Easington.✓ Free
Spurn LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Easington.✓ Free
The Larkin TrailFollow the places that inspired poet Philip Larkin around Hull.✓ Free
Thorngumbald Clough High LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Paull.✓ Free
Thorngumbald Clough Low LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Paull.✓ Free
Victoria PierA pier to stroll along in Hull.✓ Free
Withernsea LighthouseA lighthouse to see on a coastal walk in Withernsea.✓ Free
Adlingfleet CommonA public park and green space near Adlingfleet.✓ Free
Aldbrough SandsA beach to explore near Aldbrough.✓ Free
Amy JohnsonPublic art to spot on a walk in Gipsyville.✓ Free
Amy Johnson StatuePublic art to spot on a walk in Hull.✓ Free
Anlaby ParkA public park and green space near Anlaby Park.✓ Free
Atwick SandsA beach to explore near Atwick.✓ Free
Auburn SandsA beach to explore near Hilderthorpe.✓ Free
Barmston SandsA beach to explore near Barmston.✓ Free
Bayle MuseumA museum or gallery near Old Town.Free entry · paid extras
Beverley Art GalleryA museum or gallery near Beverley.Free entry · paid extras
Boer War MemorialPublic art to spot on a walk in Hull.✓ Free
Upcoming free events
See all events ›Getting there and around
Hull Paragon Interchange is the main hub, with trains and buses under one roof. TransPennine Express runs hourly from Leeds and Manchester, Hull Trains runs direct to London King's Cross, and Northern trains on the Yorkshire Coast Line run through Beverley to Bridlington and Scarborough. East Yorkshire buses link Hull with Beverley, Bridlington and the wider county. Most countryside and coastal spots, such as Spurn and the Wolds walks, are much easier with a car, and town centre parking is usually paid (Spurn's car park is £5 a day for non-members of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust).
Questions people ask about East Yorkshire
What free things are there to do in East Yorkshire?
Hull's museums are free, including the Ferens Art Gallery, the Streetlife Museum of Transport and Wilberforce House Museum. Outdoors you can walk the chalk cliffs at Flamborough Head, explore East Park in Hull, or follow the Hull Fish Pavement Trail.
Are Hull's museums free?
Yes. Hull Museums offers free entry at all its sites, including the Ferens Art Gallery, the Streetlife Museum of Transport and Wilberforce House Museum.
Where can you see puffins and seabirds for free in East Yorkshire?
Flamborough Head's cliffs host an estimated 200,000 nesting seabirds, including gannets, kittiwakes and puffins. You can watch from the cliff paths, the bird hide and viewpoints such as Breil Nook.
Is Spurn free to visit?
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust says entry to Spurn National Nature Reserve and its Discovery Centre is free, though parking is £5 a day for non-members and some activities cost extra. Dogs are not allowed, and part of the route floods at high tide.