94,000 school children, adults and tourists stepped through the door of Grimsby’s most impressive attraction in 2025.
The Fishing Heritage Centre is an homage to all things Grimsby, paying thanks to a town steeped in heritage and to the men who risked their lives to make it a success.
The most dangerous peace time job, fishing was no easy feat and the centre shows just how true that was. From being on your feet 18 hours a day to battling freezing cold waters, fishing was more than just going out to sea.
Now, with the help of improved education offerings and an inviting café, more people than ever know about Grimsby’s past with visitor figures reaching their highest in over a decade in 2025.
Throughout the year, 94,070 people enjoyed the centre – 19% more than 2024!
In 2025, new café seating and a sofa snug area proved popular with all visitors and an enhanced educational offering are just a couple of things that have ensured the centre is enjoyed by as many people as possible.
Also attracting visitors were the numerous exhibitions showcasing art, historical items and a wide range of photography. In January, Rambles in Lincolnshire took centre stage with a unique display of almost 100 original railway posters.
In late May, Our Past on Paper and Streets of Grimsby launched with some amazing examples of Grimsby’s past and some of the artwork that has illustrated it over the decades.
In the latter months, members of the community showcased their own artwork and celebrated our wonderful coastline. Steve Dixie’s Moments in Time launched in December and Sarah Palmer’s Of Mounds and Marshes was also on display towards the end of the year.
In addition to supporting the programme of exhibitions, Humber Museum Partnership Funding has allowed for our Community Curator, Chloe James, to continue work within the collection, updating documentation and supporting new acquisitions as well as the museums new blog articles on our redeveloped website.
National Lottery funding also supported the wonderful work of Dynamic Collections Officer, Alistair Eachus, boosting our volunteer engagement, creating a new temporary exhibition, building our online database of collection artifacts and initiating our weekly workshop for adults with additional needs.
Additionally, thanks to the help of Humber Museums Association Funding and Education Officer Sarah Spencer, our Education service has seen significant investment. Working with schools and care homes across the borough and developing new loans boxes and support materials, as well as new news letters, has allowed the centre to boost engagement with our famous fishing heritage for people young and old.
Operations Manager, David Ornsby said: “There has been so much taking place in recent times that has all contributed to such a wonderful year for visitor numbers. Hard work across all of our team, from our popular café to curatorial and educational work, has allowed us to make good use of precious funding from Arts Council, Humber Museums Partnership, the National Lottery and the governments UKSPF. There are more projects in the pipeline and we’re looking forward to further developments at our very special attraction during 2026 and beyond.”
Councillor Hayden Dawkins, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy, added: “There has been great work going on by the team at the centre over the last 12 months and this bumper year proves exactly how well they’ve done.
“I encourage as many people as possible to visit the centre and learn more about their home town. It’s a truly remarkable centre and I look forward to seeing it build on its popularity this year.”
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