The history of Streetlife Museum

Exploring the history of transport for almost a century

Originally housed in the Corn Exchange building, the displays at the time showed the evolution of transport and Hull’s principle industries. In those early years, the collection included ten veteran cars, acquired from the private Motor Museum in Knightsbridge. It also included a selection of horse-drawn carriages from families and businesses in East Yorkshire.

A black and white photograph of horse drawn coaches in a museum

Photograph of the Museum of Commerce and Transport, c. 1920s-1930s

In 1941, several local museums were extensively damaged by air raids – including collections at the Museum of Commerce and Transport. Then, in 1957, the museum reopened as the Transport and Archaeology Museum.

A black and white photograph of vintage cars in a museum

Photograph of the Museum of Commerce and Transport, c. 1920s-1930s

By the early 1980s, the transport collection had outgrown its shared home alongside the archaeology collection. As such, funding was secured to build a new museum on the land next to Hull and East Riding Museum. 

What we now know as Streetlife Museum opened in 2002, with galleries based on different transport themes. Each one uses scenic displays to represent the historical context of the vehicles, and tell the story of travel throughout time!