Queen Victoria Square sits at the western edge of the Old Town, where the medieval street pattern meets the Victorian expansion of the city. The square was created when Hull's central dock was filled in during the 1930s, leaving the maritime museum's three domes marooned where ships once moored. A statue of Victoria, donated by Alderman Thomas Ferens, sits in the centre.
Today the square is one of the city's main outdoor gathering points: lit up at Christmas, used for the Freedom Festival and other free open-air events through the year, and surrounded by Hull's flagship cultural buildings. The lottery-funded fountains under the paving spurt up to entertain children in summer; check before sitting on the granite slabs.