Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery — Attraction in Hong Kong

A little known attraction in Hong Kong is the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery located at the waterfront area of Quarry Bay Park in the Eastern district of Hong Kong Island.

The Alexandre Grantham fireboat served the Hong Kong waters from 1953 until 2002. After decades as the flagship for HK fireboat operations, the vessel was decommissioned and, since 2007, has been featured as a permanent exhibition at Quarry Bay Park, on the shores of Victoria Harbour.

Today, you can enter the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery (free entry) and see a short but nice exhibition on the ground floor, providing general information about the vessel, its service in Hong Kong waters and the lives of the fireman who served on the Alexandre Grantham. There are video screens (Cantonese and English) for you to watch a few short programmes and there are a few interactive monitors for children to use with games and other information presented in a more child-friendly manner.

You can also enter the Alexandre Grantham vessel and explore its deck and top deck rooms, a fun activity for kids and an interesting perspective for adults, curious to see the rooms within Alexandre Grantham and to walk on its topside.

Overall, this minor attraction is surprisingly good if you enjoy naval, maritime or history attractions or are looking for more child-friendly attractions around the city. We personally find it a good complement to the Museum of Coastal Defence, which isn't too far from here.

Tip: While in the area, you can also visit the respectable Hong Kong Film Archive and the decent City Plaza shopping mall at Tai Koo Shing. Collectively, this is a good way to spend a few hours of your time in this area of Hong Kong.

Tip: To visit the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery, exit the Tai Koo Shing MTR, walk through the City Plaza Mall, towards and past the Ice Rink. Once you manage your way outside, you will find yourself in Quarry Bay Park. Walk towards the other side, via two separate linked bridges and you will finally arrive at the waterfront where the vessel and exhibition gallery are located. Altogether, the walk is around 12-15 minutes from the...

Possibly the largest artifact in Hong Kong. Now in dry dock with a little exhibition outside this fireboat can be almost entirely accessed, save for the lowest decks and engine room, and gives a great idea of the noble history of, and life of those who worked within, the fire ships of Hong Kong. Named for the Hong Kong Governor, the fireship itself was launched in 1952 and began its service a year later in 1953. The ship 38.9m long was the biggest of the fleet before retiring in 2002. It was present at a great many famous ship fires including the Seawise University. The ship is well maintained and you can walk the exhibition seeing photos, history and artifacts from the ship and its crew, or walk the ship itself. The ship is impressive and you can access crew areas, bridge, fire fighting equipment and fully walk the decks. An unrivalled experience...

Great spot for kids! The fireboat is free, and my son loved walking around and exploring it. He probably would have stayed there for hours if we had let him. Additionally, it is next to a beautiful promenade as well as a massive playground. There is also a lot of food options nearby. If you have young kids, this is a great place to spend the day.

If you don’t have kids, the boat is rather small and quick. Still very cool, just don’t expect to be there for over an hour. That being said, I still found it really cool, and I learned a lot. Definitely worth your time if you are in the area, but not an all-day destination if you don’t...