Historic places in Kingston

Historic places in Kingston

1. See

   Bellevue House National Historic Site of Canada

   A finely-maintained Italianate villa with lush gardens which served briefly as the home of first Canadian prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald. House and grounds restored to the 1840s with guided tours by interpreters costumed in clothing of the era. (During the 2018 season, interpretive programming and guided tours of the heritage grounds and heirloom orchard will continue but the interior of the house will be closed for maintenance; there will be no admission fee.) A Parks Canada national historic site. Visit time: 1-2 hours.

   May–Oct: 10AM-5PM·$4/person

2. See

   Cataraqui River and LaSalle Causeway Bridge

   Water and steel. 1915 two-lane Strauss trunnion bascule lift bridge carries Highway 2 across the southern endpoint of the Rideau Canal waterway directly to the foot of downtown Kingston. Fine scenic view of the downtown when approaching from Fort Henry Hill. Visit time: 15 min max.

3. Do

   Confederation Tour Trolley

   Local tour bus operated May–October by Kingston's Chamber of Commerce, designed to resemble a locomotive car which departs from the former Kingston & Pembroke Railway inner station. Stops at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Bellevue House, Fort Henry & Penitentiary Museum.

   10AM-6PM (high season)·$17/person

4. See

   Fort Henry

   Historical military structures. 1850s stone fortress with cannons defends access to the Rideau Canal from US attacks; the fort is guarded by Fort Henry Guard in British uniforms and regalia of the era. Live military drills. Additional cost for parking and sunset ceremony. Seasonal (May–September). Visit time: 3 hours max.

   $15/person

5. See

   Frontenac County Schools Museum

   History of education, back to the era of one-room schoolhouses.

   Summer: Tue-Sat 10AM-3PM, reduced hours off-season

6. See

   Kingston City Hall

   Designed by architect George Browne and completed in December 1844 to house the city government and marketplace. You can't fight City Hall, but guided tours of this national historic site are offered on weekdays from mid-May through Labour Day and on weekends during July and August.

7. See

   Marine Museum of the Great Lakes

   History of shipping and shipbuilding on the Great Lakes, including the history of the Calvin Shipyard formerly on Garden Island. This museum reopened at the 1892 federal Kingston Dry Dock, a national historic site, in late 2021.

8. See

   Murney Tower National Historic Site of Canada

   One of four Martello towers constructed in 1846 to defend Kingston's waterfront. Bloomfield cannon, carronades and domestic artefacts adorn what is now a Kingston Historical Society museum. Visit time: 45 min.

   May-Sept: 10AM-5PM·$5/person

9. See

   Museum of Health Care at Kingston

   A tiny museum with exhibits (and quite a lot of artefacts) related to the history of medicine. It co-sponsors a walking tour on the history of Kingston General Hospital for $5, but the museum is free (donations accepted). Usually not busy, since it's small and hard to find. Visit time: Two hours or less, including the tour.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM

10. See

    Princess St and Downtown

    Commercial main street with historic buildings and small, local independent boutiques. Food and shopping within easy walking distance of Queen's University and downtown hotels.

11. See

    Princess of Wales Own Regiment

    Active Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces (one battalion). The historic limestone armoury contains a small one-room military museum with weapons, equipment, insignia, uniforms, swords and medals from the 14th Battalion of Rifles (formed 16 Jan 1863) and from both world wars.

    Sep-May: Tue Thu 7PM-10PM; late May-early Sep: Mon-Fri 10AM-4PM, closed holidays·Free/by donation.

12. See

    Royal Military College

    Historical structures and wide avenues filled with soldiers and students. One of two universities in the region, RMC exists to train military officers. Visit time: 1 hour max.

13. See

    St. George's Anglican Cathedral

    Big, very elaborate old Protestant church of architectural and historical interest. Visit time: 30 min max.

14. See

    St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral

    Big, very tall Roman Catholic church in which the bells ring loudly. Visit time: 30 min max.

15. Do Not mapped

    Haunted Walk of Kingston

    90-minute guided walking tours of Kingston (from Prince George Hotel), Fort Henry (from fort main gate) and Gananoque (from visitor centre, 10 King East, Gan) complete with ghost stories. The same company operates tours in Ottawa and Toronto.

    $13.75-15.75/person

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kingston (CC BY-SA 4.0).