Sights and landmarks in Kingston

Sights and landmarks in Kingston

1. See

   Beamish-Munro Hall

   For kids who are interested in how buildings are made, the Integrated Learning Centre, or Beamish-Munro Hall may be worth a visit. This building is the new centre of Applied Science (Engineering) at Queens. This 'live building' was designed to allow people to see how the building works and interact with it.

2. 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

3. See

   CFB Kingston

   Modern military structures. Full of soldiers, including the Joint Signals Regiment (JSR), 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment, and their Military Communications and Electronics Museum (95 Craftsman Blvd. at Highway #2).

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. See

   Kingston Penitentiary

   One of Kingston's most famous institutions. One time home of notables such as Clifford Olsen and Paul Bernardo, people would kill (and have killed) to get in for well over a century. The Penitentiary Museum in the old warden's house (555 King W,, May-Oct: daily 10AM-4PM; Nov-Apr: M-F 9AM-4PM, by donation) is open to visitors, as is the Olympic Harbour marina (adjacent to the jail) which served as home of the sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. A guided tour of the jail is available seasonally (mid-June to end-Oct, $35/person); this is separate from the museum tour. Visit time: 2 years to life. If 'just visiting', allow a little over an hour to tour the museum and 90 minutes to tour the prison.

9. See

   MacLachlan Woodworking Museum

   The most extensive, nationally significant collection of woodworking tools in Canada. This 1855 log house was relocated from Lanark County by a lumberyard owner who has since gone broke. 16 km (10 mi) east of downtown, free admission 5-8PM Thursday nights.

   late May-early Sep: Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM; closed Victoria Day and Labour Day·$5.13+HST/person or $12.30+HST/family

10. 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.

11. See

    Miller Museum of Geology

    This is a fairly small museum, but is still interesting. Call ahead for tours.

    Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM

12. 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

13. 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

14. See

    Original Hockey Hall of Fame

    Founded 1943, the oldest sports hall of fame in Canada. The NHL withdrew support in 1958 in favour of a Toronto hockey museum. The collection of hockey memorabilia, which goes back to a square puck used in the first organized game in Kingston in 1886, is housed upstairs at a city-owned four-pad arena in a west-end suburb.

    Thu-Sun noon-6PM·By donation

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. See

    Pump House Steam Museum

    Steam-powered water pump house built with the latest in 1891 technology, restored 1973 by Frontenac Society of Model Engineers. Like other city-owned tourism and recreation venues (such as the Woodworking Museum, pools, arenas and the Grand Theatre box office) this museum is prone to being closed on statutory holidays.

    May-Aug: 10AM-5PM; Sep-Nov: noon-4PM·$5/person

18. See

    Queen's University

    Another of Kingston's most famous institutions. Many limestone buildings with ivy and students. Queen's has two art galleries: the student-run Union Gallery in Stauffer Library, and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

19. See

    Rideau Canal

    Completed in 1851 as a defensive route bypassing the St Lawrence, the original stone locks and wooden gates are still manually operated by Parks Canada for small pleasure craft. Kingston Mills locks, the first four of a long series extending to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, are reachable by small watercraft or by car on Kingston Mills Road, which runs between Battersea Rd (401 exit 619/Montreal St) and Hwy 15 (401 exit 623). Visit time: 45 min max.

20. 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.

21. See

    St. George's Anglican Cathedral

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

22. See

    St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral

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

23. See Not mapped

    Agnes Etherington Art Centre

    36 University Ave

    Tue–Fri 10 AM–4:30PM, Sat Sun 1–5PM

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