Destinations

At the gateway of the 1000 Islands and the UNESCO-designated Rideau Canal, Kingston is a city rich in history and culture and home to a vibrant arts, food and maker community. We're a city built on a grand heritage, defined by our ability to blend the beauty of yesterday with the passion and sophistication of today. Every year we host a number of festivals and live concerts including the Kick + Push Festival, Limestone City Blues Festival, Busker Rendezvous, Fort Fright and FebFest. We're constantly working to create new engaging events that you'll want to attend. We have plenty of museums, art galleries and historic sites to keep you busy, from specialized museums and art venues brimming with local and international talent to national historic treasures. Kingston is just begging to be explored. Snap some photos of the city's new and historic architecture, visit the Farmers' Market (the oldest continuously run market in North America, in operation since 1801) and get some shopping done at the authentic boutiques and shops along Princess Street in the downtown core. It's all waiting for you in Kingston. Located right in Ontario's backyard, find out why Kingston will soon become your new favourite getaway.

City Hall Tours

Running daily. For further information visit www.cityofkingston.ca

A prominent landmark on the Kingston waterfront since 1844, City Hall is the symbolic centre of the community's civic government and administration. Originally designed by architect George Browne when Kingston was the capital of the United Province of Canada, City Hall is one of the finest 19th-century buildings in Canada and a nationally designated heritage site. In addition to municipal government and City Council, the building has hosted many different organizations and services over the years including a bank, a saloon, church groups, theatre productions, a courtroom and a women's medical school.

Trolley Tours

Running seasonally. For further information visit www.kingstontrolley.ca

Kingston Trolley Tours takes an in-depth tour of Kingston's historic downtown and waterfront, stopping at all of the city's most well-known visitor destinations including Fort Henry, the Penitentiary Museum, and Queen's University. Guests can hop off at any stop, stay for as however long, then hop back on and continue the tour. Trolleys follow a figure-8 route that divides the tour into two halves: guests can begin with the east half of the tour, hop-off at the Market Square stop to get lunch and take a cruise, then continue with the west half of the tour.

Kingston Food Tours

Running daily as well as private group tours. For further information visit www.kingstonfoodtours.ca

Kingston Food Tours is a walking tour of Kingston's hip and historic downtown that blends tastings at our best local restaurants with an insider's perspective on our city's history and culture. Their tours focus on unique shops, restaurants, artisans and farmers who contribute to Kingston's thriving local food movement. They are a locally owned and operated business with a passion for food, travel and most of all, their home city.

Fort Henry

Running daily self-guided tours or Muster Parade daily. For further information visit www.forthenry.com

Fort Henry is administered by Parks Canada and operated by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. Uniformed military interpreters, known as the Fort Henry Guard, staff the fort and conduct demonstrations of British military life and tours for visitors. Self-guided tours are also available. Other activities and demonstrations include historical re-enactments of drills and battle tactics, the Garrison Parade, the Victorian School Room and the Muster Parade where young visitors are dressed in period uniforms and taught to march by a qualified member of the Guard. A Sunset Ceremony is held every Wednesday and Saturday in July and August where a full program of historic drill, music and artillery is presented. During evenings year-round a tour company conducts tours of the fort that highlight the fort's alleged haunted past.

Kingston Pen

Running seasonal tours. For further information visit www.kingstonpentour.com

Tours through Kingston Penitentiary will offer a rare and unique opportunity to go behind the walls of Canada's oldest and most notorious maximum security prison. Closed in 2013, the guided tours will provide an up-close look at KP as an amazing historical building and a national historic site, which predates Canadian confederation.

Contact

Jessica Dillon
Booking Coordinator
jdillon@cityofkingston.ca

Bill Rogerson
Manager of Recreation Facilities
brogerson@cityofkingston.ca

Crawford Wharf