--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Kingston, Canada | Wimup" description: "Kingston in one page: Fort Henry and the old penitentiary, a Thousand Islands cruise, the free Wolfe Island ferry, Rideau Canal locks and a limestone downtown built for a capital." url: https://wimup.com/city/kingston-ontario type: City guide updated: 2026-11-12 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Kingston Kingston, Canada · North America · By Wimup Editorial, 10 min read Kingston was the first capital of the Province of Canada and still looks the part: grey limestone, a market square behind a domed city hall, and forts guarding the point where Lake Ontario becomes the St. Lawrence. It is a university town of about 130,000 with the Thousand Islands on its doorstep. ## Quick answer Spend a morning at Fort Henry and an afternoon inside Kingston Penitentiary, booking both ahead. On day two, take a Thousand Islands cruise from Crawford Wharf, then walk Springer Market Square, Bellevue House and the harbour. Save an evening for the free Wolfe Island ferry. Most sights run May to October, so plan around the season. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep - **Ideal length:** 2 days - **Budget per day:** C$130–240 - **Language:** English - **Getting around:** On foot downtown; buses and a car beyond - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.visitkingston.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Kingston ### 1. Fort Henry Fort · 1 Fort Henry Drive, Kingston The stone fortress on Point Henry, built in the 1830s to guard the Rideau Canal entrance, is part of the canal's UNESCO listing. Come for the Fort Henry Guard's drill and musket demonstrations, and check the calendar for the summer evening Sunset Ceremony. - **Time:** 2–3 hours - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Late morning - **Tip:** Seasonal; check opening dates before you go Links: [Fort Henry](https://www.forthenry.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Kingston Penitentiary Historic prison · 560 King Street West, Kingston Canada's oldest penitentiary held prisoners from 1835 until 2013 and is now seen on guided tours, several led by former staff. Tours sell out in summer, so buy online before you arrive; the express tour runs about 45 minutes and the extended one two and a half hours. - **Time:** 45 min–2.5 hours - **Cost:** Paid tours - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Book ahead; tours run spring to October Links: [Kingston Pen Tours](https://www.kingstonpentour.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Thousand Islands cruise Boat tour · Crawford Wharf, 1 Brock Street, Kingston Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises sails from the downtown wharf into the islands where the lake narrows into the St. Lawrence. Pick the longer Heart of the Islands trip for the cottages and channels; the shorter harbour cruise mostly shows the city and Fort Henry from the water. - **Time:** 1.5–3 hours - **Cost:** Paid; fuel surcharge extra - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Runs mid-May to mid-October Links: [Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises](https://www.1000islandscruises.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Bellevue House Historic house · 35 Centre Street, Kingston The Italianate villa where John A. Macdonald, later Canada's first prime minister, lived in the 1840s, run by Parks Canada and furnished to the period. Take the guided tour for the house; the gardens and visitor centre are the free part. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Tours paid; youth free - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Open May to October Links: [Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/bellevue?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Springer Market Square Market · Behind City Hall, King Street East, Kingston A market has traded on this square behind City Hall for more than 200 years, and the Kingston Public Market still sets up on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from spring to late autumn. Saturday morning is the full version; in winter the square becomes a skating rink. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Saturday morning - **Tip:** Market days run April to November Links: [City of Kingston](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/arts-culture-and-events/springer-market-square/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Wolfe Island ferry Ferry · Kingston ferry dock, Barrack Street at Ontario Street The provincial car ferry to Wolfe Island is free and takes about 20 minutes each way, with the best view of Kingston's skyline and Fort Henry from the water. Go on foot or with a bike in summer, when the car line on the island side can mean waiting for the next boat. - **Time:** 1.5 hours return - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Check the timetable; repairs change it Links: [Ontario ferry services](https://www.ontario.ca/page/ferry-services?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. Agnes Etherington Art Centre Art gallery · 36 University Avenue, Kingston Queen's University's gallery holds the Bader Collection of Dutch and Flemish painting, with a Rembrandt portrait and three of his character studies among it. Admission is free; check which works are hanging, as the collection rotates. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Donations welcome at the desk Links: [Agnes Etherington Art Centre](https://agnes.queensu.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. Great Lakes Museum Museum · 55 Ontario Street, Kingston The former Marine Museum, renamed in 2023, sits on the city's historic dry dock and now tours the S.S. Keewatin, an Edwardian Great Lakes passenger steamer. The ship is the reason to come; walk its decks and cabins before the museum displays. - **Time:** 1.5 hours - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Ship tours run May to October Links: [Kingston Museums](https://www.kingstonmuseums.ca/site/great-lakes-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Kingston Mills Locks Canal locks · 563 Kingston Mills Road, Kingston Four locks at the southern end of the Rideau Canal, three of them in a flight, lifting boats about 13.7 metres through a granite gorge. Come on a summer afternoon to watch lockage by hand crank, then walk up to the blockhouse. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free to visit - **Best at:** Summer afternoon - **Tip:** Fifteen minutes north of downtown by car Links: [Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/rideau/visit/posteeclusage-lockstation/ecluse-lock-kingston-mills?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. PumpHouse Museum Museum · 23 Ontario Street, Kingston Kingston's first waterworks, a limestone pumping station from 1849, kept with its restored steam pumps and a room of model railways. It is a short, specific visit that pairs with the Great Lakes Museum a few doors along the waterfront. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Seasonal; check hours before going Links: [PumpHouse Museum](https://kingstonpumphouse.ca/visit?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best history & forts in Kingston The buildings and towers from the decades when Kingston defended a border and housed a government. 1. **Kingston City Hall** (Landmark · Tours · Market Square): Built in 1843-44 for a capital that moved on; a national historic site with guided tours. 2. **Shoal Tower** (Martello tower · Exterior · Waterfront): A Martello tower standing in the harbour off Confederation Park, best seen from the shore. 3. **Fort Frederick** (Martello tower · Grounds · Point Frederick): An 1846 Martello tower on the Royal Military College peninsula, facing Fort Henry. ## Best museums in Kingston Specialist museums for after the forts, each about an hour. 1. **Canada's Penitentiary Museum** (Prison history · Seasonal · King Street West): Opposite the old prison, with confiscated weapons, escape tools and a warden's house. 2. **Military Communications and Electronics Museum** (Military · Weekdays · CFB Kingston): Radio, signals and code gear on the army base; weekday opening. 3. **Murney Tower Museum** (Martello tower · Summer · Macdonald Park): An 1846 Martello tower in Macdonald Park, open in summer with its gun platform. ## Best islands & waterfront in Kingston Where the city meets Lake Ontario and the start of the St. Lawrence. 1. **Confederation Park** (Park · Free · Downtown): The harbourfront lawn facing City Hall, with the wharf, the marina and Fort Henry across the water. 2. **Portsmouth Olympic Harbour** (Marina · Sailing · Portsmouth): Built for the 1976 Olympic sailing regatta and still a racing harbour. 3. **Amherst Island** (Island · Ferry · Loyalist Township): A quiet farming island west of the city, reached by car ferry from Millhaven. ## Best restaurants in Kingston Downtown kitchens within a few blocks of Market Square. 1. **Chez Piggy** (Eclectic · Courtyard · Princess Street): In a restored limestone livery stable since 1979, with a courtyard for summer. 2. **Pan Chancho** (Bakery · Café · Princess Street): Chez Piggy's bakery and café; go for breakfast and a loaf to take away. 3. **Atomica** (Modern · Cocktails · Brock Street): Pasta, small plates and a serious cocktail list on Brock Street. 4. **Dianne's Fish Shack & Smokehouse** (Seafood · Casual · Ontario Street): Fish tacos, smoked meats and fish and chips near the waterfront. 5. **Tango Nuevo** (Tapas · Wine · Princess Street): Tapas and wine on upper Princess Street, good for groups sharing plates. ## Best bars & breweries in Kingston Ontario's oldest brewpub downtown, and the newer breweries out west and east. 1. **Kingston Brewing Company** (Brewpub · Downtown · Clarence Street): Ontario's oldest brewpub, opened in 1986 in a former telegraph office. 2. **Daft Brewing** (Taproom · Craft · Williamsville): A small brewery and taproom in Williamsville, an easy walk up Princess Street. 3. **Spearhead Brewing** (Brewery · Tours · West End): West-end brewery known for its Hawaiian pale ale; runs donation-based tours. 4. **Riverhead Brewing** (Brewery · Taproom · West End): A west-end taproom for local beer away from the downtown crowd. 5. **Fine Balance Brewing** (Brewery · Taproom · East End): An east-end brewery and taproom across the Cataraqui River. ## Best neighborhoods in Kingston Four districts, all within a half-hour walk of the harbour. 1. **Downtown and Market Square** (Shopping · Dining · Downtown): Limestone shops, bars and the market around City Hall and Princess Street. 2. **Sydenham District** (Historic · Residential · Sydenham): Victorian streets between Princess Street and the lake, with Bellevue House nearby. 3. **Williamsville** (Cafés · Local · Williamsville): Upper Princess Street, younger and cheaper, with cafés and Daft Brewing. 4. **Portsmouth Village** (Village · Lakeside · Portsmouth): The old lakeside village west of Queen's, home of the Olympic harbour. ## Best day trips in Kingston The Thousand Islands, two parks and a railway tunnel, all within about 90 minutes. 1. **Gananoque** (Town · Cruises · 30 km east): The Thousand Islands town 30 minutes east, with boat lines into the islands. 2. **Boldt Castle** (Castle · Passport · Heart Island, USA): The unfinished island castle on the US side; the Gananoque stopover cruise needs a passport. 3. **Frontenac Provincial Park** (Park · Hiking · 40 km north): Lakes and granite hiking trails about 40 km north of the city. [Ontario Parks](https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/frontenac?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Prince Edward County** (Wine · Beaches · 80 km west): Wineries, small towns and the dunes of Sandbanks Provincial Park. 5. **Brockville Railway Tunnel** (Heritage · Free · 80 km east): Canada's first railway tunnel, opened in 1860 and lit for a free walk-through. ## Festivals & annual events in Kingston (2026) - **Feb Fest** (February): Winter festival downtown, with skating on Springer Market Square. - **Kingston Canadian Film Festival** (Early March): Canadian features and shorts in downtown venues. - **YGK Craft Beer Fest** (June): Ontario breweries pouring inside the walls of Fort Henry. - **Kingston Buskers Rendezvous** (9 to 12 July 2026): Four days of free street performance across downtown. - **Sunset Ceremony** (Select summer evenings): The Fort Henry Guard's drill, music and artillery, ending in fireworks. - **Limestone City Blues Festival** (Late August): Blues stages around downtown and the waterfront. - **Kingston WritersFest** (Late September): Readings and talks with Canadian and international authors. - **Fort Fright** (October): Fort Henry's Halloween evenings in the casemates. ## Must-try dishes in Kingston, Canada - **Butter tart**: Ontario's pastry of syrupy butter, sugar and egg, sometimes with raisins. - **Poutine**: Fries, cheese curds and gravy, the late-night order on Princess Street. - **Fish and chips**: Battered lake or ocean fish, a waterfront staple in summer. - **Pickerel**: Ontario's name for walleye, pan-fried and served with lemon. - **Peameal bacon sandwich**: Cornmeal-rolled back bacon on a bun, an Ontario breakfast. - **Thousand Island dressing**: The salad dressing named for the islands east of the city. - **Maple syrup**: Eastern Ontario syrup on pancakes, best in the spring sugaring season. - **Prince Edward County wine**: Pinot noir and chardonnay from the county an hour west. ## Kingston transport & airports - **Kingston Norman Rogers Airport** (YGK): About 8 km west of downtown. Air Canada links it to Toronto Pearson by coach; most visitors fly into Toronto or Ottawa. [YGK Airport](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/ygk-airport/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **VIA Rail Kingston station** (Rail): On the Toronto to Montréal and Ottawa line, north of downtown. Toronto is about two hours away; Kingston Transit route 18 serves the station. [VIA Rail](https://www.viarail.ca/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Kingston Transit** (Bus): City buses, including express routes, link downtown, Queen's, the station and the west end. [City of Kingston](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **On foot and by car** (Walk): Downtown, the waterfront and Queen's are walkable. Fort Henry, Kingston Mills and the parks are easier by car or taxi. ## Kingston at a glance - **Country:** Canada - **Region:** Ontario, where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence River - **Population:** 132,485 in the city (2021 census), 172,546 in the metropolitan area - **Founded:** 1673, as Fort Frontenac at Cataraqui - **Nickname:** The Limestone City - **Language:** English - **Currency:** Canadian dollar (CAD) - **Time zone:** UTC-5, UTC-4 on daylight saving - **Calling code:** +1 613 and 343 - **Airports:** YGK; Toronto (YYZ) and Ottawa (YOW) for most flights - **Power:** 120V · Type A & B - **Emergency:** 911 ## Interesting facts - Kingston was the first capital of the Province of Canada, from 1841 until the government left in 1844. - John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, practised law here and is buried in Cataraqui Cemetery. - The Rideau Canal and Kingston's fortifications became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. - The sailing events of the 1976 Montréal Olympics were held at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. - Queen's University was founded by royal charter in 1841, the year Kingston became capital. ## Kingston travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Kingston? Two. Spend one on Fort Henry and Kingston Penitentiary, the other on a Thousand Islands cruise, Market Square and Bellevue House. Add a third for Gananoque, Frontenac Provincial Park or Prince Edward County. ### When is the best time to visit Kingston? May to September. Fort Henry, the penitentiary tours, the cruises and Bellevue House are seasonal and mostly close by the end of October. Winter is quiet and cold, with skating on Springer Market Square. ### How do you get to Kingston from Toronto or Montréal? VIA Rail is the easiest: Kingston sits on the main line between Toronto, Montréal and Ottawa, about two hours from Toronto. Driving takes Highway 401. Kingston's own airport has limited service, so most visitors fly into Toronto or Ottawa. ### Do you need to book the Kingston Penitentiary tour? Yes, in summer. Tours sell out, and the operator recommends buying online before you arrive. There are several lengths, from an express tour of about 45 minutes to an extended one of two and a half hours. ### Can you visit Boldt Castle from Kingston? Yes, as a day trip. Drive 30 minutes east to Gananoque and take a stopover cruise to Heart Island. The castle is in the United States, so every passenger needs a passport and goes through US customs. ## Nearby guides - [Toronto](https://wimup.com/city/toronto.md): Canada · 10 picks - [Montréal](https://wimup.com/city/montreal.md): Canada · 10 picks - [New York City](https://wimup.com/city/new-york-city.md): United States · 10 picks - [All of North America →](https://wimup.com/north-america): 41 cities Part of the [Canada guide](https://wimup.com/country/canada.md) · [North America](https://wimup.com/north-america.md) ## Sources - [Kingston tourism board](https://www.visitkingston.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Fort Henry: Fort Henry](https://www.forthenry.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Kingston Penitentiary: Kingston Pen Tours](https://www.kingstonpentour.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Thousand Islands cruise: Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises](https://www.1000islandscruises.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Bellevue House: Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/bellevue?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Springer Market Square: City of Kingston](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/arts-culture-and-events/springer-market-square/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Wolfe Island ferry: Ontario ferry services](https://www.ontario.ca/page/ferry-services?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Agnes Etherington Art Centre: Agnes Etherington Art Centre](https://agnes.queensu.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Great Lakes Museum: Kingston Museums](https://www.kingstonmuseums.ca/site/great-lakes-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Kingston Mills Locks: Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/rideau/visit/posteeclusage-lockstation/ecluse-lock-kingston-mills?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [PumpHouse Museum: PumpHouse Museum](https://kingstonpumphouse.ca/visit?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Frontenac Provincial Park: Ontario Parks](https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/frontenac?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Kingston Norman Rogers Airport: YGK Airport](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/ygk-airport/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [VIA Rail Kingston station: VIA Rail](https://www.viarail.ca/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Kingston Transit: City of Kingston](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.