The Rideau Trail connects Kingston with Ottawa; Kingston also offers a choice of trails, museums, historic buildings and cruises. When planning, it helps to ask a simple question: would you like to focus mainly on time on a trail, the city’s history, or ships and technology?

Trails on different scales

The Rideau Trail is about 325 km long and runs from downtown Kingston to downtown Ottawa. The K&P Trail is a year-round, multi-use trail in Kingston, with sections running both on and off the road. The trails therefore differ both in scale and in how they are described: one is a long connection between two downtowns, the other a multi-use trail in Kingston. If you’re setting aside time for a trail, this distinction can help guide your choice.

Cruises, waterfront history and technology

Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises offers sightseeing and dinner cruises. The Discovery Cruise offers a different perspective: it introduces the sights and heritage of the Thousand Islands region, with a focus on Kingston’s historic waterfront. This brings together a regional perspective and a theme specifically connected to Kingston.

The S.S. Keewatin is a steamship from the Edwardian era, also known as the Titanic era, and is located at the Great Lakes Museum in Kingston. Its engine-room experience introduces four steam engines, each powered by four cylinders. Its place in the history of steamships and its engines offer different points of interest for anyone curious about maritime or technological history.

Historic sites and museums

Bellevue House National Historic Site is an upscale residence dating from the 1840s. Groups can tour the house and explore the complex legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald. The visit thus combines a specific historic site with an examination of Macdonald’s legacy.

Murney Tower was built in 1846 as part of Kingston’s Martello tower fortifications. Kingston City Hall is designated a National Historic Site; City Hall Tours explore its history and architecture. Those interested in buildings will find two different historical points of interest here: a fortification and a building whose architecture and history are covered on tours.

The PumpHouse Museum is located on the historic grounds of a waterworks dating back to 1851. The historic water pumping station that houses the museum is one of only six surviving water pumping stations in North America. The history of water technology is therefore at the heart of this site.

Canada's Penitentiary Museum is housed in Cedarhedge, the former residence of the wardens of Kingston Penitentiary. Visits are self-guided. Here, the former residence of the prison administration and a museum connected to Kingston Penitentiary come together; visits are self-guided.

Discover more destinations: Sydenham, Mountain Grove, Sharbot Lake, Cloyne, Wolfe Island, Battersea

For the overview of the wider region: Frontenac County.