Three hundred years of history doesn't just sit behind glass - in Kingston, it comes out to play. From kids commandeering a 19th-century Martello tower to a steamship older than the Titanic opening its doors for the season, Kingston's museums are packing in special events all summer long. Here's your guide to what's on, from mid-July through the end of September.
Thursday, July 23 | Free
One day a year, the kids run the show at Murney Tower. From 10 am to 5 pm, young visitors can work through a scavenger hunt, crack the case in "Murney Spy" (an interactive card game for ages 8+), craft a paper military hat, and go hands-on with real historical artifacts in the Historian-in-Training workshop. It's a perfect low-key, no-cost way to introduce little ones to Kingston’s military history. Register free here or learn more at murneytower.com.
2. Fort Henry Tattoo - Fort Henry National Historic Site
Saturday, July 25 | 7 - 9:30 pm | Tickets required
Five bands - brass, reed, pipe, and drum - join the Fort Henry Guard Drums and Artillery for a massed-band finale that closes out with fireworks over the harbour. This year's edition leans extra local, featuring the Rob Roy Pipe Band and Highland Dancers and the LaSalle Causeway Swing Band for pre-show entertainment, plus a pre-show book signing with Kingston-based historical fiction author Tom Taylor. Doors open at 6 pm Tickets and full details.
3. BEES! - Kingston PumpHouse
Exhibit running through October 31 | Included with admission
A buzzing, season-long exhibit exploring the role bees and pollinators play in keeping ecosystems (and Kingston's gardens) running. Don't miss the special Live Hive Experience with Oak & Willow on Sunday, July 26, 10 am-3 pm; a drop-in pollinator education event built around a live observation hive. See bees at work, learn how a colony functions, and explore an interactive hive table with beeswax, honeycomb, and beekeeping tools to see and touch. Included with regular museum admission; pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Pre-register here or just plan your visit.
Running through October 18 | Included with admission
A new exhibit digging into how aquaculture works on the Great Lakes - from fish farming techniques to the environmental questions the industry raises. It's a timely complement to the museum's deep dive into Kingston's maritime history. See the exhibit.
Wednesdays, 10:30-11:15 am, through August 19 | Ages 4–7 | Pre-registration recommended
A five-week hands-on series tracing water's journey from Lake Ontario to the tap. Kids build a simple water filter, test real lake water, and learn how Kingston's pumping engines worked - all wrapped in movement, story time, and outdoor exploration (weather permitting). Register here. spots are limited.
Thursdays, 5-8 pm, through August 29 | By donation
Grass Creek Park's woodworking museum stays open late on Thursdays through the summer for an evening of live music around the fire pits. Bring a picnic, wander the 1885 log house and grounds, and stick around for the music. Full schedule.
Six Wednesday evenings: July 29, Aug 5, Aug 12, Aug 19, Aug 26, Sept 2 | 7-8:30 pm | Tickets required
Kingston's signature summer tradition returns for six performances. Expect precision drills, live military music, artillery demonstrations, and fireworks finale over Lake Ontario - plus an interactive Muster Parade where kids can try a hands-on drill. Museum rooms are open from 6 pm for guests who arrive early, and one ceremony this season is dedicated to the Highway of Heroes Military Museums network. Buy tickets.
Through summer and into fall, extended Thursday-Saturday hours
The last surviving Edwardian-era passenger steamship (older than the Titanic) is open for guided tours all season, with the museum keeping extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays (until 6:30 pm) and Thursdays (until 7:30 pm) through July and August. Each tour comes with a personal headset for an enhanced audio experience as you walk the decks of a ship with more than a century of history. Book a tour.
Don't forget the Canada Strong Pass
If you're visiting Kingston's museums with kids or young adults this summer, the Canada Strong Pass is worth knowing about. From June 19 to September 7, 2026, the federal program offers free admission for visitors 17 and under (and 50% off for ages 18–24) at participating national, provincial, and territorial museums and galleries. Fort Henry and Bellevue House are confirmed participants, so their daily programming qualifies for the discount (note: the Pass covers general admission only - time-ticketed special events and programs may still carry their own fees).
More Kid-Friendly Museums Worth a Visit
These Kingston museums may not have a summer event on the calendar yet, but they're reliably great for families any day this summer:
- Military Communications and Electronics Museum: Affordable admission (around $8.85 for adults, free for kids 5 and under), and one of the best-kept secrets for kids who love big vehicles and gadgets. Highlights include a hands-on Morse code station, a fleet of military vehicles, and two escape rooms developed with Improbable Escapes.
- Kingston Penitentiary Museum (Canada's Penitentiary Museum): Located right across from the famous Kingston Penitentiary, this museum tells the story of Canada's correctional history through artifacts and exhibits. A compelling, if slightly eerie, stop for older kids and history-curious families.
- Bellevue House National Historic Site: The restored 1840s villa where Sir John A. Macdonald once lived, with period gardens and costumed interpretation that bring 19th-century domestic life to life for visitors of all ages.
