From historic sites and museums to arts, culture, and outdoor adventure, Kingston offers engaging experiences for student and youth groups of all ages. Explore the attractions below to build an itinerary that matches your group’s interests, learning objectives, and schedule.
We’re here to help! Tourism Kingston can assist with planning your itinerary and confirming current program details with participating attractions. As programs, availability, language options, and group capacities may change, we recommend confirming details in advance.
Explore one of Canada’s most historic and recognizable correctional institutions through a guided tour of Kingston Penitentiary. Built in the 1830s and operated for nearly 180 years, the former penitentiary offers students a unique opportunity to learn about Canadian history, the justice system, and life inside a maximum-security institution. Tours explore the site’s complex history and are best suited for older students and youth groups. Kingston Penitentiary is also a sought-after location for film and television productions. Guided tours are available in English and French from April to October. Learn more online.
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Nearby experiences
Learn about this strategic site’s role through Canadian history, including the War of 1812, the safeguarding of the Rideau Canal in the 1830s, and as a British military fortress in the 1860s. Experiences range from 90-minute programs to day-long learning with overnight options. Programs are available in English and French from mid-May to early September. Programs are geared to grades 3–8, with some easily adaptable to older student groups. Learn more online.
Once home to Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, Bellevue House showcases life in Upper Canada in the 1840s. Educational programs, available in English and French, align with social studies, history, and environmental studies curricula. Programs, which run from May through October, are recommended for grades 4–12. Customized programming can also be developed for your student group. Learn more online.
Built in 1846 as part of Kingston’s defensive Martello tower fortifications, Murney Tower has been a museum since 1925. Visitors can explore three levels of the original fortification, while “Historian-in-Training” workshops for grades 4–8 bring the site’s social and military history to life. Due to the tower’s historic configuration, the museum is not physically accessible; however, it has a free virtual accessible field trip with games, descriptive audio tours in English and French, and more. The museum is open from May to September. Learn more online.
Kingston City Hall provides a unique setting for students to examine civic history, representation, and the way historical narratives are shaped. The Beards & Biases program invites grades 4–8 to explore historical portraits through a guided scavenger hunt, group discussion, and creative poster-making activity that highlights overlooked stories. Available from May through October, the program supports curriculum connections in social studies, history, language arts, visual arts, and civics, and can accommodate up to 25 participants at a time. Learn more online.
The Frontenac County Schools Museum introduces students to the region’s one-room schoolhouses and the classroom experience of the mid-1800s. Half-day and full-day programs are available to grades 2–8, offering a memorable way to connect classroom learning with local history. The museum also offers a virtual museum experience targeted to grades 2–4. Learn more online.
Housed in Kingston’s first pumphouse station, which brought running water to the city’s households in the 1850s, this museum offers both permanent displays and special exhibits that explore science, math, history, and engineering. Educational programs are offered year-round for Junior Kindergarten–grade 6. Learn more online.
Located at the historic Kingston Dry Dock, the Great Lakes Museum connects students to the maritime, environmental, and industrial history of the Great Lakes. Curriculum-based programs for grades 2-8 use hands-on STEAM learning to explore topics such as freshwater ecosystems, invasive species, pollution, lighthouses, optics, steam power, and the S.S. Keewatin. Programs are typically 60-90 minutes in length, with select ship-based programming available seasonally. Learn more online.
Discover the Military Communications & Electronics Museum through guided tours, hands-on activities, and artifact exploration. Year-round educational programs introduce students to the First and Second World Wars, United Nations Peacekeeping, and the evolution of military communications. Student groups can also put their critical thinking and teamwork to the test in the Camp X and Spymaster escape rooms, solving puzzles while exploring the museum’s collections. Learn more online.
Housed in a 1901 building that was once a residence for nursing students, this is Canada’s only standalone museum devoted entirely to the history of health and medicine. The museum offers year-round, hands-on, curriculum-linked guided programs for kindergarten-grade 12. Programs focus on a broad range of topics related to health and medicine, making important contributions to health learning and literacy. The museum is also home to over 35,000 medical artifacts that depict the evolution of Canada’s medical history. Learn more online.
Kingston Grand Theatre connects young audiences with live theatre, music, dance, and performance through its Grand OnStage school programs. A student group visit can add a memorable performing arts experience to an itinerary while supporting curriculum connections in drama, music, dance, and cultural learning. Learn more online.
Located on the Queen’s University campus, the Miller Museum of Geology offers hands-on, curriculum-linked programs in earth and environmental science for school groups of up to 30 participants. Programs explore topics such as rocks and minerals, meteorites, dinosaurs, fossils, palaeontology, and the geology of the Kingston area. Instructor-led programs are offered year-round, Monday-Friday, and can be adapted for a range of grade levels from kindergarten through secondary school. Learn more online.
This public art gallery on the campus of Queen’s University features historical and contemporary art collections, including The Bader Collection, with more than 500 early modern European artworks and four works by Rembrandt. The Agnes offers thematic programs for grades 1-12 that combine guided exhibition tours with hands-on artmaking activities. School programs are available from early October to mid- December and from mid-January to early April. Learn more online.
The Kingston Symphony is a professional orchestra offering live performances, music education, and community programming for audiences of all ages. Its youth ensembles, including the Kingston Youth Orchestra, Youth Strings, and A-Strings, provide young musicians with professional leadership, ensemble development, and performance opportunities, creating strong connections for visiting school and music groups. Learn more online.
The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning is a waterfront arts hub offering creative programming, workshops, and rental spaces suited to youth, school, and community groups. Teen-focused programs such as Creative Futures support young artists through hands-on workshops, mentorship, portfolio development, and exhibition experience. Learn more online.
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts is a waterfront arts venue at Queen’s University offering professional concerts, student performances, and cultural programming suited to youth, school, and music groups. Event-based experiences connect students with live music, emerging and professional artists, and university-level performing arts in a world-class performance setting. Learn more online.
Discover the art and science of woodworking through hands-on learning at the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum. Interactive programs explore local habitats, biodiversity, craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship through engaging activities. Habitat Heroes introduces kindergarten-grade 6 students to ecosystems, while Nailed It! gives kindergarten-grade 8 students hands-on experience with wood, tools, design, and age-appropriate building projects. Programs are available from February through October for groups of up to 20 participants. Learn more online.
Tourism Kingston can help you plan a student or youth group itinerary, including attraction connections, curriculum-linked and educational program options, overnight accommodations, group dining, transportation logistics, and extracurricular activities.
