With international travel on hold, we were able to get out and explore our own province. We decided to go on an Ontario road trip and spent 2 nights in Kingston, Ontario. Here’s how we spent our 2-days in the city of Kingston during phase 3 of Ontario’s re-opening plan. Unfortunately, many things weren’t back to normal or open due to COVID-19. Luckily for us, restaurants and some tourist attractions were open to visitors with minor restrictions in place. So, we ended up having a great time exploring the city of Kingston, Ontario.
Kingston, Ontario – Day 1
We began our 2-hour journey early on a holiday Monday morning. There was very little traffic as we headed east toward Kingston. Our first day looked a little something like this:
- McDonalds – you know, for a quick road trip breakfast
- Fort Henry – National Historic Site of Canada
- Murney Tower – National Historic Site of Canada
- MacDonald Park – waterfront park walking path, picnic area, and beach
- Pumphouse Musum – a historic museum
- Kingston Brewing Company – for beer sampling and dinner
- Four Points by Sheraton – our hotel in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario Itinerary Vlog – Day 1
If you want to take a look at our first day activities, you can check out my vlog below. Continue reading for details of each activity and my day 2 vlog!
Fort Henry
Our first strop in Kingston was at Fort Henry National Historic Site. This historic fort was built from 1832 to 1837 and replaced a previous fort from 1812. This fort was situated to protect the naval dockyard at the entrance of the Rideau Canal and the town of Kingston. Troops from the British Army used Fort Henry until 1870, it was used as a gunnery until 1891, and then it was used during World War 1 as an internment camp for political prisoners. After extensive repairs, the fort was reopened as a museum and historic site in 1938, but again used as a prisoner of war camp in 1948 during World War II. In modern day, the fort is a museum and historic site welcoming visitors from around the globe.
We enjoyed the experience because the employees at the museum were all dressed in historic costumes and shared tales from when the fort was in use. There were much fewer employees as we visited during the pandemic, but since there were less visitors they still had time to share historical facts and information about what life was like at the fort throughout the years. I’d definitely recommend a visit here if you’re in the Kingston area. And! Don’t pass by the chance to try out some Beavertail snacks at the snack bar – we had a Beavertail hotdog and a Beavertail pastry with Nutella and icing sugar. Definitely a great snack!
Murney Tower
Our next stop was Murney Tower, by the shore of Lake Ontario. This is another National Historic Site of Canada and was built in 1846 as a defensive tower. Today this tower is a museum displaying domestic Canadian artifacts. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go inside as it was closed due to COVID-19. But from the outside it definitely looked like it would be an interesting historical site.
If you’re in the area and this tower is open, definitely take the opportunity to visit! If it’s not open, that brings me to my next attraction on our day 1 itinerary.
MacDonald Park
This park is located right behind the tower and has a beautiful waterfront walking path. There are benches and lots of green space for visitors to enjoy the water views. We also noticed a lot of people swimming right off the shore, but there was a small rocky beach there as well.
Pumphouse Museum
Next on our itinerary was the Pumphouse Museum, but unfortunately – due to my own planning – we arrived on a day they weren’t open. After a bit of research we learned that this was the first waterworks in the Kingston area, and is now a museum you can visit on a 45-minute guided tour.
Kingston Brewing Company
Our final stop of the day was for dinner and drinks at the Kingston Brewing Company. It was conveniently located on the same street as our hotel and had a back patio with plenty of seating available. We started off sampling the beer and ordered the buffalo cauliflower. For our main dishes we split the fish and chips and the fried chicken and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. If we’re ever back in the area, we’ll definitely be stopping here again.
Kingston, Ontario – Day 2
- Portsmouth Olympic Marina Harbour
- Kingston Penitentiary
- Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse
- Kingston Visitor Centre
- Spearhead Brewing Company
- Kingston LaSalle Causeway
- Wooden Heads Gourmet Pizza
Kingston, Ontario Vlog Day 2
If you want to take a look at our day 2 activities check out my day 2 vlog below!
Portsmouth Olympic Harbour
Our second day in Kingston began at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour – the site of the 1976 summer Olympics. The Olympics were actually held in Montreal that year, but they didn’t have the proper water facilities and had to use this harbour instead. To this day they use this harbour for Canadian Olympic Training Regattas. You can also dock your boat here at one of the 250 boat slips. There wasn’t much to see here, however it did offer a great view of the Kingston Penitentiary.
Kingston Penitentiary
About a week before our Kingston weekend I booked tickets for the extended tour of the Kingston Penitentiary. This was the highlight of our entire weekend in the Kingston area, and I can’t recommend it enough! The extended tour offers 2.5 hours touring through the former maximum security prison that held notable Canadian criminals since it opened in 1835 – before Canada was even officially formed in 1867.
The tour took us through former prison cells, different buildings, the area where the 1971 riot took place. One of the most interesting elements of the tour was hearing from the former prison guards who now share their stories throughout the tour of what it was like to work there, and particular stories of interest from their experiences. This was an incredible tour and our guide was extremely knowledgeable.
Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse
After our tour of the Kingston Pen we headed back to the hotel, parked the car and walked over to the main street to find somewhere to eat lunch. We decided to stop at Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse. Here we were able to sit inside (Ontario was on stage 3 of reopening that weekend!) to escape the rain. I ordered the lobster rolls with salad and my husband tried all four of their tacos – beef, pork, chicken, and fish. It was a fantastic lunch, but like most restaurants in a downtown setting it was on the pricier side. We really enjoyed the experience though and I’d definitely go back for those lobster rolls again.
Kingston, Ontario Visitor Centre
Just across the road from the Fish Shack is the Kingston Visitor Centre. Here you can find all of the things to do and see in the Kingston area and get some recommendations from the staff that work there. This is where you will also ding the historic Engine 1095 along with the Kingston sign – a popular tourist attraction. Confederation Park is just a short walk away and has a beautiful fountain and view of Lake Ontario. If you’re not sure what to do in the Kingston area, you can add this as a stop on your itinerary. We headed out of the downtown area to Lemoine Point park area after hearing about it at the visitor centre. Unfortunately, as soon as we arrived it started to rain. So we did the next best thing.
Spearhead Brewing Company
We went to a brewery! Spearhead Brewing Company to be exact. This brewery is actually co-owned by Sam Roberts from the Sam Roberts Band and they even have a beer named after him. We split a flight of beers and just happened to be there on the taco and oyster night. Sadly, we had just eaten lunch so were too full to eat any of it, but it looked delicious. They had a nice indoor seating area and a great patio area – if the weather was cooperating!
Kingston LaSalle Causeway
I wouldn’t say this is a “must see” stop on your itinerary, but we passed over this bridge a few times. The LaSalle Causeway is actually a bridge that lifts up when tall ships come into the harbour. And, it’s a fairly rare bridge in Canada – a Strauss heel-trunnion – as most have been demolished. We enjoyed watching it open to let a few sailboats through. It would probably be a fun activity if you had small children.
Wooden Heads Gourmet Pizza
Our last meal in downtown Kingston was at Wooden Heads Gourmet Pizza. They are known for their wood-fired pizza, and it was a busy place. After a pretty big day of eating, we decided to order on the lighter side. I got the caprese salad, my husband ordered the caesar, and we split a pepperoni pizza. The food was delicious and we enjoyed our time there. It was also very conveniently located to our hotel so that was a bonus.
Overall Kingston, Ontario Itinerary
Kingston, Ontario is definitely a city you can explore in a weekend. Depending on your interest in museums and national historic sites, it might even take you longer. For my husband and I, we found that 2 day was plenty and we got a good overview of the city. I’d highly recommend the Kingston Penitentiary tour and a visit to Fort Henry! Have you ever been to Kingston, Ontario?
