Kingston Penitentiary — Attraction in Ontario

My husband and I went on the Standard Tour of the Kingston Penitentiary on July 15,2023, and had Griffin as our tour guide. Griffin was very knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and had a good sense of humor. I am disabled, and use a mobility scooter to get around. I'm always concerned about accessibility when I go to new places when on vacation. I found that the penitentiary was very accessible (considering these are very old buildings, I was very shocked with how accessible it was), except for when I wanted to look inside the cells during the beginning of the tour, I had to get up, use my cane, and walk that very short bit. After this, I never needed to get off my scooter. All the staff were very helpful and did not make me feel like I was a bother or in their way. Our tour guide, Griffin, made sure that I could see what he was showing us and hear what he was saying, by always inviting me closer to the front and asking other people on our tour to make room for me. Each person that spoke with us throughout the tour, gave lots of great history about the Penitentiary and the inmates they could speak about. It is really interesting to hear stories from guards who worked at the Penitentiary when it was open, while standing in the spots events they were speaking about, took place. There's so much history between those walls that the tour just sparked more interest, so my husband and I will be purchasing the books, especially the ones written by Vern Thibedeau, to learn even more. Thank you again to Griffin, for a great and fun tour, and for being so accommodating to me. It was really appreciated and made the tour that much better for myself...

We took the extended tour. It was an interesting tour. Would have liked to see more of the old parts of the prison. Not very interested in the newer areas Like the library and classrooms . For they are just empty rooms . Same with the work areas . They where all empty rooms .. there are just a few cells that have been set up to look like someone just left them that way

Would have been nice to see some props and more photos throughout the tour. Maybe a few more stories and show what prison life was like for these prisoners throughout the years and how things had changed . Maybe have some contraband, hand made tools or weapons for display

Our tour guide was very well informed and well rehearsed. Very Friendly Definitely had some interesting facts But you can definitely tell it's a federal prison. They didn't want to tell you to much or show you to much...lol

The architecture is stunning though . So much hard labour went into these buildings . Those would be interesting stories. They touch on this. But that's about it

The museum is across the road and was closed at four . So we missed that. Kinda thought that it should have been in the main prison. But that's our fault for not checking into that.

Gift shop had a few interesting novels . That was a plus. But t-shirts , hats and other trinkets where all low quality for a not so low quality price. I would have gladly bought a ball cap but they were low quality hats for $25 .

Would I take the tour again ? Probably not But I am glad that I did take it. It was fairly interesting . And hey.. it was a nice day out...

Holy.. what an experience. This was my first time stepping into a prison, let alone a maximum-security one, and it honestly blew my mind. The sheer presence of the place hits you the moment you walk in — towering walls, rusted gates, heavy cell doors… it’s intimidating, surreal, and absolutely fascinating.

What really got me was how recent everything feels. This isn’t some crumbling relic from a distant past — Kingston Pen was fully operational until just a few years ago. Real inmates, real lockdowns, real high-security routines. And now, it’s a museum. That transition alone is wild.

The tours are mandatory, which I get now — the building has seen serious wear after years of underfunding and limited maintenance. Structurally, parts of it are fragile, so having guides keeps everyone safe (and away from places that could literally collapse on you). But the upside? The guides are excellent. They don’t just know the facts — Some of them worked there, and it shows. You’re getting real stories, raw insights, not just plaques and placards.

Walking through cell blocks, seeing solitary confinement, hearing about escapes, riots, and daily life — it all hits differently when you’re physically standing inside the place. You feel the weight of the history in every echo and steel bolt.

It’s not a feel-good visit — but it’s an important one. Eye-opening, intense, and incredibly well done. If you’re even remotely curious about prisons, how they function, or what life inside is really like, Kingston Pen...