Murney Tower Museum National Historic Site of Canada — Attraction in Ontario

The Murney Tower Museum is a local history museum operated by the Kingston Historical Society in partnership with Parks Canada since 1925. It is located in one of the four Martello Towers of Kingston, Ontario and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rideau Canal and Kingston Fortifications. It is the oldest operating museum in Kingston, which has a collection of domestic and military artifacts that portray 19th-century life in Kingston. It also offers guided tours, audio tours, educational programs, special events, and exhibits. Murney Tower Museum is open between 18 May and 2 September 2024. Daily from 10am to 5 pm. The tower is one of five components of Kingston's fortifications that defended Kingston Harbour, the Naval Dockyard, military supply depot and the southern entrance of the Rideau Canal. Murney Tower complements the fortifications of Fort Henry, Ontario, Cathcart Tower on Cedar Island, Shoal Tower in the Confederation Basin and Fort Frederick on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada. In addition to protecting the harbour and approaches to Kingston, these fortifications were designed to concentrate fire on Gardiners Island; it being the only place to effectively land artillery at the time. The Kingston Fortifications are a series of 19th century defensive works in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, that are National Historic Sites of Canada and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The fortification system consists of five towers. The Towers was built in response to the Oregon Crisis, which was a tense dispute over the border between British North America and the United States...

This 19th century defense tower made for a nice short visiting location. The tower is about three stories tall and you get almost full access to the structure. The large canon gun is up top, quarters and storage are down below. The entry level has exhibits and artifacts to look at. They also have some items you can handle and even costumes to try on. There are displays that give further information for the various parts of the building. The condition of the structure is impressive.

The structure isn't very large, so you won't be there for very long, but the price is reasonable for the size of the tower. The area around the tower is nice. The ground around the tower is up high relative to the water. You can also get right down to the water quite easily. This helps make for a few nice photo opportunities. I will say that I saw a lot more trash hanging around than I am used to seeing at Canadian sites.

If in Kingston or driving by, it is worth a trip. I would not recommend coming from a distance however just to see this. Three adults, one small child for $12 helps take this 3 star attraction (due to the...

I recently visited the Murney Tower Museum National Historic Site of Canada with my family, and it was a fantastic experience! The admission is free, and we appreciated the opportunity to make a donation at the end of the tour, with both card and cash options available. The museum offers a fascinating glimpse into Kingston's history, with well-preserved artifacts and informative displays. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly, making our visit even more enjoyable. If you're in Kingston, this museum is...