Don't Miss 3 Opportunities to Visit Doors Open Kingston for Locals, Tourists, and Prospective Students

Kingston, the walkable city in Ontario known for its academic schools, charming restaurants, and infamous former prison, invites you to explore its rich heritage through Doors Open Kingston & Area 2024! This year, it continues to span three different days: Saturday, July 20th, Saturday, August 24th, and Saturday, September 28th, 2024. This flexible schedule introduced last year was a massive hit, drawing nearly 4,000 guests. This year the format continues with 19 participating sites offering a diverse range of experiences over three separate days. Another informative feature the Teachers on Call in-person and online tutoring service would like to highlight is the opportunity for prospective students and their families to visit Kingston, home to three post-secondary institutions: Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), and St. Lawrence College. The September date is ideal for experiencing the vibrant campus life when college and university students are back in town. Be sure to check out our interview with lead organizer, Jamie McKenzie-Naish, Managing Director of the Kingston & Area Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites, for insider tips on maximizing your experience.

For locals who missed the City of Kingston's Public Works Day on Saturday, May 25, 2024, Doors Open Kingston & Area offers another 3 chances to explore and connect with the community. These festivities are part of the provincewide program run by the Ontario Heritage Trust, which Teachers on Call's in-person and online tutoring team has been covering. For a refresher, check out our past blogs, including an interview with curator, Dr. Brendan Edwards, for a Community Spotlight with W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections, a popular returning site. Doors Open Kingston is not just about exploring historical sites; it’s a unique learning opportunity for students of all ages and families alike. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, or simply love discovering new places, this event is perfect for enriching your knowledge and having fun at the same time.

How to Plan for Doors Open Kingston & Area

Planning your visit to Doors Open Kingston & Area involves taking advantage of the city's rich historical, educational and cultural offerings. Located conveniently between Toronto and Montreal, Kingston is an accessible destination for a weekend getaway. Known as the "Limestone City" for its beautiful 19th-century buildings, and home to the prestigious Queen's University, Kingston offers a unique blend of history and vibrant community life. Don't miss the ever popular Bring Your Thing: AGNES Roadshow, a free added-value pop-up art consultation event coinciding with July's Doors Open Kingston & Area event. It's a fantastic opportunity to engage with local history and art in an interactive setting.

Schedule and Participating Sites for Doors Open Kingston & Area in July, August and September 2024

Description of Sites & Activities for Saturday, July 20, 2024

The current list of participating sites for Saturday July 20th, 2024 from 10:00am to 4:00pm includes:

Barriefield Village

Barriefield Village, Kingston, ON K7K 5K5

One guided tour is available at 1:00pm for this village overlooking the Cataraqui River. Meet outside the Frontenac County Schools Museum at 414 Regent St, Kingston ON K7K 5R1.

Canada's Penitentiary Museum

555 King Street West, Kingston, ON K7L 4V7

Take an indoor self-guided tour of Canada's Penitentiary Museum.

Frontenac County Schools Museum 

414 Regent St, Kingston ON K7K 5R1

Indoor guided and self-guided tours of the one-room school are available. 

Gallery Raymond

334 Princess Street, Kingston, ON K7L 1B6, Canada (across from Springer Market Square)

Indoor self-guided tours of this historic former carriage way turned art gallery are open.

MacPherson House and Park

180 Elizabeth Street, Napanee, ON K7R 1B5

Indoor and outdoor self-guided tours of the MacPherson House and grounds around it.

Murney Tower Museum

2 King Street West, Kingston, ON K7L 2X4

Indoor and outdoor guided or self-guided tours offered to learn about the oldest operating museum in Kingston.

Museum of Health Care

32 George Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7

General museum access and three guided tours at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.`

Museum of Lennox and Addington

97 Thomas Street East, Napanee, ON K7R 4B9

Indoor self-guided tours open to explore the museum’s exhibits.

PumpHouse Outdoor Walking Tour

23 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2Y2

Outdoor, curator-guided tour: Exploring Ontario Street: Brewers, Bakers, and Boilermakers, 1830-1970. Start time 11am, no pre-registration, meet on the front lawn of PumpHouse Museum.

Queen’s University Archives

Queen's University Archives, Kathleen Ryan Hall, 50A Arch St., Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

Take a guided tour of the building, including a behind the scenes tour of the vaults.

South Frontenac Museum

5595 Road 38, Hartington, ON K0H 1W0

Indoor guided tours and children's programs including painting rocks & decorating jars from 1-4pm. 

St. George's Cathedral

270 King Street East, Kingston, ON K7L 3B1

Guided and self-guided tours offered of the cathedral.

St. Mary's Cathedral

279 Johnson St, Kingston, ON K7L 1Y5

Guided tours offered of this cathedral with 175 years of history.

Bring Your Thing: AGNES Roadshow

Fort Henry, Advanced Battery, 1 Fort Henry Dr, Kingston, ON K7K 5G8

This pop-up community event is organized by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

Saturday, August 24th, 2024 (schedule and activities will be listed on official site)

• Barriefield Village
• Canada’s Penitentiary Museum
• Frontenac County Schools Museum
• Gallery Raymond
• Museum of Health Care at Kingston
• Murney Tower Museum
• PumpHouse (outdoor walking tour only)
• Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum

• South Frontenac Museum
• St. George’s Cathedral
• St. Mary’s Cathedral

Saturday, September 28th, 2024 (schedule and activities will be listed on official site)

• Barriefield Village
• Canada’s Penitentiary Museum
• Frontenac County Schools Museum
• Gallery Raymond
• Great Lakes Museum

• Military Communications & Electronics Museum and the Royal Canadian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Museum
• St. George’s Cathedral
• St. Mary’s Cathedral
• Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning 
• The Spire
• W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections

How Doors Open Kingston Connects to Doors Open Ontario’s 2024 Theme: Adaptive Reuse

The 2024 theme for Doors Open Ontario, adaptive reuse, finds a perfect partner in Kingston. This theme explores how historical buildings can be repurposed for modern use, bridging the past and present in innovative ways. Teachers on Call’s online and in-person tutors appreciate that this theme offers educational opportunities to delve into various academic subjects. In STEM, for instance, adaptive reuse showcases engineering marvels and sustainable practices, while in math and science, it highlights the precise calculations and environmental considerations involved in transforming old structures

For those eager to explore more, our past blogs on adaptive reuse in Oshawa and Hamilton provide valuable insights into how these cities have embraced this concept through Doors Open Oshawa and Doors Open Hamilton. This year's theme is particularly significant for Kingston and its surrounding areas, as there have been so many human stories woven into the landscape in this region, in so many different forms over the years. To maximize your Doors Open Kingston experience, check out our interview below where lead host, Jamie McKenzie-Naish from KAM, shares ultimate tips for navigating the event to discover how Kingston’s unique historical narrative continues to evolve through the lens of adaptive reuse. Whether you're a history buff, an architecture enthusiast, or simply looking to explore, Doors Open Kingston promises something unique for everyone!

An Interview with the Kingston & Area Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites (KAM)

What can first time visitors expect to experience at Doors Open Kingston?

Look for the purple outdoor signs!  These let you know what sites are participating in Doors Open.  

Also, keep in mind that some sites are offering a particular tour or experience for Doors Open and may have other areas of their site that require admission fees.  Doors Open is the type of event that if you like to simply view and experience sites independently and without much interaction with staff or volunteers, you can do so.  If you love having a good chat with site staff and volunteers - they are always keen to tell you about their sites!  If you don't usually visit cultural heritage sites - Doors Open is a phenomenal opportunity to try something new.

Download our free Doors Open Kingston & Area Program Guide - which tells you exactly what is offered and where.

Doors Open Kingston is unique with three community events per year. What advice can you share to ensure visitors make the most of this opportunity.

First of all, make sure to visit our Doors Open Kingston & Area website!  Visitors can download our free Doors Open Kingston & Area Program Guide to find out which sites and spaces are participating on which event days, and what experiences they have on offer.  Not all sites are participating on all event days and some of our sites are further afield - so planning ahead is a must!  Check out program details here.

Visitors coming from outside of Kingston should be aware that the LaSalle Causeway has been demolished, and in the meantime, access to the east side of Kingston - where a number of Doors Open sites are located - is over the Waaban Bridge (connects from Montreal Street to Gore Road) - which also has its own unique story to tell, or by way of the HWY 401.  

Another (fun!) option is the Kingston Water Taxi - which can taxi 18 passengers from Crawford Wharf (downtown Kingston) to the HMCS Cataraqui Wharf (east side) in approximately 3 minutes!  For more information, click here.

Are there new sites participating this year?

While we have fan favorites that open their doors every year - we do have a few new sites in 2024.  They include:  Gallery Raymond - a contemporary art gallery which features local artists and which is located in a former carriage way; St. Mary’s Cathedral; The Queen’s University Archives; and Barriefield Village - the first heritage conservation district ever in Ontario - is offering a guided tour of the village, exploring its history and built heritage over time.

On July 20th (our first Doors Open event day) - we also have an exciting added-value event to the Doors Open experience - in collaboration with the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and Fort Henry National Historic Site.  Bring your Thing: AGNES Roadshow is a pop-up art consultation event offering free expertise and valuations from specialists to the local community. This event is taking place in the Advanced Battery at Fort Henry National Historic Site, and is completely free and open to everyone (please note, access to the Lower Fort requires an admission fee). You do not need to register for general admission to AGNES’s Roadshow. You are welcome to either watch the specialists’ valuations or participate in the Creation Station, which is open to all families.  Registration is required to bring an art piece for valuation or to participate in a community pop-up museum exhibit.  For more information, visit.

Do you have any educational sites to recommend that are geared towards students and families?

This is a super hard question to answer!  Of course, we recommend all our participating sites to students and their families!  They are all really amazing and there is really something for everyone in terms of subject, topic or interest…but students and families can never go wrong with the Museum of Health Care at Kingston; Murney Tower (which has a great accessibility audio tour available); Museum of Lennox and Addington; the Military Communications & Electronics Museum; The Penitentiary Museum of Canada; the Frontenac County Schools Museum; and Smiths Falls Heritage House.

Anne Vranic (also known as @historyhypegirl on Instagram) is a social media content creator who recently came to Kingston to explore some of our Doors Open sites and offer a sneak peak to visitors.  So families who are curious about what sites have to offer can check out her channel. 

Beyond Kingston, where do your Doors Open guests come from?

The majority of visitors to Doors Open and this region in general come from the GTA and also from Ottawa and south-western Quebec.

Are there volunteer opportunities available? For students? If yes, what are the next steps to get involved?

Those interested in volunteering specifically for Doors Open Kingston & Area should contact the individual sites in which they are most interested.  KAM organizes the event, but each site is responsible for their own event operations.  If individuals are interested in volunteering more generally at a cultural heritage site, they might consider registering for KAM’s brand new Connecting with Cultural Heritage Volunteer Program - which connects interested volunteers (including student volunteers!) with host sites who are looking for volunteers.  As part of this program, everyone completes a basic training program to help prepare them for volunteering at cultural heritage sites.  For more information visit here. 

What is your favourite tip to share about your event?

There is so much to experience and explore in terms of cultural heritage in the Kingston area. We are really pleased to be able to offer three event days between July and September. Take your time, explore, be curious and enjoy!  The best part of the Kingston event is if you miss out visiting a site, you have two other opportunities to visit!

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We hope you enjoy learning about Doors Open Kingston & Area 2024. Remember to keep checking our blog for upcoming events. If you are looking for more Doors Open Ontario events this summer, look out for August festivities taking place in Burlington, Cornwall and Owen Sound.