Murney Tower Museum

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Murney Tower Museum The architecture and construction of the tower are unique, and the masonry work is unsurpassed on this continent. Since 1925 it has operated as a museum.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/murneytowermuseum

Come take a fantastic journey back through time and tour from the long range cannon high above...to the armoury stores deep within. Built in 1846, at the height of the Oregon Crisis, as part of the defensive fortifications of Kingston, the Murney Tower stands as one of the finest Martello towers in North America. This redoubt was never attacked, but served as military housing for over forty years after its completion. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm - May-Long-Weekend to Labour Day

Admission is by donation. Please call or email to book tours for large groups.

🦇 Something wicked this way comes… 🦇Halloween returns to the Canadian Museum of Health Care - but this year, you decide ...
10/15/2026

🦇 Something wicked this way comes… 🦇

Halloween returns to the Canadian Museum of Health Care - but this year, you decide how the night unfolds. Join us after dark for Sips & Spirits 2: Choose Your Nightmare, a 19+ Halloween adventure where medical history gets a little mysterious… and monstrous. 🩸

Choose your character. Follow your quest. Determine your fate. Join the party… if you dare. 👻

📅 Thursday, October 29, 2026
⏰ 6–9 p.m.
📍 Canadian Museum of Health Care, 32 George St., Kingston
🎟️ $35 per person | 19+ event
🍻 Drinks available for purchase from Daft Brewing
🕸️ Costumes encouraged!

Please note: This event is held in partnership with Murney Tower Museum and will take place at the Canadian Museum of Health Care (32 George St.).

🔗 Get Your Tickets Here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/sips-and-spirits-2-choose-your-nightmare--19

Happy Thanksgiving from the Murney Tower Museum team! 🦃🍂🧡
10/12/2026

Happy Thanksgiving from the Murney Tower Museum team! 🦃🍂🧡

What’s the weather today? 🌦For thousands of years, humans have used a variety of methods to predict the weather. In the ...
10/08/2026

What’s the weather today? 🌦

For thousands of years, humans have used a variety of methods to predict the weather. In the nineteenth century, technological transformation gave way to a proliferation of new devices, including the barometer. Barometers measure the air pressure of a given environment and forecast short-term changes in the weather. 🌧

Several types of barometers were invented – including the type pictured here. This is an aneroid barometer, which uses a small metal box held together by a spring. Small changes in air pressure cause the box to expand or contract, causing the needle on the face of the barometer to shift to either Stormy, Rain, Change, Fair, or Very Dry. This barometer was manufactured by Short & Mason, a company founded in the mid-to-late 1800s in London. Small barometers like these were common in nineteenth- and twentieth-century households. 🌡

Today, meteorologists use several devices, from barometers to satellites, to gather information on current atmospheric conditions. This fascinating artifact tells a story of both past and present and reminds us of the background to a relatively recent innovation that is now part of everyday life. 🌤

🦇 Get ready for The Great Vampire Escape! 🦇We're teaming up with the Canadian Museum of Health Care for a family-friendl...
10/06/2026

🦇 Get ready for The Great Vampire Escape! 🦇

We're teaming up with the Canadian Museum of Health Care for a family-friendly escape room filled with teamwork, mystery, and just the right amount of spooky fun.

Murney Tower Museum staff will be joining the adventure with a spooky, memory-testing game of our own. Solve the puzzle, uncover the clues, and get one step closer to discovering the cure… and stopping the vampires! 🎃

📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026
⏰ 3–8 p.m.
📍 Canadian Museum of Health Care, 32 George St., Kingston
🎟️ $8 per person | Children under 5 free
⏳ Pre-registration for a one-hour timeslot is required.
👨‍👩‍👧 Guests 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note: This event will take place at the Canadian Museum of Health Care, not Murney Tower Museum.

Come test your memory, solve the mystery, and help stop the vampires! 🧛‍♂️🦇

🔗 Get Your Tickets Here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/halloween--2026-2

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.Today, we reflect on the lasting a...
09/30/2026

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.

Today, we reflect on the lasting and intergenerational impacts of the residential school system and Canada’s ongoing journey toward truth, healing, and reconciliation.

Murney Tower Museum is situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Huron-Wendat. We recognize that this is shared land through the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Covenant, which outlines our responsibilities to care for the land and for one another.

As a National Historic Site and museum, we continue to reflect on what it means to share, care for, and interpret this land. We are grateful to learn from the histories, knowledge, and relationships that connect people to this place.

👥 Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the newest member of the Murney team, Ethan! Ethan is joining us as a Colle...
09/29/2026

👥 Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the newest member of the Murney team, Ethan!

Ethan is joining us as a Collections Intern from September to December. He is a Joint Honours History and Geography student in his fourth year at Queen's University. Originally from Toronto, Ethan follows in his parents' footsteps as Queen's University alumni. Ethan has taken courses in history with topics ranging from post-Confederation Canadian history to the history of the Chinese Communist Party. His interests are focused on discourse surrounding colonialism and state-building in modern history. He looks forward to applying skills gained in the classroom to a museum setting with the goal of both learning and educating.

Welcome to the Murney Tower Museum team, Ethan! 🎉

It’s cleaning time at Murney Tower! 🧹Every September, we get the tower ready for its winter rest. That means carefully p...
09/24/2026

It’s cleaning time at Murney Tower! 🧹

Every September, we get the tower ready for its winter rest. That means carefully packing up our artifacts, safely transporting them to storage, and giving the tower a thorough cleaning before we close up for the season.

It’s a busy few weeks, but we’re always happy to give the tower the care it needs before winter arrives! 🍂

✨ Last Tuesday, September 15, Murney Tower Museum took part in the 2026 Interpretation Canada Conference in Kingston, On...
09/22/2026

✨ Last Tuesday, September 15, Murney Tower Museum took part in the 2026 Interpretation Canada Conference in Kingston, Ontario.

Our Manager & Curator and Museum Chair gave a presentation titled “Local Landscapes, Global Stories: Murney Tower Museum,” exploring how the stories of a local historic site can connect to broader conversations surrounding place, identity, history, and global events.

It was wonderful to connect with so many inspiring interpreters, museums, and historic sites. Thank you to Interpretation Canada for bringing us all together!

On September 9th, Murney Tower Museum was proud to host the Queen's University Graduate History Students' Association we...
09/15/2026

On September 9th, Murney Tower Museum was proud to host the Queen's University Graduate History Students' Association welcome event. 📚

This event brought new and returning graduate students in the History Department together to socialize and explore Kingston's unique local history. It was a great night for mingling and making connections over shared interests in history!

Thank you to for choosing as your venue for the special night!

And that's a wrap on Murney Tower Museum's 101st operating season! Summer 2026 was filled with new exhibits, new events,...
09/10/2026

And that's a wrap on Murney Tower Museum's 101st operating season! Summer 2026 was filled with new exhibits, new events, and new experiences.

We wouldn't have had such an amazing summer season without the hard work of Rhianna, Ben, and Kallista, our Museum Assistants. They spent the summer months giving guided tours, working on special projects, and making sure that this summer was the best one yet for Murney Tower Museum. We can't thank them enough for their hard work, and we hope that they stop by to visit the tower every once and a while-- we'll miss them too much if they don't!

To our visitors, thank you for your continued interest in Kingston's local history! We can't wait to welcome you back in 2027!

Address

King Street West At Barrie Street
Kingston, ON
K7L4V6

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16135075181

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