PumpHouse

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PumpHouse The PumpHouse is a museum run by the City of Kingston and a cooperative hive of very organized Bees.

Housed in Kingston’s 1851 waterworks, we bring STEAM topics and history to life through hands-on fun and interactive exhibits

10/13/2026

The differences between wasps and bees extends to diet.
Bees gather nectar and pollen from flowers. Many wasps also visit flowers for sugary nectar, but they may hunt insects or spiders to feed their young. That makes wasps important predators of garden pests such as flies and caterpillars.
Bees bring home pollen. Wasps may bring home a caterpillar. Different lunchboxes entirely.
Learn more at BEES!
🐝 Hurry! BEES! flies away Oct. 31.

What happens after BEES! flies away?Our exhibition hall may be taking a little winter break, but there’s still plenty to...
10/12/2026

What happens after BEES! flies away?

Our exhibition hall may be taking a little winter break, but there’s still plenty to explore at the PumpHouse.

🚂The Swyrich Train Room and Discovery Centre are still here, ready for rainy days, chilly afternoons and those “we need to get out of the house” moments.

Come make the PumpHouse part of your cold-weather plans.

📷 STRUCKBLOG

10/11/2026

Bee or wasp? Here’s your quick pre-panic checklist.
🐝 Bees are generally rounder and fuzzier, with hairs that help collect pollen.
〰️ Wasps are often longer and more slender, with smoother, shinier bodies and fewer hairs.
Of course, nature loves exceptions, so these aren’t foolproof rules, but they’re a good place to start before the flailing begins.
Learn more at BEES!
🐝 Hurry! BEES! flies away Oct. 31.

10/10/2026

Did you know bees have five eyes?
Two large compound eyes help them see shapes, colours and movement. They also have three tiny simple eyes, called ocelli, on top of their heads. These smaller eyes detect changes in light and help bees orient themselves while flying.
Learn more at BEES!
🐝 Hurry! BEES! flies away Oct. 31.

Last call for BEES! 🐝If you’ve been meaning to visit, now’s the time. Bring the family, explore the exhibition and disco...
10/09/2026

Last call for BEES! 🐝
If you’ve been meaning to visit, now’s the time. Bring the family, explore the exhibition and discover just how surprising the world of bees can be.

BEES! leaves the PumpHouse Oct. 31.

BEES! was developed by the City of Surrey’s Museum of Surrey in collaboration with Honeybee Centre of Surrey and funded by the Government of Canada.

10/08/2026

Did you know honey bees have hair on their eyes?
Honey bees are covered in branching hairs that help pollen cling to their bodies as they visit flowers. Researchers have even found that the spaces between their eye hairs are roughly the size of grains of dandelion pollen.
Being covered in pollen is apparently worth the inconvenience of permanent eye hair.
Learn more at BEES!
🐝 Hurry! BEES! flies away Oct. 31.

There’s still time to catch the buzz. 🐝BEES! is on now at the PumpHouse, but not for much longer. Explore the fascinatin...
10/07/2026

There’s still time to catch the buzz. 🐝
BEES! is on now at the PumpHouse, but not for much longer. Explore the fascinating world of bees, pollination, beekeeping and hive life before the exhibition flies away on Oct. 31.

Plan your visit and see what all the buzz is about.

BEES! was developed by the City of Surrey’s Museum of Surrey in collaboration with Honeybee Centre of Surrey and funded by the Government of Canada.

📷 STRUCKBLOG

🐝 Warning: visiting may result in a sudden urge to tell everyone you know interesting facts about bees.We accept no resp...
10/01/2026

🐝 Warning: visiting may result in a sudden urge to tell everyone you know interesting facts about bees.

We accept no responsibility.

Feed your curiosity with BEES!, on now at the PumpHouse until Oct. 31.

BEES! was developed by the City of Surrey’s Museum of Surrey in collaboration with Honeybee Centre of Surrey and funded by the Government of Canada.

📸 STRUCKBLOG

Consider this your invitation to get a little bee-curious. 🐝From the inner workings of a hive to the incredible diversit...
09/28/2026

Consider this your invitation to get a little bee-curious. 🐝

From the inner workings of a hive to the incredible diversity of bees around us, BEES! takes you inside the lives of some of nature’s smallest, busiest neighbours.

Come see BEES! at the PumpHouse, on now until Oct. 31.

BEES! was developed by the City of Surrey’s Museum of Surrey in collaboration with Honeybee Centre of Surrey and funded by the Government of Canada.

📷 STRUCKBLOG

Did you meet a beekeeper this summer? Taste local honey? Try your hand at beeswax candle making?These special programs h...
09/26/2026

Did you meet a beekeeper this summer? Taste local honey? Try your hand at beeswax candle making?

These special programs helped visitors dig a little deeper into the world of bees beyond the BEES! exhibition. They were part of the Education Hive, generously supported by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Thank you, TD, for helping us make this summer a little more hands-on—and considerably more bee-filled.

Address

23 Ontario Street
Kingston, ON
K7L2Y2

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

6135447867

Website

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