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

PumpHouse

Name: PumpHouse
Address: 23 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON, K7L2Y2, CA
Telephone: 6135447867
Price range: $

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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 (Soon to be BEES!)

06/19/2026

The PumpHouse has bee-come a little more lively.
Okay, a lot more lively.

BEES! is a family-friendly, interactive exhibition with giant honeycombs, waggle dances, and hive science and it's open now at the PumpHouse

Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4lblhoP

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

06/18/2026

Kingston waterfront, c. 1918–1930
This photograph shows the PumpHouse during the early 20th century, when it stood alongside other active industrial sites on Kingston’s waterfront. The building in the background bears the sign for Canadian Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., a company name in use after 1918, helping to date the image.

At this time, the PumpHouse was still closely tied to the city’s working infrastructure, surrounded by shipbuilding, pipes, rail lines, and utility corridors. Long before it became a museum, this area was a dense industrial landscape supporting Kingston’s growth.

06/17/2026

Trains & Tots: Locomotive Letters is chugging in on June 23! 🚂🔤
Explore letters with a train-themed song, an alphabet read-aloud, a playful obstacle course, and a “letter smokestack” craft to take home.

Highlights:
Alphabet story time + train song
Obstacle course adventure
Make a letter smokestack craft
✅ Pre-register to save your spot!
https://bit.ly/4taYprZ

06/16/2026

Fun fact: Bees communicate directions by dancing. Yes, really.

They do a waggle dance to tell the hive where the good flowers are (iconic behaviour).

Try it yourself in BEES! now open at the PumpHouse Museum.

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.

https://www.kingstonpumphouse.ca/bees

06/15/2026

💧 Water Warriors is back at the PumpHouse!
This five-week summer program for kids aged 4–7 blends hands-on learning with water conservation and eco-awareness. Each session includes fun experiments, storytelling, crafts, and play—designed to spark curiosity and a love for protecting our planet.

🗓️ Wednesdays, 10:30–11:15 | July 15 – Aug 19, 2026
Learn more: https://bit.ly/46Mpyrw(link in bio)

06/13/2026

Busy Bees: Fly, Sip, Stir! is flying into the PumpHouse on June 17! 🍯🐝
How do bees make honey? Children will pretend to be busy bees as they fly from flower to hive, collect nectar, and work together to turn it into honey. This session is packed with imaginative movement, hands-on discovery, and a sweet surprise along the way.

Highlights:
Pretend-play journey from flower to hive
Hands-on discovery: nectar-to-honey “process”
Movement games that encourage cooperation and imagination
✅ Register now: https://bit.ly/49Iq509

The PumpHouse is grateful to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their support of the Education Hive and associated programming.

06/12/2026

Trains & Tots: Trainbow is rolling in on June 16! 🌈🚂
This week celebrates colour and inclusivity! Tots will enjoy a train-themed read-aloud, match colourful objects to train cars, and make friendship bracelets to share.

Highlights:
Celebrate colours through matching games
Train-themed story time
Create friendship bracelets to share
✅ Pre-register to save your spot!
https://bit.ly/4bARUsQ

06/10/2026

The Fiery Heart of the PumpHouse: Our Boilers!
Step into the engine room's fiery counterpart: the Boiler Room! This massive structure, with its impressive furnace fronts, is where all the magic—and immense power—begins for the

♨️ From Fire to Force!

Steam Generators: These aren't just big ovens! Inside, huge boilers heated water to generate the high-pressure steam that was the only source of power for our giant pumping engines. No steam, no water for the city!

Fueling Kingston: Historically, dedicated crews would have shovelled tons of coal (or wood) into these furnaces, keeping the fires burning 24/7 to meet the city's water demand.

Safety First: That round gauge on the wall is a crucial steam pressure gauge. Boiler operators had to constantly monitor it to ensure efficient operation and, most importantly, safety!

06/09/2026

We promise this exhibition won’t drone on.
BEES! brings hands-on learning, giant models, and hive science to the PumpHouse.

Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4lblhoP (link in bio)

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

06/08/2026

Want to watch bees at work?

BEES! includes a Live Hive Cam, plus interactives like the giant honeycomb and Bee I.D. Spinner.
Now open at the PumpHouse Museum in Kingston — come see what all the buzz is about and learn more while you explore.

https://www.kingstonpumphouse.ca/bees

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.

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

http://www.KingstonPumpHouse.ca/

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