Welcome to the Murney Tower Museum!
A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Operated by the Kingston Historical Society since 1925.
About Us
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.
Announcements
Upcoming Events
Summertime at Murney Tower Museum means lots of great events! Here’s what’s happening in July and August:
Sunday, July 27 from 7:00-9:30 PM: A special evening cruise on Lake Ontario, commemorating 100 years of Murney Tower Museum and 50 years of the Island Queen. See event page for details.
Friday, August 1 from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Join us for an interactive read-along of our children’s book The Time-Travelling Adventures of Mr. Murney at the Visitor Information Centre (209 Ontario St.) in partnership with Tourism Kingston. Admission is free. No registration required.
Saturday, August 9 from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM: An all-day birthday celebration for Murney Tower Museum! Enjoy a full day of family-friendly activities, live entertainment, local food vendors, and exciting crafts — all in honour of a century of history at Murney Tower! See event page for details.
Strategic Plan Survey
We’re working on our 2026-2031 Strategic Plan and we need your help! We want to know what we’re doing right and what opportunities we have to improve Murney Tower Museum over the next five years.
The survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete. Completing the survey provides you with the chance to win a gift card!
Click here to take our survey and let us know what you think!
2024 Annual Report
Our 2024 Annual Report is now live! Find out more about our mission, our operations, and the ways we strive to serve the community.
To read our current and past Annual Reports, click here.
Centennial Celebrations
Murney Tower Museum will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025! To commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime event, we are planning a series of community activities and events that will occur throughout 2025.
To learn more about our Centennial Initiative and to donate to our Love Murney campaign, click here.
Visitor Information
Murney Tower Museum is OPEN! Join us from 10-5 every day throughout the summer.
We acknowledge that Murney Tower Museum is situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe. We recognize that this is shared land through the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Covenant with Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee nations hundreds of years ago. We are grateful to continue to share this land to teach, learn, celebrate, and live.
Murney Tower Museum acknowledges with thanks the continued financial support of the City of Kingston, Tourism Kingston, and the Kingston and Area Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites.
