Kingston Penitentiary
Canada's oldest maximum-security prison, operating from 1835 to 2013 and now open for guided historical tours.
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Share a photoHistory & haunting lore
Opened in 1835, Kingston Penitentiary housed some of Canada's most dangerous offenders for 178 years and weathered three major riots, including a 1971 hostage-taking that damaged much of the south wing. It closed permanently in 2013 and reopened soon after as a museum led by retired correctional officers, nurses, and wardens who share firsthand accounts of life behind its walls.
Local ghost-tour operators route past the prison's imposing gatehouse as part of Kingston's "haunted city" circuit, with claims of cold spots and footsteps in the old cellblocks. The official tour operator focuses on documented history rather than paranormal claims, letting the institution's genuinely turbulent past speak for itself.
Current site status
Open to the public exclusively through guided tours booked via Kingston Pen Tours; unaccompanied access is not permitted.