Murney Tower Museum National Historic Site of Canada

Murney Tower Museum is Kingston’s first and oldest museum. The Tower was built in 1846 as part of a series of defensive works erected by the British Government in Kingston as a response to the Oregon Crisis. It is one of nine Martello Towers that still exist in Canada, and one of four that still exist in Kingston today. The Tower was occupied by military units until 1885, and, after decades spent empty, officially opened as a museum in 1925. Since then, the Kingston Historical Society has been operating the museum, which captures the military history of Kingston. Murney Tower’s collections consist of military and domestic artifacts of 19th century Kingston. Originally a museum of curios and local history deposited by the interested citizens of Kingston, the focus of the museum has later shifted to the military history of Kingston. Today the Tower is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Site, which is home to over 1,000 artifacts, including artillery, ammunition, and everyday households from the 1800s, that capture the unique history of Kingston. Thanks to the dedication of the Kingston Historical Society and generous donations of locals, the museum has remained an important landmark ninety-five years later.