Mission: To inspire an enduring connection to the maritime heritage of Kingston and the Great Lakes.

Vision: To be Canada's premier museum for studying, exhibiting and preserving the maritime heritage of Kingston and the largest body of inter-connected fresh water lakes in the world.

Over 4,000 Objectsand art in our Artefact Collection

More than 3,500 linear feet of Records in our Archival Collection

More than 50,000 Ship Plans in our collection

A broad range of instruments, Tools and equipment used by mariners and shipbuilders

More than 31,000 Photos professional and amateur over many decades

Marine Museum of the Great Lakes

at Kingston

53 Yonge Street, Kingston, Ontario K7M 6G4

613 542-2261

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Education

We are now offering curriculum-based outreach education programs about environmental issues in the Great Lakes Basin. For more information, please contact:

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613-542-2261

Museum Hours

The Marine Museum is CLOSED

due to the Covid-19 virus until further notice.

Welcome to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes

Where is the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes? The Marine Museum has moved from the Kingston Dry Dock site at 55 Ontario St. to a new site at 53 Yonge St., at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Kingston. The museum ship Alexander Henry is no longer on display.

Why did the Marine Museum move? The Marine Museum was founded in 1975. Originally located at 55 Ontario St. at the first federal dry dock on the Great Lakes, the Marine Museum closed its doors at the site when the federal government sold the property, ending the previous lease arrangement of forty years. The museum vacated the property in August 2016.

The City of Kingston generously provided free storage of the collections and a new office and exhibit gallery space at its building at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, beside the Kingston Marina Office. The collections have been safely placed in storage.

What's happening now? The Marine Museum is pleased to announce that through as a result of an extremely generous benefactor donation the Museum has been able to purchase its historic site at 55 Ontario Street!

What’s next? The Marine Museum will remain open at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour location and continue to maintain the collections while we plan for a new revitalized and re-imagined Marine Museum to reopen at our original site. Stay tuned for updates!

In the meantime, THE MUSEUM IS OPEN with a new exhibit in a reduced gallery space and will provide community outreach programming to the Kingston community and continue to fulfill our mission. Admission to the new museum gallery is FREE!

To read more about our Strategic Vision for an exciting new museum, click here.

About the Marine Museum Collections