Bellevue House National Historic Site, Kingston

4 more images

Bellevue House was once home to John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister. Its serene gardens, whimsical Italianate architecture, and beautiful interior are truly a sight to behold. It feels like stepping back in time, with its costumed interpreters dressed period costumes from the 1840’s.

The site is kid-friendly, with colouring pages and treasure hunts available. The staff hands out small toys as prizes for trivia games and there are puppets for the kids to play with.
My favourite part about the site is the vegetable garden, cultivated with the same organic, pesticide-free and chemical-free methods of the 1840’s era. The lawns are even trimmed with scythes! (as lawnmowers hadn’t been invented then). There are friendly tour guides dressed in period costumes.

Fees are reasonable from $3.90 for adults, $1.90 for youth, $3.40 for seniors, and $9.80 for families and groups.

Bellevue house is truly a memorable experience for the whole family.

Victoria Day Weekend to Canada Day
Open Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Canada Day to Labour Day
Open daily, including statutory holidays
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Labour Day to Thanksgiving
Open Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

4 more images

I love Bellevue House so much that I have attended many of their special events. I really enjoyed the afternoon tea. The scones and shortbread are amazing! Also there is no admission on Canada Day, and there were many great organized activities.

Bellevue House was once the home of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. Restored to the 1840's period, and staffed by costumed interpreters, the house and gardens are kept much as they would have been during the time that Macdonald lived here with his wife and infant son.

If you walk around historic Kingston, you'll notice plenty (PLENTY) of interpretation panels pertaining to the life of Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.

Even though the MacDonalds didn't stay at Bellevue House for very long, Parks Canada chose to turn this beautiful Italian Villa into a museum because of its interesting architecture. The staff in period costumes are very knowledgeable and entertaining, which makes it a fun way to discover more - or shed some of the rumours - about the man featured on our five dollar bills.

A former home of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. McDonald, it's now one of Canada's National Historic Sites. The house is restored to the days of the 1840's and staff wear clothing from that time period.