The City of Kingston is many things: an educational hub; a health care and innovation centre; and a tourism destination with a stunning waterfront and vibrant festivals. Among the many elements that make Kingston Kingston, there is one defining feature that remains less widely recognized — yet stands as one of its greatest superpowers: Kingston is Canada’s museum capital, with the highest number of museums per capita in the country.
This distinction reveals something essential about the city: Kingston’s identity is built on a simple but powerful truth — this city remembers. Its limestone walls, its waterfront, and its remarkably dense network of more than 24 museums and historic sites make Kingston a place that uses heritage to build community, fuel economic vitality, and shape a shared sense of pride. That cultural richness is not only a point of identity. It is a significant economic asset that drives partnership, business development, and civic pride.
Kingston’s rich museum and heritage sector, of which I am a proud member, does far more than preserve artifacts. Our museums function as social infrastructure, economic engines, educational anchors, and places where belonging is built. Their economic impact is undeniable: heritage and cultural tourism bring visitors who stay longer, spend more, and actively seek out authentic experiences rooted in Kingston’s story. Without Kingston’s museums, the opportunities for meaningful engagement—for both tourists and locals—would shrink, along with the economic benefits. When visitors come to Kingston, where do they go? They go to our museums and heritage sites. And in the shoulder and off-seasons, where do locals turn for connection and engagement? They visit these same museums, which host year-round events and programs that animate neighbourhoods and create the people-centred environment that businesses depend on.
Perhaps the most transformative impact of Kingston’s museum ecosystem is social. Museums help build healthier, more resilient communities. They foster curiosity in children, spark shared experiences for families, and create networks that strengthen social cohesion. Take the Museum of Health Care, for example, which engages over 6,000 youth each year with Canada’s health care story and Kingston’s role in it, while also fostering their health literacy. When people feel connected to where they live, they participate more fully. When young people feel proud of their city and see themselves in its story, they are more likely to grow into the next generation of community builders and leaders. Belonging isn’t just an abstract feeling; it is a powerful form of social capital.
At a time when cities across Canada are searching for ways to strengthen community identity and economic resilience, Kingston offers a compelling example. Here, heritage is a living engine of creativity, entrepreneurship, and pride — and our museums are where that engine is constantly in motion. They translate memory into meaningful experiences, economic opportunity, and a deeper sense of belonging. That is what truly makes Kingston Canada’s museum capital: a city where museums don’t simply preserve the past, but actively shape the future of our community, our economy, and our shared story.
I invite you to experience this for yourself: visit Kingston’s museums, partner with them, bring your family and colleagues, and join us in celebrating — and investing in — the city’s greatest superpower: harnessing memory as an economic and social asset to shape our shared future.
Dr. Simge Erdogan-O’Connor Museum Director, Canadian Museum of Health Care
Article published in the January 2026 issue of the digital magazine We Are Kingston - Read it here!