Hands-on history

Explore the interactive exhibit galleries located at the Visitor Centre. Here, you’ll discover why Martello towers were once favoured by the Royal Engineers as well as see how the War of 1812 affected the city of Saint John.

Learning about the past can be fun! Take the arch-building challenge and see if you can construct an arch just like the Royal Engineers. Use the touch screen station to take a tour of Martello towers around the world, or follow the War of 1812 exploits of privateer, Captain John Harris, at the audio station. Brag to your friends that you now know what a stereoscope is!

Although visitors are not able to experience the tower’s interior, our Photo Tour display shows images from all four floors of the fort. A collection of artifacts from the barracks illustrate the daily life of the Victorian soldier living at Carleton Martello Tower. How many objects can you identify?