Bellevue House renewal

Old look, new feel

The historic Bellevue House was closed from 2018 and re-opened May 2024. During this time, it went through an extensive restoration and renewal process. All the exhibits and programming within the house have been completely updated.

Bellevue House is a symbol of the Victorian period. Built at the beginning of the 1840s it was in an emerging suburb that was a popular area for Kingston’s wealthy and political elite who wished to escape the crowded city centre.

For decades, historians, political experts, and the public have discussed Sir John A. Macdonald’s life and career. Today, more layers of history have been added to the stories shared at the site.  Visitors will hear from many voices that speak about Macdonald’s influence in shaping Canada. No single perspective tells the whole truth, but together, the conversations illuminate a complicated history. 

The main floor immerses visitors into life in Kingston in the 1840s with a focus on Macdonald, his family, and the connections of home, status, and privilege in Victorian society. As visitors move to the upper levels, the focus shifts to Sir John A. Macdonald’s political career, his place in Canada’s colonial history and the impacts on communities.

At different points during Macdonald’s time in politics, there were distinct norms and rules for who could take part in political decision-making. Some communities, including Indigenous Peoples, women, and racialized Canadians, struggled for an equal voice. Colonial values embedded in many laws and political practices have negatively impacted generations. As the leader of his party and the country, Macdonald wrote and endorsed many regulations, acts, and policies that continue to impact communities across Canada to this day.  As part of the experience, visitors are invited to engage with objects, recordings, oral histories, written documents, and photographs from Macdonald’s life.

The stories being presented at Bellevue House are as much about personal identity as they are about national identity. Canada is difficult to define—it cannot be summarized by a single moment, culture, or person. A constantly evolving place, even before it became a country in 1867, Canada is as Macdonald has been remembered, constantly changing over time. 

Through the experiences at Bellevue House, visitors engage with different viewpoints on history. They are also invited to participate by sharing their thoughts and becoming part of a larger discussion about Canadian history.