Partnering for arts and culture

Queen's main campus is in Kingston, Ontario and is open to the public to explore our historic buildings, contemporary centres of art and culture, and green spaces. Visitors can consult our campus map and self-guided walking and audio tours to discover Queen's key places, spaces, and landmarks, as well as access resources that help to provide an accessible visit. In-person campus tours are also regularly offered and led by current students to help familiarize visitors and community members with first-hand experiences of some of Queen's heritage buildings and iconic landmarks, as well as open outdoor spaces which comprise a unique landscape of rare and unique trees and are home to an exceptional collection of outdoor art of cultural significance.

The university also hosts a number of museums, exhibits, and galleries listed below that are free and open to the community.

Our largest art gallery, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre is a cultural hub for Kingston and surrounding communities. The museum’s collections number over 17,000 works, including cutting-edge contemporary art and fine examples of Canadian historical art, Indigenous art and historicized ancestors, as well as material culture, including the Collection of Canadian Dress and the Lang Collection of African Art. The Bader Collection focuses on 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting, including works by Rembrandt.

The Agnes hosts a variety of community and youth programming aimed at promoting a love of art across all ages. Community members are invited to participate in an assortment of tours and workshops, as well as summer art camps for youth and teens.

Paintbrush36,000+ annual visitors

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre has 36,000+ annual visitors

Music note40,000+ annual visitors

The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts has 40,000+ annual visitors

Letters

Queen’s University proudly hosts a collection of our city’s history, with the Official City of Kingston Archive housed in Queen’s University Archives Building. Currently, Queen’s University Archives is working with local partners to capture digital records that will help to teach future generations about the effects of COVID-19 on the university and Kingston community.

Isabel Bader

The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts is a home for the creative arts at Queen’s and a hub of vibrant artistic study, performances, festivals, creation, and multi-platform arts sharing for our community. Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario. The Isabel brings together exceptional spaces and inspiring programming with a
captivating sense of place to create a dynamic arts nexus for our students and community.

Archives

The City of Kingston Archive contains over 200 meters of records from 1838 to 1998, including City Council minutes, agenda and by-laws, administrative and financial records, census records, city planning records, maps, and photographs.

Handshake

Queen’s University Archives partners with the City of Kingston, Kingston General Hospital, Frontenac County, and the International Hockey Hall of Fame.

Initiatives

Providing art and cultural experiences for art lovers of all ages.

Agnes Etherington Art Centre

Agnes Etherington Art Centre

A research-driven art museum, “The Agnes” features innovative exhibitions and programs and holds superb permanent and visiting installments of historical and contemporary art.

Visit the Agnes

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

Home of the creative arts at Queen’s and a hub of exhibition, the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts provides local Kingston residents the opportunity to appreciate the arts with a variety of performances offered annually featuring Queen’s students, faculty, and external performers.

Visit the Isabel

Sistema

Sistema Kingston music program

An intensive after-school music program offered by paid musical teachers with support from Queen’s Faculty of Education students, providing free musical education and instrument lending to students grades 2-6. The program uses music as a vehicle to teach valuable life skills to students in North Kingston and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Learn more about Sistema Kingston

Douglas Library

University Library and Archives

Open to the public, Queen’s libraries invite community members to utilize their staff, research collections, and facilities, including the City of Kingston Archive housed on Queen’s campus.

Learn more about the university's Library and Archives

Miller Museum of Geology

Miller Museum of Geology

Housed in Miller Hall, the museum is an attraction for all ages. Swing by for viewings of our beautiful collection of minerals and crystals from around the world and enjoy our interactive displays, such as digging for dinosaur fossils and playing in the Augmented Reality Sandbox.

Visit the Museum