Retired correctional officers, nurses, and staff bring the history of Canada’s oldest maximum-security prison to life
KINGSTON, ON, May 13, 2025 – Kingston Pen Tours has officially reopened for the 2025 season and is now welcoming visitors seven days a week for another unforgettable year of storytelling, history, and behind-the-walls exploration.
Offering fully guided tours in both English and French, Kingston Pen Tours takes guests inside the walls of Canada’s oldest and most known maximum-security prison. From its imposing architecture to its infamous past, the experience offers a great variety of historical insight. Guests can choose from three unique experiences: Standard Tour (1.5 hrs), Extended Tour (2.5 hrs), and Express Tour (45 min).
What truly sets Kingston Pen Tours apart, however, are the people who lead it.
Behind every tour is a passionate team of retired correctional staff, including officers, nurses, chaplains, wardens, parole officers, and supervisors. While you may not meet each of them on every tour, their stories are thoughtfully retold by our knowledgeable Tour Guides who bring their experiences to life. Many of these individuals lived and worked through some of the institution’s most significant and infamous moments, like the escape of Ty Conn, and have returned year after year to share their knowledge and insight with visitors. Kingston Pen Tours is proud to report a remarkable 96% staff retention rate for the 2025 season.
These returning team members bring unmatched authenticity and experience to every tour. Since the tours began in 2016, many of these professionals have remained a core part of the program, with their expertise expanding each season. Their ability to answer questions, often beyond what’s in the tour script, gives guests an unparalleled opportunity to better understand the correctional system, the facility’s history, and the lives of those who lived and worked behind its walls.
Becoming a member of the Kingston Pen Tours team is no small task. New staff undergo extensive training that includes studying tour material, completing quizzes and tests, shadowing experienced guides, and practicing delivery, all to ensure guests receive a high-quality and respectful experience.
“We’re incredibly proud of our team,” said Greg Gouthro, Manager, at Kingston Pen Tours. “Many of our retired correctional staff aren’t just knowledgeable, they’re part of the story. Their willingness to return each season, to share their experiences, to share their knowledge with our staff and to help guests understand this complex chapter of Canadian history is what makes our tours truly special.”
While guests are encouraged to ask questions, we respectfully ask that they allow retired staff to share only what they are comfortable discussing from their personal experiences.
Tours are thoughtfully designed and easily adapted for group bookings and accessibility needs. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, there’s always another perspective, another story, another question to be answered. Many guests return to experience more, starting with the Express Tour and coming back for the Extended! Parking is available at no charge on site and City of Kingston residents can take advantage of a 20% local resident discount.
For more information and to book your 2025 tour, visit www.kingstonpentour.com.
About Kingston Pen Tours
Kingston Pen Tours offer an in-depth look at life behind the walls of Canada’s oldest maximum-security prison. A National Historic Site, the Kingston Penitentiary played a prominent societal role on a local and national scale, from the time of its inception in 1835, to its principal role under the newly formed federal government in 1867 to its final day of operations in September 2013 as a maximum-security level facility. Today’s guided tours and first-hand accounts from retired corrections staff provide guests with a blend of the historic, cultural and criminological components of this storied institution, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.
Media Contact
Amanda Liebeck
Communications & Media Relations
St. Lawrence Parks Commission
Stay Connected
Kingston Pen Tours
Facebook: @KingstonPenTour
X: @KingstonPenTour
Instagram: @KingstonPenTour
#KingstonPen