Bellevue House, Victorian residence museum in Kingston, Canada

Bellevue House is an Italian Villa-style residence at 35 Centre Street in Kingston, Ontario, built around 1840 for merchant Charles Hales. Its asymmetrical design has an L-shaped plan with two wings extending from a square central tower, varied window and gable shapes, and several small balconies. The house has three main floors divided into seven levels, including a cellar kitchen and a basement laundry and storage area; the central tower's observation floor looks out over Lake Ontario.

The house was built in the 1840s and is known as the home where Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister, lived before Confederation. It changed hands several times after he left, fell into disrepair, and was eventually taken over by the federal government in the 20th century for restoration.

The house shows what daily life looked like for a wealthy family in mid-19th-century Canada, through rooms furnished with period clothing, tableware, and household objects. Each room reflects the habits and routines that shaped domestic life at the time.

The site is located in a residential part of Kingston and is easy to reach on foot or by car. Allow at least an hour to go through all the rooms comfortably, especially if you take part in any of the guided or interactive activities on offer.

The building is considered one of the earliest surviving examples of the Italianate villa style in Canada, a design that was rare in North America at the time. Its tower and wide verandas made it stand out sharply from the other houses in Kingston when it was built.