Founded in 1673, the city has many historic buildings. Because of its strategic location, Kingston is an important military location. Formerly called Fort Frontenac, Kingston was the first capital of United Canada from 1841 to 1844. It is home to Fort Henry and the Rideau Canal, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Canadian Forces Base Kingston is now home to land force units, the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics, the Canadian Forces Communications Museum and the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC).

Kingston is a popular tourist destination, partly because it is located in the Thousand Islands region. It is nicknamed the "limestone city" because of the many historic buildings made from the local stone. In addition to numerous museums, Kingston is home to Queen's University, RMC and St. Lawrence College. One of the oldest radio stations in the world, CFRC, is part of Queen's University and takes its name from the "Canada’s Famous Rugby Champions".

The Great Lakes are considered the most dangerous waters in the world. Windstorms can suddenly occur and thousands of ships have sunk in the deep, cold waters of these lakes. The eastern end of Lake Ontario and the neighboring part of the St. Lawrence River are believed to have over 400 wrecks. It is estimated that over a hundred are in the Kingston area. There are more than a dozen in sight of the city.

Dive sites around Kingston cater for divers of all skill levels. Some wrecks are deep and require technical diving skills, while other dive sites are used for training open water divers. The water remains cold below the thermocline during the diving season, which is primarily May through October. Deep sites are often in perfect condition with little deterioration.