Kingston City Hall is one of the finest examples of neoclassical civic architecture in Canada. Designed by architect George Browne and completed in 1844, it sits on a full city block facing Lake Ontario at the foot of the Market Square — a location that makes it the visual centrepiece of downtown Kingston. The domed building in pale limestone, with its colonnaded facade and prominent position, was built to befit a national capital, which Kingston briefly was.
The adjacent Market Square is where Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867. Today the square is still a gathering place — it hosts a farmers market and community events. The interior of City Hall is open to visitors and contains Memorial Hall, with twelve stained glass windows honouring soldiers from the First World War. The waterfront path along the lake runs directly behind.