# Kingsville (Ontario)

Kingsville is a town of about 22,000 people (2021) in Essex County, on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is home to the Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village and to Colosanti Tropical Gardens.

## Understand

In addition to the primary settlement at Kingsville, the municipality also includes the smaller communities of Cedar Beach, Cedar Island, Cedarhurst Park, Cottam, Klondyke, Linden Beach, North Ridge, Olinda, Ruthven and Union. The community of Albuna is on the boundary between Kingsville and Leamington, and the communities of Arner and Elford are on the boundary between Kingsville and Essex.
The Town of Kingsville was reincorporated in 1999 to combine the former townships of Gosfield North and Gosfield South, the Village of Cottam, and the Hamlet of Ruthven with former Town of Kingsville.

### Visitor information

* Town of Kingsville Tourism
* 42.0366-82.739971 Tourist Information Centre, 28 Division St S (Carnegie Arts & Visitor Centre), ☏ +1 519-733-6250. (updated Mar 2023)

## Get in
### By car

Kingsville is 40 km southeast of Windsor (Ontario) along Highway 3 and County Road 29.

### By bus

LTW Transit connects Kingsville to Leamington and Windsor.

### By boat

* 42.0262-82.73111 Pelee Island Ferries (Kingsville Government Dock). Ferry service to Pelee Island and Sandusky, Ohio available from late August. From April until August, the ferry serves Leamington. The ferries do not serve Sandusky from mid-September to December, but still connect Pelee Island to Kingsville. (updated Mar 2023)

### By plane

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is in Windsor. Detroit's airport is not far away.

## Get around

* Kingsville's Patterson Taxi, ☏ +1 519-733-2355. (updated Aug 2018)
* Aqua Taxi, ☏ +1 519-326-1212. (updated Aug 2018)

## See

* 42.078233-82.8251021 Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village, 6155 Arner Townline, County Road 23, ☏ +1 519-776-6909. W-Su 9AM-4PM, Heritage village May-Oct. Classic, antique, and vintage vehicles from the 19th and 20th century, from horse drawn wagons to a 1992 Dodge Viper -- race cars, hot rods, cabriolets, open touring, early brass era, roadsters, convertibles, hard tops, pick up trucks, tractors, wagons, motorcycles, bicycles, pennyfarthings, and vehicles of all sorts. Heritage Village is a collection of over 20 heritage buildings from the early 1800s to the 1930s. Each building is displayed with authentic furniture, artifacts and historical items of the day. Emergency Medical Services Museum displays ambulances and other emergency medical vehicles, switch boards, equipment, sirens, lights, uniforms, from the 1940s to the 1980s. Motorcycle museum. 1950s diner inside the main building. $6. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.063109-82.6760332 Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, 1550 Road 3 E, ☏ +1 519-326-3287. Restaurant: 8AM-6PM. Zoo, mini golf, arcade, retail plants & home décor shop: M-Th 9AM-5PM, F-Su 9AM-6PM. Rides daily 10AM-5PM. The gardens have many varieties of tropical plants and animals. 15 temperature-controlled greenhouses. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.06584982.7505453 Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary, 360 Road 3 W (turn right at Wilkinson Road across from the old Leamington Arena), ☏ +1 519-733-4034. Museum & house mid-May to early Sep: Su–Th 10AM-5PM. Museum, turkey vultures, ducks, geese, various small birds and peacocks. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.032788-82.7388224 Kingsville Historical Park, 145 Division St S, ☏ +1 519 733-2803. M Tu Th-Sa 9AM-4PM. The military museum holds collections regarding the United Empire Loyalists and artifacts and information on the people of Essex County and their involvement in the defence of their country in the Fenian Raids, Boer War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Cold War, peacekeeping, Bosnia, Afghanistan. (updated Aug 2018)

## Do

* Kingsville Annual Migration Festival, various locations, ☏ +1 519-733-2305. 3rd weekend in October. Trivia night, parade, photography competition and sale, children's events, marketplace. (updated Aug 2018)
* Cottam Horse Show and Tractor Pull Late September.
* Ruthven Apple Festival, Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens. Last weekend in September. Country breakfast at 8AM. Apple Festival parade begins at 10:30am from the little hamlet in Ruthven (look for the signs) and leads into the festival grounds at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens. Weekend-long musical entertainment, inflatables for children, the Apple Festival Car Show, over 100 craft and food vendors, and the farmers market filled with all the bounty of Essex County. (updated Aug 2018)
* Fantasy of Lights Usually November 18-January 7.
* 41.93188-82.512971 Point Pelee National Park. The visitor centre is open from mid April to late October. One of Canada's smallest national parks, attracts approximately 300,000 visitors each year. The tip is the southernmost point in mainland Canada. The free shuttlebus take you from the visitor centre to the tip every 15 minutes. $7.80. (updated Oct 2018)
* Kingsville Folk Music Festival, Lakeside Park, 315 Queen Street, ☏ +1 519-982-7436. Second weekend of August. world-class folk, acoustic and world music, with an emphasis on Canadian artists One day $40, three days $95. (updated Aug 2018)
* Kingsville Christmas House Tours, 31 Queen Street, ☏ +1 519-733-6250. On a weekend in late November, tour a number of beautiful homes and venues professionally decorated for Christmas, part of an annual fundraiser. The Christmas market is free to enter, featuring local artisans. $25.

## Buy

* Action Hobbies Kingsville, 197 Lansdowne Avenue, ☏ +1 519-733-2169. Model and hobby shop
* Chiaroscuro, 11 Main St E, ☏ +1 226-347-6416. M-F 10AM – 5PM, Sa 11AM – 4PM. A fine art supply store and artists' showroom. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.035889-82.715011 Cindy's, 585 Seacliff Drive (East of Kingsville), ☏ +1 519 733-9425. M-F 9:30AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Olive oil tastings, ice cream and interior decoration (updated Oct 2018)

## Eat

* 42.032487-82.7360571 Mettawas Station Mediterranean Restaurant, 169 Lansdowne Ave, ☏ +1 519-733-2459. Su noon-8PM, Tu-Th 11:30AM-8PM, F 11:30AM-9PM, Sa noon-9PM. Italian and Mediterranean. Pastas $18-24, pizza $15-18, mains $28-36. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.038013-82.7401252 Merlis' Eatery & Beverage House, 4 Main St W, ☏ +1 519-733-0110. M-Th 11AM-8PM, F Sa 11AM-9PM. Cafe with dinner options, vegan and vegetarian choices, local beer and wine. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.028108-82.737033 Beach House Grill, 70 Park Street, ☏ +1 519-712-9335. Tu-Th Su 8AM - 8PM, F Sa 8AM - 9PM. Sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, Italian, seafood, wraps, salads. $15 mains. (updated Aug 2018)

## Drink

* 42.036715-82.7394711 Jack’s Gastropub, 31 Division St S, ☏ +1 519-733-6900. M-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-8PM. Serving their own Banded Goose Brewing Co. beer. $20 mains. (updated Aug 2018)

### Wineries

* Aleksander Estate Winery, 1542 County Rd 34, Ruthven, ☏ +1 519-326-2024. White and red wine varieties, and fruit wines. Tasting room. (updated Aug 2018)
* Black Bear Farms Inc., 1137 County Road 20 West, ☏ +1 519-733-6289. A family-owned and -operated winery on the family farm. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.0625-82.6935052 Mastronardi Estate Winery, 1193 Road 3 East, ☏ +1 519-733-9463, toll-free: +1-800-320-5040. Daily 11AM-5PM. The 100-acre vineyard produces 18 varietals of vinifera. A tasting bar in a European-style wine boutique where a Mastronardi team member will assist you with wine selection. (updated Jul 2020)
* 42.036879-82.7215363 Pelee Island Winery, 455 Seacliff Drive, ☏ +1 519-733-6551. M-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Canada’s warmest and southernmost appellation. (updated Jul 2020)

## Sleep

* 42.038079-82.7389531 The Grove Hotel, 12 Main Street East, ☏ +1 519 712-9087. Attached to the "hip and historic" Grove New Pub, it aims to be "the next chapter of awesomeness", whatever that means. From $160. (updated Aug 2018)
* 42.035159-82.7578252 Adams Goldens Acres Motel, 438 County Road 20, ☏ +1 519-733-6531, toll-free: +1-888-234-6018. Unironically retro. Refrigerators in all units. Non-smoking. Wireless Internet access in all units. Cable TV. From $80. (updated Aug 2018)

## Go next

* Essex
* Leamington
* Sandusky visit Cedar Point
* Toronto
* Windsor 30 km