Downtown Charlottetown: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Welcome to Charlottetown, the charming capital city of Prince Edward Island! On this walking tour through Downtown, you’ll explore the historical and cultural treasures that make this city so special.

Our 75-minute walk starts and ends at Port Charlottetown, you'll hear how Prince Edward Island was discovered by Europeans, and then handed over to British landlords. You’ll find out how the islanders gained their independence, tiptoed on the brink of bankruptcy, and what eventually convinced them to join the Confederation.

On this tour, you'll pass by the Founders Food Hall and Market and hear about it while you walk.

Along the way, I’ll show you St Dunstan’s Basilica, one of only 26 basilicas in Canada, and one of the most visible landmarks in the city.

As you take in Downtown Charlottetown, you’ll have a chance to explore the Confederation Center of the Arts, a cultural center dedicated to Canadian visual and performing arts, where productions of Anne of Green Gables (the world’s longest continuous-running musical) were held annually until the pandemic hit

You’ll also see the birthplace of the Canadian Confederation, Province House National Historic Site, one of the oldest functioning parliamentary buildings in the world.

You'll have an opportunity to take in Charlottetown City Hall and hear its history while you walk.

Take in a few of the city’s hidden quirks, including a canon planted in the sidewalk, and statues of Eckhart, the mouse from David Weale’s best seller The True Meaning of Crumbfest. You'll see him outside the St James Presbyterian Church

As you take in Downtown Charlottetown, you’ll have a chance to visit the largest and the smallest churches on the island, St. Dunstan’s Basilica Cathedral and All Souls Chapel.

See St Peter's Cathedral, and hear its history while you walk.

See Government House and hear its history while you walk.

After taking in the Beaconfield Historic House, you'll discover how the PEI Railway became one of the world’s most crooked rail beds with a third of its total line made up of curves

As you take in Downtown Charlottetown, you’ll have a chance to find out about the last public execution in the province in Connaught Square, where convict George Dowie was hung three times before being declared dead

As you take in Downtown Charlottetown, you’ll have a chance to stroll past COWS ice-cream parlor, Lobster on the Wharf restaurant, and the Culinary Institute of Canada, where you can discover local cuisine

As you take in Downtown Charlottetown, you’ll have a chance to hear about the ghosts who foretold the tragedy of the burning phantom ship, and an exiled Irish God who lurks in the rocks near the Irish Settlers Monument

As you wander through Charlottetown Marina, Peakes Quay, and down the vibrant pedestrian street, Victoria Row, you’ll learn all about the city’s founding, and Canada’s early history.