Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site

We visited the Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site during our East Coast trip. The tower itself was closed for renovations during our visit, but we still got to check out the Discovery Centre. They showed a short video about the tower and its history, which was really helpful. We were also able to visit the small museum on-site, which was a nice bonus. It’s a quick stop, you can walk around, look at the displays, and take a few photos without needing much time. Even with the tower closed, it was still interesting, and if you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.

For now (June 2025), at least, the tower is hidden behind construction scaffolding. The visitor center is open, with a history film on the war of 1812 and the construction of the tower. An okay activity to visit on a rainy day when you need to keep family entertained, but of course it will be better when the tower is open

This Martello Tower is a National Historic Site and has a splendid view of St. John and the harbour. It was built by the British during the War of 1812. In addition to the exhibits in the museum/visitor center, there is a restored powder magazine and barracks.

The Carleton Martello Tower was the first place that I stopped on my visit to Saint John and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're visiting the City by car. The tower offers an incredible view of the surrounding area with amazing views of the city skyline as well as of the harbor and the rest of the Bay of Fundy. Once you reach the site you can head into the building to learn more about the local history of the area as well as find out more information about the tower itself. There are plenty of informative signs and pamphlets that you can read as well as staff wandering around that are more than happy to talk to you and answer any of the questions that you might have. Unfortunately the actual Tower is under construction at the moment so you can't walk up to the very top but you can still walk around the bottom part of it where you can get a better look at the structure and still admire the incredible View. Depending on what time you visit there might be a gunpowder display which is a pretty cool interactive experience that's fun for both kids and adults. Parking is free.

We visited this place because it has one of the best views of the city and it was worth it. You can buy a ticket and listen to the story about this historic place, however, if you want to walk around or even sit outside the building it is free, and if the weather is nice, you can enjoy a lovely afternoon with your family.

Interesting history, an informative visitor's centre and great views of nature and the cityscape. You won't need to spend much time here, but it's a nice spot to take a few photos and learn a bit about the history of the region.

Carleton Martello Tower, at the top of the hill overlooking Saint John built in 1812. The tower was under restorations and primarily closed, so wasn't too much to see at the time. However, if you're interested in seeing the size and architecture and some history, definitely worth the visit.

So sad that they were doing construction so we were unable to go up the tower but the little museum inside was very interesting and packed with information. Staff was super friendly. Daughter was able to try on a uniform and they had a mini scavenger hunt in a booklet for kids and she received a dog tag at the end. If you're into history like my husband, you can probabaly spend an hour in there reading everything.