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  • Bay of Quinte Branch, UELAC
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About Us

THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALIST HERITAGE CENTRE AND PARK

The UEL Heritage Centre and Park is a mixture of history, camping, and family fun, all in one location.  It is made up of 72 acres, located on the scenic shores of the Bay of Quinte, along the Loyalist Parkway (Hwy #33) in the historic village of Adolphustown.

The park is the site of the original landing of the first group of United Empire Loyalists, under Major Peter Vanalstine, which took place on June 16, 1784.  The first loyalists were settled on the grounds in tents, and spent their early days here before moving to their new homes.  The UEL Heritage Centre and Park is dedicated to the preservation of this important location, which included the first Loyalist Cemetery, established in 1784, and the oldest monument to the Loyalists in Canada, erected in 1884 for the Loyalist Centennial Celebrations.

         

The park was established as a family campground and day-use facility by the Province of Ontario in 1956 and has served as such since that time. Some of our visiting families have been coming to this spot for generations.  Campsites are available for overnight, weekly, or seasonal use.  Our beach and day-use area is ideally suited for family picnics and outings, as well as for larger groups, such as family reunions or church picnics.

        

For those interested in history, we have a museum dedicated to the Loyalists and early Ontario history, as well as a large library research room.  From time to time we host encampments by re-enactment groups to bring history to life on our grounds.

The UEL Heritage Centre & Park is owned and operated by the Bay of Quinte Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.

We are pleased to offer FAMILY CAMPING SINCE 1784!

We look forward to your visit.

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What’s New

  • PLEASE NOTE:  The UEL Heritage Centre & Park is currently closed for the 2022 season.  For camping inquiries, please email us at  camping@uel.ca. Our phones are not regularly monitored during our closed season.  For museum or branch contact us at 1784@uel.ca 
  • MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTRE is closed for the season until May, 2023.
  • FOR RESEARCHERS:  More surnames added in August 2022 on our list of genealogies and family histories in our library.  To view the surnames, go to our UEL Heritage Centre & Park menu and scroll down to Library & Research Centre.
  • For general inquiries or Bay of Quinte Branch UEL contact us at 1784@uel.ca 

 

  • UPCOMING DATES OF INTEREST:
  • Friday October 7 through Monday October 10, 2022, Thanksgiving Weekend will be final weekend for camping for 2022 season.
  • Saturday November 12, at 1:30PM Regular Branch meeting for Bay of Quinte UEL held at St.Matthews Church, Belleville, speaker is Doug Knutson, topic is The Story of Trenton: Hollywood North.  All welcome.
  • Saturday January 14, 2023 at 1:30PM Bay of Quinte UEL meeting held via ZOOM, speaker Phelps Bell talking on the history of the Bell Family of Quinte. Contact us for the zoom link.

 

  • NEW POSTINGS: See our Campground Activities Calendar Page for details on tentative campground events for 2022.
  • We would like to thank the following for their support:
    The Town of Greater Napanee
    Canadian Museums Association (Young Canada Works)
    Service Canada (Canada Summer Jobs)
    Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
  • Atura Power, Napanee
  • RTO9 Regional Tourism Organizations
United Empire Loyalist Heritage Centre and Park
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