Discover Kingston

Kingston brings together a range of cultural highlights: Mayes Cottage tells the story of a house and its family, while the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct offers a year-round program of arts, culture and entertainment. The Living Museum of Logan is also located within the precinct. When planning your stay, you might first consider whether you’re especially interested in a historic house, events or a museum visit.

Mayes Cottage: a house with a story

The Mayes family built the well-preserved timber house in 1887. It was the family home for a century, and the house, outbuildings and grounds have changed little since. Mayes Cottage therefore focuses both on the family’s long history and on the largely preserved property. The house museum offers a tangible glimpse into the area’s past, rather than treating history as just an abstract period of time.

Logan City Council manages Mayes Cottage as a house museum, and it is open to the public. Admission is free, and visitors can picnic or take a guided tour. In 1992, the cottage was added to the Queensland Heritage Register. The family history, preservation of the historic property and opportunity to take a guided tour give visitors several ways to engage with the site. If you’re planning on taking a guided tour, check the relevant times in advance.

Culture and events

A cultural precinct on the historic site of the butter factory in Kingston offers a year-round program of arts, culture and entertainment. The Outdoor Stage is part of the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct and serves as a venue for national acts, major festivals and community events. This gives the precinct a different focus from Mayes Cottage: the precinct centres on cultural programs and events, while the cottage focuses on the history of a house and its residents.

Mayes Cottage also regularly hosts workshops and community events, including creative activities and occasions to commemorate Logan’s heritage. These offerings complement the precinct’s events focus with workshops and community activities. If you’re travelling for a particular act, festival or workshop, check its date when planning your trip.

Getting around

The Living Museum of Logan, located within the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct, is a 200 m walk from Kingston train station. A local cycling network also connects the precinct with key activity centres in Logan. These offer two different points of reference for your plans: the walking route leads from the station to the museum, while the cycle route connects the precinct with the activity centres.

When choosing a hotel, your main reason for visiting can be a useful starting point: Mayes Cottage offers house history and guided tours, while the precinct has a year-round cultural and events program. Consider what will shape your stay. If a particular program is important, check its date before planning your trip around it.

Explore more destinations: Dayboro, Macgregor, Ascot, Ipswich, Robertson, Zillmere, Redland Bay, Raceview

For the overview of the wider region: Brisbane.