This former military base in Prince Edward County has been turned into a cultural playground

Long rows of concrete barracks sprawl across a 70-acre plateau on the edge of Picton. Some have been buffed into sleek venues; others are quietly crumbling, with peeling paint, boarded windows and crooked chimneys. Welcome to Base31, Prince Edward County’s most unexpected cultural destination: a semi-preserved military relic that’s part Second World War ghost town, part creative playground.

The site has had three distinct lives. First, it was an air-training base during World War II—hence the barracks—but after the Cold War, it morphed into a scrappy business park and small airport. Now, it’s in the midst of its most ambitious reinvention yet: a cultural campus helmed by PEC Community Partners that’s part art park, music venue, museum, food hall and family attraction.

Over the past four years, the grounds have been steadily reanimated. There’s a whimsical sensory garden with fairy houses, a mud kitchen and a giant sandbox. A former hangar is now Exhibition Hall, a hands-on museum with interactive displays and a vintage Lancaster Bomber. Escape rooms, built into original military buildings, offer history-flavoured puzzles for all ages. But the biggest draw may be the summer music lineup: Charlotte Cardin, Marianas Trench, Elliott Brood and Men Without Hats are among the CanCon names hitting the stage over the next few weeks.

Related: Inside a picturesque converted schoolhouse in Prince Edward County

Shows take place on two very different stages: the Drill Hall, a massive former military gym that’s been completely overhauled with an impressive sound system, a boozy patio and space for 1,500 concert-goers, and the Sergeants Mess Hall, a 170-seat venue inside a restored 1939 building that once served as a prestigious officers’ club. Both spaces were originally part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s No. 31 Bombing and Gunnery School—the namesake of Base31.

There’s always something happening in the galleries too. Melt Studio and Gallery includes two rentable exhibition spaces, so you might stumble into a polished solo show or a glorious DIY mess, but that unpredictability is part of the appeal.

And if you’re not here for the art or the music, that’s no problem. The Commissary is an open-air food hall where county wines and cocktails flow alongside lobster rolls, Cubanos and smoked brisket—all served out of five upcycled shipping container kitchens.