Become involved

Name: Ontario Heritage Trust
Address: 10 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3, Canada
Telephone: +1-416-325-5000
Price range: $

In-person events

How can my community become involved in Doors Open Ontario 2024?

Any community or cluster of communities may participate in Doors Open Ontario if they meet the following registration criteria:

an organizing committee must be formed; the committee should consist of a range of community partners, including (but not limited to) the heritage sector, tourism sector, municipal sector, corporate sector and community volunteers
one lead contact must be appointed by the local Doors Open organizing committee to coordinate, manage and act as liaison between the Ontario Heritage Trust and the participating community/community cluster
sites included in Doors Open events must be of historical, architectural or cultural significance (natural heritage sites and heritage gardens are eligible)
events must take place between April and October each year
communities must have the ability to open a minimum of 10 sites of historical, cultural and/or natural significance for public access during the same time period
admission to the main attraction at each participating property must be free to the public; sites that are normally open should consider opening an additional part of the property or arranging a special activity
the organizing committee agrees to acknowledge Doors Open Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust in all promotion and publicity materials produced for their local event

Digital events

Any community or individual site may participate in Digital Doors Open, keeping the following criteria in mind:

To be considered for inclusion in the Digital Doors Open program, site listings must contain digital content – including but not limited to virtual tours, videos (YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook), games and activities, and/or collections and resources. The Trust will work with you to identify potential content for your site, but you will be responsible for that content.
When considering whether to participate, keep the following in mind:
- Try not to replicate the in-person experience, where possible. Provide a truly unique digital experience for visitors – thereby making your site more memorable and engaging.
- Even if your site is not normally open or accessible to the public, gather resources that would provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to your site. A Digital Doors Open experience may be the only way that visitors can explore your site.
- Consider a YouTube or Facebook live-streaming event for a special tour or concert at your site. We can promote the listing and tease out the upcoming live-streaming event.
Digital site listings can be added here.
While there is no cost to add a digital listing to our website, you should where possible add a link and/or logo for Doors Open Ontario on your own website, with the words “As seen on Doors Open Ontario.” This enables valuable cross-promotion between our sites.
As the Digital Doors Open Ontario program is year-round, you can add digital content at any time. Note: It could take up to one month to process new listings, depending on volume, so try to make your submissions with ample time.
Consider seasonal activities at your site, too. For example, a park or conservation area may offer unique winter activities versus summer offerings. You may wish to submit a new listing to support different seasons.
When including images with your listing submission, we ask that you send no more than five but no less than one. Please ensure that the images are high-res and that you have rights/permissions to use them. (For more information on copyright)