Doors Open Ontario presenting sponsor
Doors Open Ontario presenting sponsor

Viewing

Doors Open Ontario:

Ottawa

in-person event information

Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Doors Open Ottawa returns for another exciting year of honouring the built heritage and architecture in Ottawa!

Go behind the scenes of over 90 of Ottawa's most architecturally and culturally significant buildings — including embassies, theatres, sustainable farms and everything in between. Join us this year for exciting programming celebrating music in our nation's capital, with live performances, talks and more!

The full building list for Doors Open Ottawa will be available to the public on May 22. Visit our website for more information!


Close


Contact information

20 In-person Doors Open sites

Bytown Museum: Commissariat BuildingDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Bytown Museum: Commissariat Building

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Ottawa’s oldest stone building. The Bytown Museum offers tours of the Commissariat Building throughout the day. Come check out their new temporary exhibit and award-winning gallery renewal, a showcase of their historical costume collection and their vault. Enjoy a fresh lemonade next to the Ottawa lockstation, part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Videos
  • Virtual tours
  • Collections and resources
  • Kid-friendly

Contact info

1 Canal Lane
Ottawa, Ontario
https://bytownmuseum.com

Architecture

Year built: 1827
Building type: Historical landmark Museum
Architect: The Corps of the Royal Engineers, Thomas McKay

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

ByWard Market BuildingDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

ByWard Market Building

The ByWard Market has been Lowertown’s focal point since 1848. This particular site has served as a market since 1875. The present building is the fifth to house the market. Home to food merchants, specialty boutiques and artisans operating in indoor and outdoor spaces, the ByWard Market Building is a landmark. For Doors Open, enjoy special tours, displays and presentations.

  • Food vendors
  • National Historic Site (Canada)
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

55 ByWard Market Square
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.byward-market.com

Architecture

Year built: 1928
Building type: Attraction Commercial Food and drink Historical landmark
Architect: Richards and Abra, Barry Padolsky

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Canada Council Art BankDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Canada Council Art Bank

With over 17,000 artworks by over 3,000 artists, the Canada Council Art Bank houses the largest collection of contemporary Canadian art in the world. The collection houses paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and prints by emerging and established artists, including a significant number of Indigenous artists. The collection is also regularly featured at the Canada Council for the Arts main office.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Self-guided tours available
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Virtual tours
  • Collections and resources
  • Kid-friendly

Contact info

921 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
https://artbank.ca

Architecture

Building type: Museum Gallery

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Cancer Research Labs at The Ottawa HospitalDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Cancer Research Labs at The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital is a world leader in cancer research. During Doors Open, discover fascinating cancer research with a behind-the-scenes tour of a lab, and an opportunity to explore the lab’s high-tech tools. For safety reasons, visitors must be 16 years or older. Forty-minute guided tours leave every hour from the Cancer Centre lobby. Space is limited. Registration is required.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Videos
  • Virtual tours

Contact info

501 Smyth Road
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.ohri.ca/Programs/cancer_therapeutics

Architecture

Year built: 2011
Building type: Health-care facility

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Cumberland Heritage Village MuseumDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum provides visitors with an immersive, seasonal experience that showcases rural life in the 1920s and 1930s in Eastern Ontario. Tour an operational sawmill and blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse, a 1927 Imperial Gas garage, a 1904 church and family homes. This year, they are excited to welcome Ottawa Fire Services back to the museum.

  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Rental opportunities

Contact info

2940 Old Montreal Road
Cumberland, Ontario
https://ottawa.ca/cumberlandmuseum

Architecture

Year built: 1900s to 1939
Building type: Attraction Educational facility Historical landmark Historical house Museum Place of worship Schoolhouse Farm

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War MuseumDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum

The Diefenbunker is Canada’s most significant surviving Cold War artifact. It is an impressive four-storey underground facility that operated as the country’s central communications headquarters during the Cold War, ready at any moment in case of a nuclear attack. Now a museum, the Diefenbunker offers a one-of-a-kind experiential learning environment, coupled with award-winning programs, events and exhibitions. Registration required.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Adaptive reuse
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Videos
  • Virtual tours
  • Activities and games
  • Kid-friendly
  • 2024 theme: Adaptive reuse

Contact info

3929 Carp Road
Carp, Ontario
https://diefenbunker.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1961
Building type: Attraction Historical landmark Military Museum
Architect: Defense Construction Canada

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Gladstone Theatre, TheDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Gladstone Theatre, The

The Gladstone Theatre has been a theatre for over 40 years. Initially a garage, it was turned into a 230-seat theatre in 1983 by the Great Canadian Theatre Company, with further renovations in 2007. By 2016, it was regularly hosting 12 stylistically diverse theatre companies, with more than 27,000 tickets being sold per year. Come and explore this unique site!

  • Adaptive reuse
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Rental opportunities

Contact info

910 Gladstone Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.thegladstone.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1983; 2007
Building type: Theatre

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Herb Garden, TheDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Herb Garden, The

The Herb Garden is pleased not only to celebrate 30 years as a small family-run business operating a greenhouse in rural Ottawa, but also a 200-year-old farm property and heritage barns. During Doors Open Ottawa, visitors can explore the historical barns and learn about the family business before checking out the trails, labyrinth and garden.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Self-guided tours available
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Rental opportunities

Contact info

3840 Old Almonte Road
Almonte, Ontario
https://herbgarden.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1824
Building type: Commercial Historical landmark Farm
Architect: Michael Meehan

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Ingenium CentreDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Ingenium Centre

The Ingenium Centre houses Canada’s science and technology collection, with more than two million archival, trade literature and library materials, and more than 150,000 artifacts. The Centre provides a controlled environment to protect the artifacts for the benefit of generations to come. It is designed to properly house artifacts made of materials such as plastic, wood, paper, textiles and ivory.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

1865 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
https://ingeniumcanada.org/centre

Architecture

Year built: 2019

Architect: Diamond Schmitt

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-CarletonDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-Carleton

Established in 1992, the Jami Omar Mosque was located inside a renovated bungalow. But, in 2003, construction began on a new mosque located on the same property. Over the next 15 years, the new and much larger mosque was constructed. It provides various services for the community — including marriages, family counselling and funeral services.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Rental opportunities

Contact info

3990 Old Richmond Road
Ottawa, Ontario
http://www.jamiomar.org

Architecture

Year built: 2003
Building type: Place of worship

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Library and Archives Canada, TheDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Library and Archives Canada, The

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is located in a prominent structure, comprising two symmetrical four-storey wings that wrap around a central nine-storey tower block. This year, visitors are invited to stop by the building to learn about the LAC’s extensive services for the public and to hear more about their future home at Ādisōke, scheduled to open in 2026.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
https://library-archives.canada.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1967
Building type: Government building Historical landmark Library
Architect: Mathers and Haldenby

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Ottawa Glassblowing Co-opDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Ottawa Glassblowing Co-op

Founded in 2019, the Ottawa Glassblowing Co-op is located in the heart of Ottawa near Little Italy. Their mandate is to foster a glassblowing co-operative that operates inclusively to support the artistic creativity, learning and growth of its members and to educate the public in the art of glass. Come and see glassblowing demos by local artists!

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

957C Gladstone Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
https://ottawaglassblowing.ca

Architecture

Building type: Commercial Educational facility

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Ottawa Jail HostelDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Ottawa Jail Hostel

The Carleton County Jail was built in 1862 and was run as a prison for 110 years, with room for approximately 150 prisoners. In 1972, the jail was shut down due to inhumane conditions. But it was repurposed and opened a year later as this hostel. After a night in a real cell block, you can visit Ottawa’s main sites.

  • Adaptive reuse
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

75 Nicholas Street
Ottawa, Ontario
https://saintlo.ca/en/hostels/ottawa-jail

Architecture

Year built: 1862
Building type: Commercial Courthouse
Architect: Henry Horsey

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Ottawa Little TheatreDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Ottawa Little Theatre

The Ottawa Little Theatre, founded in 1913, is Canada’s longest continuously running community theatre. During Doors Open Ottawa, visitors will receive a guided, behind-the-scenes tour from one of the theatre’s dedicated volunteers. The tour will reflect an actor’s experience from first rehearsal to opening night and feature the talented production team who support them on that journey.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Rental opportunities

Contact info

400 King Edward Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.ottawalittletheatre.com

Architecture

Year built: 1972
Building type: Theatre
Architect: W.E. Fancott

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Ottawa School of ArtDoors Open Ottawa

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Ottawa School of Art

Located in the ByWard Market, this school is in a four-storey, three-bay stone building of solid appearance with a richly decorated principal façade. During Doors Open Ottawa, visitors can join school staff and students in the lobby as they celebrate the school’s 145th anniversary, or take a guided tour. Throughout the day, art and artifacts will be on display.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

35 George Street
Ottawa, Ontario
https://artottawa.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1917
Building type: Educational facility Gallery

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 01

Rideau Hall (Official Residence of the Governor General of Canada)Doors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Rideau Hall (Official Residence of the Governor General of Canada)

Rideau Hall has been the official residence of every Governor General of Canada since 1867, and their workplace since 1940. It has nearly two centuries of history, and has become an important gathering place and site of official activities. The grounds, the building and its interiors have evolved over time to reflect/reinforce Rideau Hall’s identity as a national symbol.

  • French services available
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • National Historic Site (Canada)
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.gg.ca/en/visit-us/rideau-hall

Architecture

Year built: 1838
Building type: Government building Historical landmark Historical house
Architect: Thomas McKay

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Suntech Greenhouses Ltd.Doors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Suntech Greenhouses Ltd.

Suntech is a commercial greenhouse that supplies Ottawa's grocery stores with tomatoes and cucumbers. They use hydroponics to reduce water consumption and give exact nutrients to the plants in conjunction with LED lights in certain crops. They also focus on providing the highest quality vegetables to local markets, meaning that their carbon footprint is reduced. Don’t miss the tasting tables!

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

5541 Doyle Road
Manotick, Ontario
https://www.facebook.com/suntechgreenhouses

Architecture

Year built: 1999
Building type: Commercial Food and drink Farm

Dates/hours open

Jun 02 - Jun 02

Supreme Court of CanadaDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Supreme Court of Canada

A tour of this site by one of the guide-interpreters is a unique way to learn about the building, its massive scale and commanding entrance hall. Architect Ernest Cormier’s art deco design enhances the natural beauty of the exquisite woods and marble interior. For Doors Open, only the Grand Entrance Hall and the Main Courtroom will be open.

  • French services available
  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms

Contact info

301 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
https://www.scc-csc.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1939
Building type: Courthouse Government building Historical landmark
Architect: Ernest Cormier

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Therapeutic Riding Association of Ottawa-Carleton (TROtt)Doors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Therapeutic Riding Association of Ottawa-Carleton (TROtt)

The capital region’s only therapeutic riding facility accredited by the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association provides therapeutic riding lessons and equine-assisted programming for children and adults with physical, developmental and learning disabilities. Situated on over 8 hectares (20 acres) of pasture and trails, this fully accessible facility includes an indoor and outdoor arena, box stalls and a classroom for additional programming.

  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Photography allowed

Contact info

6362 Bank Street, #1
Ottawa, Ontario
https://ottawatherapeuticriding.ca

Architecture

Building type: Educational facility Health-care facility

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02

Watson's MillDoors Open Ottawa

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario
  • Digital Doors Open Icon Ontario

Watson's Mill

Built in 1860 along the shores of the Rideau River, Watson’s Mill remains active as a water-powered flour mill. Nearby Dickinson House, built in 1867, displays the heritage home of the past mill owners. Dickinson Square is the only industrial heritage site in Ottawa. The site comes to life through tours by costumed interpreters and milling demonstrations.

  • Digital Doors Open
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Washrooms
  • Photography allowed
  • Virtual tours

Contact info

5525 Dickinson Street
Manotick, Ontario
https://watsonsmill.com

Architecture

Year built: 1860
Building type: Attraction Historical landmark Museum Farm

Dates/hours open

Jun 01 - Jun 02