The Billy Bishop Museum remains an Owen Sound landmark. Boyhood home of the eponymous First World War flying ace, this museum invites you to explore the Bishop family and to honour the contributions of service men and women, past and present. Dedicated as a museum in 1987, this site became a National Historic Site in 2002.

This church was built in 1889 for the West Side Methodists. They soon outgrew this little chapel and, in 1911, they sold it and it became the British Methodist Episcopal Church (originally known as “the coloured people's church”). Today, this diverse congregation continues to carry on the legacy of the original Black families who settled in Grey County.

The Marine Rail Heritage Centre, housed inside the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre, was established in 1978 by a volunteer group of enthusiasts to showcase Owen Sound’s history as a thriving port. Located inside the historical railway station, this museum preserves the area’s marine, rail and industrial history with artifacts, scale models, archival photos, interactive stations and railway memorabilia.

This school is a 600-square-meter (6,500-square-foot) maker space that complements the expanding arts scene in Owen Sound. With classes in pottery, jewelry, printmaking, stained glass and more, the school is steadily growing — offering new classes and open studios, and acquiring new equipment regularly. Come and explore this creative space and see how they foster collaboration and skills development.

Originally a church, this dynamic cultural institution is dedicated to providing the community with accessible and affordable spaces to share, create, educate and perform. With a 700-seat auditorium, a commons area, kitchen/banquet facilities, and numerous smaller lofts and studios, the Harmony Centre is an example of the value of retrofitting an existing community asset to respond to changing times.

Once a railway station, the Mudtown Station Brewery and Restaurant (now designated) offers a meeting place in Owen Sound’s Mudtown neighbourhood that celebrates both the history of the city and the talents of its present-day residents. Stop by for a tour or enjoy some of their scratch-made food produced with local ingredients and paired with local craft beer.

This library was founded in 1855 as a Mechanics’ Institute. The present neoclassical structure — completed in 1914 with a Carnegie Foundation grant — features exterior monumental brick pilasters with carved limestone trim and bases, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling with decorative plasterwork. An addition dates from 1972. The building was designated in 2009. Of architectural note is this library’s vaulted ceiling.

Constructed in 1905 as a retail store, this building was purchased in 1924 by a rival retailer who operated it as a dry goods store until 1989. Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1990, it is now home to the Owen Sound Artists' Co-op — a gallery/retail space for area artists to showcase and sell their work.

Dedicated on December 1, 1920 and designed by the assistant to the man behind France’s Vimy Ridge monument, the Owen Sound Cenotaph serves as a memorial to Canadian veterans from the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, and up to the present day. Legion Remembrance Day ceremonies and memorial services are held here to this day.

Lawn bowling has been a popular summer sport in Owen Sound for more than 100 years. The club, originally called Owen Sound North (Brooke) Lawnbowling Club, purchased this property for $200 in 1948. After a fire in the 1990s destroyed the St. George’s Lawnbowling Club facility, Roselawn welcomed its members. Come and visit and try your hand at lawn bowling!

The Roxy Theatre building, which was originally the Grand Opera House, was constructed in 1913 and has long been a landmark in Owen Sound. The Owen Sound Little Theatre, a not-for-profit charitable organization, now uses the building for community theatrical productions as well as many stage performances and musical events. Free parking on Saturdays in the lot behind the theatre.

This church is an active community member — with bi-monthly neighbourhood dinners, the O’Share program for those with food and housing insecurity, the annual Great Lakes Sailors Blessing of the Fleet, community concerts, the weekly Shoreline Chorus and a weekly youth karate group in the parish hall. Doors Open Owen Sound is a wonderful opportunity to explore this heritage building.

Established in 1967 as a memorial to iconic Canadian landscape artist Tom Thomson, this gallery houses a nationally significant collection of the artist’s works and artifacts. It develops exhibitions and programs that enrich the region and contribute to a national visual arts discourse. Completely renovated in 1988, the gallery features exhibition halls, collection storage, an educational studio and atrium.

This is the birthplace of James Shaver Woodsworth, one of the founders of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. A Member of Parliament during Mackenzie King’s term, Woodsworth was instrumental in enacting old-age pensions and unemployment insurance. The house was rescued from demolition in 1980 and moved to its current location. Today, it is largely used for weddings, special events and filming.

Canada’s second-oldest rowing club is also the birthplace of the Toronto Argonauts football team. Located along the waterfront trail’s western shores, the club offers programs to fit different needs, abilities and interests. Take a tour of the facility, explore the Trophy Room, enjoy a coffee in the Henley Room, and see some of the best views of Lake Ontario.

Windfields Estate was the principal residence of E.P. Taylor (1901-89). The family bequeathed the property to the municipality in 1987. Toronto filmmaker Norman Jewison (1926-2024), founder of the Canadian Film Centre, made the estate the Centre’s permanent home. Since 1988, they have delivered advanced training in film, television and screen acting to more than 2,000 creators from across Canada.

The Canoe Landing Community Recreation Centre is a new, state-of-the-art recreation facility that opened in June 2020. It is a beautiful, universally accessible site with great views inside and out. Through consultations, the community had a big say in what they wanted to see featured in the building. Today, it is the place to be.

Estonian Museum Canada presents its home, Tartu College, as part of Doors Open Toronto 2025. Built in 1970, the college is known mostly as a student residence. But, for local Estonians, it is one of their most important cultural community centres, featuring diverse and lively programs. Their collection has grown into what is now the largest Estonian-themed collection outside Estonia.

Built in the 1890s as a Foresters' Hall, this building served as home to Toronto’s first English-speaking Mennonite congregation. The First Narayever congregation, founded in 1914, bought the building in 1943, It has been an orthodox synagogue ever since, evolving into the egalitarian-traditional congregation it is today. From 2020-23, the shul completed a major renovation, making the building fully accessible.

Ukrainian immigrants bought land in Kensington Market to build a synagogue. Completed in 1927, Kiever Synagogue’s exterior features twin-domed towers crowned with stars of David and two main staircase entrances. The interior includes a hand-carved Torah ark, paintings of biblical animals and signs of the zodiac. In 1979, the Kiever became the first building of Jewish significance to be designated.

Osgoode Hall — home of the Law Society of Ontario and the highest courts of the province — opened in 1832 and remains a Toronto landmark and symbol of the law in Ontario. The 1867 fence, renowned for its peculiar gates, surrounds the property and its landscaped grounds. Download the self-guided tour or speak with the knowledgeable volunteers. (No tripods allowed.)

401 Richmond is a heritage-designated industrial building turned arts-and-culture hub. The building was originally constructed in several phases between 1899 and 1923 for the Macdonald Manufacturing Company. It operated as a tin factory, best known for its lithographic work. That artistic lineage is still seen today with a community of nearly 150 artists, cultural producers, non-profits and micro-enterprises.

Constructed in 1912 for the Consumers Gas Corporation, this site welcomes visitors during Doors Open to learn about the activities and services that the city’s Transportation Division provides. Go behind the yard doors to explore traffic signs, road maintenance equipment and the salt storage area. Or see and learn about various service vehicles – including street sweepers, flushers and more.

Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum was established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution made by Muslim civilizations to world heritage. Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, see how cultures connect with one another. During Doors Open, enjoy special tours, activities and performances throughout the museum and its adjacent park.

Akin Davisville is a workspace for more than 60 artists — including painters, ceramicists, photographers, writers, textile artists and more. The building comprises three floors, which are divided into individual studio spaces and shared co-working areas. Opened in January 2024, this is one of many locations managed by Akin — a Toronto-based, artist-run community organization providing studio space throughout the city.