Featured in an episode of the CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries, this train station is certainly worth a visit! Constructed for the Grand Trunk Railway, it functions today as a VIA Rail and GO station. It is also home to the St. Marys Station Gallery, which gives exposure to local artists who reflect the cultural diversity, history and character of the community.

This Town Hall is a replacement for an earlier municipal building that was destroyed by fire in 1890. The building was designed by Toronto architect G.W. Gouinlock and was built in 1892 using St. Marys limestone, with contrasting sandstone accents. Still the administrative centre of the town, the building contains the newly renovated council chambers, municipal offices and an auditorium.

St. Marys United Church, built with white Ontario brick, replaced a smaller limestone Methodist church. Its tower once supported a steeple that was damaged by lightning in the 1940s and removed. The interior of this place of worship is spacious and inspiring. The Casavant organ, added in 1907, is one of the finest in the area.

The Flour Mill is a fine example of local limestone construction. In recent years, Tracey Pritchard, a former Toronto caterer, food writer, restaurateur and consultant has been revitalizing the space. It is now a destination for delicious food, gourmet shopping and cozy boutique accommodation. During Doors Open, explore the main floor retail space and an upper-floor private residence.

Built of native stone and dedicated to the Congregational church in 1871, this property has enjoyed many uses over the years. Today, this designated building is a thriving yoga, music and dance studio. The teachers and staff all work to create healing, harmony and wellness in the community through classes and workshops. Come and explore this beautifully renovated building.

Join the Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation this year as they celebrate the Year of Radio. Enjoy guided tours by on-air staff, photo displays, an opportunity to record your memories of local station 560 CFOS, and a charity barbecue by the Rotary Club of Owen Sound. This year, as CFOS celebrates its 85th year, they will be moving from AM to FM.

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.

Morland Place, built in 1920, is known for its splendid gardens. Members of Rural Gardens of Grey Bruce invite you to experience the beauty of these gardens. Meet enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardeners who are happy to share their experiences. Various gardens — in French, Italian and perennial styles — were designed and added by the current owner of Morland Place, Barry More.

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.

Greenwood Cemetery is home to Potter's Field, the final resting place for 1,200 indigent and stigmatized citizens. In 2018, John and Shirley Reaburn supported the creation of a permanent monument, which was unveiled in 2021. Learn about the history of Potter’s Field with guides Aly Boltman and Terri Jackson, who will touch on the unique histories of those buried here.

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.

The former Sydenham Community School, built in 1967, was an elementary school until 2017. In 2018, Grey County purchased the 4,200-square-metre (45,000-square-foot) building and turned it into a regional hub now called Sydenham Campus. The partners and tenants form a collection of trainers and businesses that support workers, entrepreneurs and local organizations by providing access to education and training.

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 garden was built to recognize and celebrate Indigenous history and culture. It is a contemplative place where you can pause, reflect and remember. The location was deliberate — once-fertile hunting/fishing grounds. As part of Doors Open, on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), come and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

When Irish settlers migrated to Amherst Island, they brought a unique way of building walls called dry stacking — layering stones without the use of mortar. This tradition has continued to this day. Although you can see beautiful displays of dry-stone stacking throughout the Island, visit Topsy Farms for an opportunity to speak to an actual dry stone waller!

The Babcock Mill, a significant local landmark, was constructed in the 19th century as a grist mill and later adapted to function as a sawmill, basket making factory, and a truck body manufacturer. It played a pivotal role in the local economy. Today, under Loyalist Township’s ownership and management, it operates as a seasonal museum, showcasing its industrial heritage.