Come and explore Ontario’s Legislative Assembly — an impressive structure that has been home to the province’s legislature since 1893. Alongside oak floors and Italian marble finishes is artwork from the Government of Ontario Art Collection. During Doors Open, visitors can enjoy several exhibits on self-guided tours that include the legislative chamber. There’s even a kid-friendly scavenger hunt. (No tripods allowed.)

This museum tells the stories of Toronto's railways, located in the historical John Street Roundhouse — the best example of a surviving roundhouse in Canada. Used to house locomotive maintenance work for more than 50 years, this site also features the country's longest turntable. See the locomotives, view model railways and try your hand at driving a locomotive on the simulator.

A popular addition to the architectural renewal of the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, the Isabel Bader Theatre has become a staple of the city’s film festival circuit, while serving as a lecture hall and learning space for student groups. It is an outstanding venue for concerts, theatrical productions, conferences and filming events. It’s busy schedule keeps the 500-seat theatre occupied throughout much of the academic year. It is also, however, in high demand by external clients. As part of Digital Doors Open, explore this theatre space through the video below.

The Archives of Ontario is the largest provincial archives in Canada, with a vast collection that includes textual (paper) items, photographs, maps, architectural drawings and audio, video and film recordings. Located at York University's Keele Campus, this purpose-built facility includes a large reading room with digital microfilm readers, audio and video booths, digitization and conservation labs, a large exhibit gallery and a classroom for educational programming. The Archives is also home to the Government of Ontario Art Collection. If you’re interested in researching at the archives, check out the Researching Our Records Online or the Tracing Your Family History videos on the Archives’ YouTube channel. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about the Archives of Ontario through the video below, browse their many online exhibits or piece together Ontario’s history by trying out an online jigsaw puzzle.

The Royal Ontario Museum has been a beloved Toronto institution since it opened in 1914. For Doors Open, only the Daphne Cockwell Gallery – dedicated to First Peoples’ art and culture – and the recently reimagined Weston entrance with its iconic mosaic-domed rotunda will be free to visit. Admission will be required to see other galleries.

The Toronto Zoo – Canada’s largest zoo, at 287 hectares (709 acres), with over 5,000 animals – has a mission to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. And that mission has never been more important. While the site was closed due to COVID-19, the Zoo quickly enhanced its online engagement to remain connected with the public. Social media and online storytelling grew significantly, with animal photos and videos keeping everyone connected to their favourite animals. Now safely reopened (see the video below for more information), the Zoo has implemented strict new guidelines – including designated one-way routes, hand-sanitizing stations, mandatory face coverings in most areas, and mandatory advanced ticketing with pre-booked time slots required. Should you visit, check out the new Scenic Safari Drive Thru, Camping at the Zoo, the Wild Encounters behind-the-scenes program, and the return of the successful Terra Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk. But you can also still enjoy a rich digital experience at the Zoo, including lots of home activities, a new downloadable map, educator resources, Wild for Life podcasts and much more! Don’t forget to join them on Facebook Live at 1 p.m. daily when one of the zoo’s expert keepers will introduce you to one of the animals. Check the website for full details.

Welcome to Toronto's First Post Office! Operated by the Town of York Historical Society, this National Historic Site is a museum and an authorized full-service dealer for Canada Post. The museum tells the story of the Town of York and the early Canadian postal system. Visitors can try their hand with a quill pen and ink, and explore the museum exhibits.

Tommy Thompson Park, just minutes away from downtown Toronto, is a unique urban wilderness that offers some of the best bird watching in the city – with more than 300 species. The Leslie Street Spit – the land on which this park now stands – was entirely manmade, composed of landfill, concrete, bricks and rebar. Today, this 250-hectare park (617 acres) is operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It has become an oasis for walkers and cyclists, and remains the habitat of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. As part of Digital Doors Open, download their birder’s checklist, read their research reports on breeding birds, explore the site through the video below, and watch the acclaimed documentary (from CBC’s The Nature of Things, 44:18).

The ArQuives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of the histories of Canada’s LGBTQ2+ people. Founded in 1973, they have grown to become the largest archive of its kind in the world. Through these collections, you can learn about the history and the struggles faced by – and the resilience of – LGBTQ2+ people. For Digital Doors Open, learn about the kinds of artifacts found in the archives – and the people who collect and preserve them – through the video below. And search their online collections or explore their digital exhibits for more information.

This unique marketplace has taken unused land in the heart of downtown Toronto and transformed it into a culture and community hub, providing Torontonians with a new space to gather and discover — supporting liveability and vibrancy. Made entirely out of shipping containers, stackt is a sustainable, modular space that is easily erected and dismantled with minimal intervention on the land.

Come and tour Spadina House and discover the home of the Austin family from 1866-1982. Period rooms contain furniture and decorative details from the 1920s and 1930s. Co-owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust and the City of Toronto, this site includes three floors, an orchard and the newly created Aki Wiidookaagewin "Ontario Earth Helpers" Indigenous kitchen garden. (No tripods allowed.)

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.)

To mark Canada’s centennial, the Ontario Science Centre was built as one of the first interactive science museums in the world. Since it opened in 1969, the Science Centre has become a significant cultural attraction where visitors of all ages can learn through play. As part of Digital Doors Open, there is a lot to see and do at the Science Centre. Their Do it Yourself series will inspire your inner scientist – from games to experiments. Regular Facebook Live events connect you with Science Centre educators and hosts – learning about everything from snakes and bees to paper planes and outer space. And don’t forget to check out their Teacher Resources and Science at Home activities with easy-to-follow educational videos and downloadable resources and activities. This year, while they're working to reopen, let them bring the Science Centre to you!

Explore the Ontario Heritage Centre, the headquarters of the Ontario Heritage Trust, built in 1909. It features two gallery spaces with mezzanines, an oak-panelled oval board room, a restored manually operated elevator, and period washrooms. Often chosen for filming locations, it has appeared over the years in various productions like Cinderella Man, Queer as Folk and Serendipity.

Myseum is Toronto’s museum, complete with engaging programs and experiences that showcase the history, spaces, culture(s), architecture and the people that represent Toronto’s unique place in the world. Myseum is ideally suited to Digital Doors Open because it doesn’t exist in just one place, but in all places throughout the city. Check out their ever-changing events, their unique Quarantine Edition exhibit called Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action (shown below), as well as their many online tours – interactive experiences that you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your home or in the palm of your hand. Tours include Brought in Bondage, Women of the Ward, the Evergreen Brickworks and a Movie Theatre Tour.

Come visit the home of rebel leader, activist journalist and Toronto’s first mayor — William Lyon Mackenzie. While the house is currently unfurnished following a restoration, the site includes a recreated printshop (there will be printing demonstrations throughout the Doors Open weekend). As you explore the historical portion of the house, feel free to offer suggestions on interpretation and programming.

The Lieutenant Governor's Suite comprises several state rooms and offices inside the northwest wing of the Legislative Building at Toronto’s Queen’s Park. It is the working office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, currently the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell. It is the venue of many significant constitutional events, such as the appointment and resignation of Premiers of Ontario, the swearing-in of cabinet ministers, and the granting of Royal Assent for bills passed by the Legislature. Her Honour hosts foreign heads of state and government, diplomatic and consular representatives, and distinguished visitors in the Suite; it is also a place to host community groups for awards ceremonies, receptions and meetings. During Digital Doors Open, as you learn about the role of the Lieutenant Governor through the above links, enjoy a virtual tour of the Suite in the video below.

George Brown House is a Second Empire-style house built for George Brown between 1874 and 1876. Its elegance reflects his prominence as a leading politician, founder of The Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail) and a key figure in Canada’s Confederation. The house is one of Ontario’s best-preserved and documented urban examples of the Second Empire residential style.

The former home of Canadian landscape painter Doris McCarthy (1910-2020), Fool’s Paradise is a charming cottage on the spectacular Scarborough Bluffs. McCarthy donated the property to the Ontario Heritage Trust so it could remain an inspirational space for future generations of artists. Today, the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residence program has welcomed over 40 artists to live and create by the Lake.

This Toronto landmark is a dominant feature in the Don Valley. From 1889 to 1989, this site was an operating brick works. Since 1992, Evergreen has developed and adapted the 16 historically significant buildings to meet the needs of the community. The site is expected to be busy, so arrive early. Or take the free shuttle bus from Broadview Station.

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, Toronto’s oldest standing and first free school, opened to the children of Corktown in 1849. It served as an important catalyst for accessible public education in the province. Today, the site is a museum and events venue where visitors can step back in time to an urban Victorian classroom. Come and tour the site for Doors Open.

Visit the world’s last operating double-decker theatre and learn about its history from the vaudeville era to today. Go inside the theatres, see samples from the world’s largest collection of vaudeville scenery, and check out the restored Loew’s sign on the south side of the building. No tours, but volunteers and staff will be available. Photography allowed but no tripods.

Originally home to Knox College, this building later served as a military hospital and laboratory. It is now the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. To create the faculty's new home, the restored historical building has been blended with a contemporary addition that continues to delight visitors. During Doors Open, take a self-guided tour.

The Ashbridges, a founding family of Toronto (formerly York), arrived from Pennsylvania in 1793. They are the only Toronto family to continuously occupy their land for 200 years. Two acres of the original homestead, including an 1854 house, is preserved by the Ontario Heritage Trust. This east-end landmark estate features a simple Regency design with neoclassical elements.

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest galleries in North America. With nearly 95,000 pieces in its collections – from European masterpieces to modern art to an extensive Group of Seven collection – the AGO presents wide-ranging exhibits and programs, showcasing diverse and underrepresented artists from Canada and around the world. While the AGO is open once more, there remain a number of intriguing programs and activities that can be done outdoors or online. As part of Digital Doors Open, discover your inner artist: learn to draw, become a better photographer, paint alongside your kids, or sketch at the Toronto Zoo (part of the AGO Makes program). Download some colouring cards. Check out their art-making videos. Explore their online collections. Or discover their extensive teacher resources. There’s something for everyone at the AGO!