Doors Open Toronto 2024

On May 24 and 25, Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore the city’s most-loved buildings and sites, free of charge. The event provides rare access to buildings not usually open to the public and free access to sites that would usually charge an admission fee. Here are some Doors Open locations in our beloved Spadina-Fort York!

Check out our curated Google Map to easily find locations across Spadina-Fort York. 

This year’s theme is hidden histories. Uncover untold stories from across the city through a variety of open house experiences, engaging tours and insightful talks.  Sites are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.  

Buildings and Sites

• Church of St. Andrew by-the-Lake: St. Andrew by-the-Lake Anglican Church is a lovely neo-Gothic wood-framed church, surrounded by parkland and lagoons on Toronto Island.
• Canadian National Exhibition, Withrow Common Gallery: The Queen Elizabeth Building is an excellent example of modernist architecture in the city of Toronto. Withrow Common, which occupies the west side of the building, is a renovated mixed-use art gallery and community meeting space, which was formerly a private office not open to the public.
• Fire Station 334: Station 334 is Toronto Fire's waterfront station. It is home to two fireboats and Pumper 334, and the site of the Toronto Fallen Firefighter Memorial.
• Fort Rouillé: Located on the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds right next to Scadding Cabin, the site of Fort Rouillé is well marked with plaques, a cairn, an obelisk and a small outline of the original fort. Where else in the city can you find in one spot signs of Indigenous presence, the site of an old French fort, a War of 1812 battleground, the oldest house in Toronto and a modern windmill?
• Fort York National Historic Site: See Canada's largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings and where the Battle of York came to its climactic end. 
• Goethe-Institut Toronto: Located in the heart of the city, the Goethe-Institut Toronto is the meeting point and partner for anyone who is interested in contemporary German art and culture as well as the German language.
• Guido Costantino Projects: Guido Costantino Projects is an architectural design practice located on the second floor of 401 Richmond Street West, the historic arts-and-culture warehouse building that was formerly a tin lithography factory. The studio's portfolio includes a range of projects - from architecture to interiors to furniture design and products - and has received recognition in all these disciplines.
• HMCS YORK - Royal Canadian Navy Reserve: This is Toronto's Naval Reserve Division, home to 350 sailors and officers who work and train each day, evening and weekend.
• HOK Toronto Design Studio: HOK's Toronto studio creates award-winning interiors, architecture and planning solutions. Its technology-enabled workplace is balanced with inspirational art, sculpture, natural light, 360-degree views and a hospitality aesthetic to make employees feel welcome and provides an environment for heightened collaboration, engagement and creativity.
• Osgoode Hall: Osgoode Hall, home of the Law Society of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, opened in 1832 and remains a Toronto landmark and a symbol of the law in the province.
  
• QUEST XO Chocolate Lab: Located on the southwest corner of Liberty Street and Atlantic Avenue, 25 Liberty is an industrial, three-storey brick and wood-beam structure with classical decorative motifs and symmetries commonly found in industrial vernaculars of the period.
  
• RAW Design Studio - The Commodore Building: RAW Design Inc. thrives within the iconic Commodore Building, a 1929 Art Deco warehouse at the corner of Adelaide Street West and Peter Street. Designed by Benjamin Brown, Toronto's first practising Jewish architect, it's a symbol of the city's architectural heritage.
• Steam Whistle Brewing: Tour and learn about Steam Whistle Brewing in the historic Roundhouse. Guides will share the railway history and unique features of the building, followed by its modern-day use for brewing and hospitality.
  
• Stackt Market: A recent winner of Fast Company's Innovation by Design Award, stackt market has taken 100,000 square feet of land in the heart of downtown Toronto and transformed it into an experience of curated discovery. Designed and built entirely out of shipping containers, stackt is an ever-evolving cultural marketplace featuring a mix of on-site shops, a brewery, art installations and container murals, and public spaces built to spark curiosity and add vibrancy to the city.
  
• Small World Centre: For 25 years, this arts group has been celebrating cultural diversity and showcasing a range of local, domestic and international talent to audiences across the Greater Toronto Area.
• Youngplace: A community cultural hub in the West Queen West area of Toronto whose spaces include studios occupied by artists and organizations, a public lounge, a café and free public art galleries
• The Bentway: Anchored under Toronto's Gardiner Expressway. A growing public space and new type of civic organization - a not-for-profit powered by vital partnerships with the City of Toronto, residents, supporters, artists, city-builders and dreamers.
• Textile Museum of Canada: The only museum in the country dedicated to exploring the human experience through textiles.
• Campbell House Museum: Built in 1822 for William Campbell, the sixth Chief Justice of Upper Canada, Campbell House Museum is the oldest surviving building from the town of York and an outstanding example of Georgian architecture.
• Redpath: Redpath Sugar began in Canada in 1854 and has been operating in Toronto since 1959. It has been proud to call the Toronto Harbourfront its home for 65 years. As one of the last industrial establishments in the Toronto Harbour, employing more than 300 diverse and knowledgeable employees, Redpath has striven to be a good neighbour by contributing to the community and making a valuable impact on the city of Toronto. It is excited to open its doors once again to neighbours and visitors.
• Stella’s Place: The Toronto-based young adult mental health charityturns an outdated candy factory into a modern, welcoming facility for teens and young adults aged 16-29 to access mental health services.
• Theatre Passe Muraille: First built in 1902 as Nasmith's Bakery and Stables, 16 Ryerson Avenue is now home to one of Canada's oldest alternative theatre companies, Theatre Passe Muraille. The structure was designated as a heritage site of architectural value in 1974 
• Toronto Railway Museum: Tells the stories of Toronto's railways. It is located in the historic John Street Roundhouse, which is the best example of a surviving roundhouse in Canada
• TIFF Lightbox:  The home of the Toronto International Film Festival as well as year-round educational, festival and new-release programming.
• Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport: Doors Open is an opportunity for people to go behind the scenes of this exciting airport and learn more about its important history.
• 401 Richmond: A heritage-designated industrial building turned arts-and-culture hub.
• CAMH: Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field. 
• And Toronto City Hall! Gain rare access to the Mayor’s Office, find out what happens inside the Council Chamber, explore the Hall of Memory and enjoy remarkable views from the 27th floor Observation Deck. 

Neighbourhood Tours

• Everyone is Interesting: Join artist Mammalian Diving Reflex for a 45-minute tour that takes audiences through the public spaces of Toronto Centre Island. Meet, play with, and get to know the strangers that inhabit the city, proving the universal truth that everyone is interesting. This tour is part of a community-focused project that engages with and unites the individuals who visit the Toronto Islands.
• Restoring the Canada Malting Silos: Learn about the methods used to rehabilitate the nearly 100-year-old Canada Malting silos – landmark structures on Toronto’s waterfront that represent history hiding in plain sight. In 2017, Toronto City Council approved the "Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan" – a strategic master plan and implementation strategy for revitalizing under-utilized public property in the waterfront's Bathurst Quay neighbourhood. Tour of the perimeter of this active construction site to learn all about restored heritage buildings, a new water’s edge promenade, an improved streetscape and new and expanded parks and public realm spaces to support a range of community and cultural programming uses.
• Hidden Queer Histories of Hanlan's Point: Uncover the hidden queer history of Hanlan's Point Beach, situated just off Toronto's waterfront on Lake Ontario. Delve into its cultural significance as one of Canada's only clothing-optional beaches and oldest queer public spaces, where the country's first 2SLGBTQ+ Pride event took place. Explore the rich history of Hanlan's, from its cottage dwellings and amusement park to the Turner Baths and its designation as a nude swimming area by the City of Toronto. Celebrate nearly a century of queer history while addressing ongoing advocacy efforts to preserve Hanlan’s ecology and 2SLGBTQ+ heritage. This tour has been developed by Jane’s Walk in partnership with Friends of Hanlan’s.
• The Other Exhibition Place: Embark on a journey to uncover Exhibition Place's secret histories beyond its iconic events and sports teams. Hosting approximately 1,700 events and attracting 5.5 million visitors annually, this bustling hub holds hidden tales – from its role in the fur trade to its transformation during the Second World War. This tour covers a large area and offers a rare chance to explore the Beanfield Centre, formerly the Automotive Building and now Canada's first LEED Silver–certified conference centre, as well as Stanley Barracks. This tour has been developed by Exhibition Place.