Every May over a hundred of Toronto's most prominent and significant buildings open their doors to the public for free. Some of the sites usually charge admission, while others are off-limits to the public the other 363 days of the year. Plan in advance to get the most out of the weekend, and get inside the city like never before.
When is Doors Open Toronto?
Doors Open Toronto always takes place the last weekend of May. The full list of buildings is usually available on the website as of May 1st while the printed guide is available in the Toronto Star on the Thursday just prior to the event.
Hours and Admission
Admission to all buildings is free, but you should be prepared to line up for some of the more popular sites. In general, buildings are open both Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, however each site may adjust their hours. Some are also only open one day out of the weekend. Check the online or printed guide to confirm hours of the sites you want to visit.
How to Find Out What Buildings are Participating
The City of Toronto's Doors Open website provides a searchable database of participating buildings. You can choose to see buildings listed by general location, construction era, style of architecture, or function. You can also focus in on a certain day, if parking is available, or how accessible a building is.
The other option is to use the Toronto Star, which is one of the main sponsors of the event. Several days before the event they provide a printed guide within the newspaper. Several weeks before the event, building listings with a map and photos/videos appear as a special section on thestar.com.
A Note for Photographers
While Doors Open is a fantastic time to get out your camera and get all kinds of interesting shots, not all participating sites welcome photography inside the building. Check the listing details of each building before you plan to take pictures.
More Doors Open Don't live in Toronto? Or looking for a good time to take a day trip? Toronto isn't the only city with a Doors Open event. Visit the Doors Open Ontario website to explore similar events all around the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
