Public School S.S. No. 20, built in 1869, replaced an earlier log schoolhouse to serve the local Mennonite and Presbyterian communities. The current structure is a particularly handsome and well-preserved example of the single-room Victorian-era schoolhouse. Home to students for almost 100 years, it was closed in the 1960s. but continues to serve the local community as a meeting facility.

This single-storey board-and-batten one-room schoolhouse was Public School S.S. No. 2 and the focal point for the early German Mills settlement. It’s set back from the main road on the schoolhouse’s original lot and surrounded by lawn and rows of spruce trees planted in the late 1890s. The school was closed in 1962 and is today a local community centre.

Heintzman House is one of the oldest buildings in Markham. Originally built as an adobe brick cottage dating from the early 19th century, the house was enlarged by Colonel George Crookshank in 1817. Charles T. Heintzman, grandson of the founder of Toronto’s Heintzman Piano Company, purchased the property in the 1930s and transformed the house into its present, elegant form.

Built in 1907 to replace an 1864 school, this two-room schoolhouse held junior grades on the first floor and senior grades upstairs. It was closed in 1969 following school reorganization. The property was purchased by the city for use as the Markham Museum. Note: Only this building will be open for free during Doors Open. The museum will charge admission.

The design of this building was inspired by late 19th-century firehalls and features an 18-metre (60-foot) replica of a hose drying tower, historically common to most firehalls. This firehall was designed to fit into the context of historical Markham Village. During Doors Open Markham, come and visit the station and learn more about fire prevention.

The restoration of this original 1871 railway station was the first major project of the Markham Village Conservancy, with restoration completed in 2000. The exterior paint colours were reproduced from c. 1910 when the rail line was part of the Grand Trunk Railway. Today, the station serves GO Transit commuters and functions as a community centre for meetings and classes.

This distinctive example of Ontario vernacular architecture features Gothic revival and classical revival detailing. It was originally the home of Salem Eckardt, a local auctioneer. Group of Seven artist Frederick Varley lived here in his later years; he had a studio in the basement. The space now showcases the work of local artists and provides a studio for art instruction.

Plan to visit one of Canada’s oldest remaining railway stations and one of the few 19th-century stations still in its original trackside location. Constructed in 1870 for the Toronto & Nipissing Railway, this unique building is clad in board-and-batten siding with a gable roof and six-over-six paned windows. The municipality restored the building as a community centre in 1989.

Situated in Unionville’s historical village core, the Varley Art Gallery is an excellent example of post-modern architecture that complements and contrasts with its neighbouring heritage buildings. The gallery — named after Group of Seven artist Fred Varley, who lived in Unionville in his later years — is home to a fine collection of the artist’s works, as well as those of other Canadian artists.

This brick two-storey high school was built in 1892, adding to an older grammar school building. With the introduction of the railway, higher education was now accessible for students in other nearby villages. After 1954, with the opening of a new high school, the building became home to the Markham Union Masonic Lodge. Today, it is a thriving co-working space.

Located in the former Brown’s Corner/Buttonville Schoolhouse, the York Region District School Board’s Museum & Archives collects and preserves the history of public education in York Region. The collections, from the 1850s, reflect ongoing changes to public education. Come and experience life as a student in the late 1800s by writing with pen and ink and on a slate.

York University’s new state-of-the-art campus is in Markham Centre, the community’s new downtown. The design of this building defines a collegial academic community within a series of interconnected, multi-storey spaces. Academic programs and research revolve around technology and entrepreneurship. Come and take a tour of this fascinating site. Parking is available at the Pan Am Sports Centre next door.