Doors Open Ontario presenting sponsor
Doors Open Ontario presenting sponsor

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Doors Open Ontario:

Waterloo Region

in-person event information

Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Doors Open Waterloo Region returns as an in-person event with a day of discovery. Come and tour 20 local destinations — including noteworthy buildings, interesting places and heritage sites. Admission to all Doors Open sites is always free.

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Contact information

8 In-person Doors Open sites

Detweiler Meetinghouse and Roseville CemeteryDoors Open Waterloo Region

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Detweiler Meetinghouse and Roseville Cemetery

Careful restorations have returned Detweiler Meetinghouse — Ontario’s only surviving stone Mennonite meetinghouse — to its 1855 appearance, from its 12-pane window sashes to its original pine floors. The adjacent historical Roseville Cemetery has been in use since 1833. During Doors Open, tour the building, stroll the grounds and enjoy this rare and beautifully preserved site in a serene rural setting.

  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Washrooms

Contact info

3445 Roseville Road
Ayr, Ontario
https://detweilermeetinghouse.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1855
Building type: Cemetery Place of worship

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Idea Exchange, Old Post OfficeDoors Open Waterloo Region

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Idea Exchange, Old Post Office

The Old Post Office is an award-winning, all-digital public library, offering breathtaking views of the Grand River and free technology programs for all ages. All four floors of the historical building will be open during Doors Open, including the Makerspace, Creative Studios, Discovery Centre, Riverview and Reading Room. The clock tower and the heritage staircase will also be featured.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • National Historic Site (Canada)
  • Parking
  • Washrooms

Contact info

12 Water Street South
Cambridge, Ontario
Email: oporeception@ideaexchange.org
https://ideaexchange.org

Architecture

Year built: 1885; 2018
Building type: Library Post office
Architect: Thomas Fuller, Ottawa (1885); RDH Architects, Toronto (2018)

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

John MacDonald Architect Studio (formerly the Kitchener Public Utilities Commission Building)Doors Open Waterloo Region

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

John MacDonald Architect Studio (formerly the Kitchener Public Utilities Commission Building)

Come and explore the John MacDonald Architect studio and the interior of this three-storey heritage building, which used to house the offices of the Kitchener Public Utilities Commission. The Commission ran the street railway between Kitchener and Waterloo, which ran between 1886 and 1946. This is one of the few remaining public buildings still standing from Kitchener’s early days.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Washrooms

Contact info

195 King Street West, Suite 202
Kitchener, Ontario
Email: info@johnmacdonaldarchitect.ca
https://www.johnmacdonaldarchitect.ca

Architecture

Year built: 1931-32
Building type: Commercial Government building Transportation
Architect: Bernal Ambrose Jones

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Reep House for Sustainable LivingDoors Open Waterloo Region

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Reep House for Sustainable Living

Come and see how this century home was converted into a modern, near-net-zero house. This demonstration home was among the first residential retrofits certified LEED Platinum, showcasing sustainable technology — such as solar power, grey water system, geothermal and heat pump heating, storm water management and insulation options. During Doors Open, staff, volunteers and displays will guide and inform visitors.

  • Guided tours available
  • Kid-friendly
  • Parking
  • Washrooms

Contact info

20 Mill Street
Kitchener, Ontario
Email: info@reepgreen.ca
https://reepgreen.ca/reep-house-for-sustainable-living

Architecture

Year built: 1905, renovated 2010
Building type: Green building
Architect: Graham Whiting (2010)

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for AgingDoors Open Waterloo Region

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging

Enjoy a unique opportunity to explore this state-of-the-art building and research space, meet the staff and researchers, and learn about the work being done here around dementia, nutrition and aging, and mobility and movement. At this institute, the goal is to change the way we age in Canada, looking to a future where older adults live life to the fullest.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Parking
  • Self-guided tours available
  • Washrooms

Contact info

250 Laurelwood Drive
Waterloo, Ontario
Email: info@the-ria.ca
https://the-ria.ca

Architecture

Year built: 2015
Building type: Educational facility Green building Health-care facility
Architect: Cornerstone Architecture Inc.

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Waterloo Central Railway Restoration and Maintenance FacilityDoors Open Waterloo Region

New

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Waterloo Central Railway Restoration and Maintenance Facility

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Waterloo Central Railway Restoration and Maintenance Facility – not usually open to the public – and see how equipment is restored and maintained for this heritage railway, which offers passenger train rides on the Waterloo Spur between Waterloo, St. Jacobs and Elmira. Volunteers from the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society will showcase their latest restoration projects.

  • Guided tours available
  • Parking
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Washrooms

Contact info

50 Isabella Street
St. Jacobs, Ontario
Email: info@waterloocentralrailway.com
https://waterloocentralrailway.com

Architecture

Building type: Transportation

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Waterloo County Gaol GardenDoors Open Waterloo Region

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Waterloo County Gaol Garden

Explore the exterior of Waterloo County’s oldest buildings — the Gaol and Governor’s House — graced by the garden that commemorates the 1853 birthplace of the county. Learn about the importance of choosing the right plants, shrubs and trees. Look for the old gaol cell doors being repurposed as decorative trellises. Discover how this legacy garden helped save the buildings from demolition.

  • Full wheelchair access
  • Self-guided tours available
  • Washrooms

Contact info

73-77 Queen Street North
Kitchener, Ontario
Email: jhaalboom@sympatico.ca
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_County_Gaol

Architecture

Year built: 1852-53 (Gaol), 1878 (Governor’s House)
Building type: Courthouse Historical house
Architect: Mellish & Russell, Brantford (Gaol); D.W. Gingerich, Waterloo (Governor's House)

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16

Waterloo Pioneers Memorial TowerDoors Open Waterloo Region

  • In-person Doors Open Ontario

Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower

Gain rare access to the observation deck of this iconic tower that commemorates the arrival of Pennsylvania-German settlers to Waterloo Region. Its random-coursed fieldstone construction, tapered Swiss copper roof, and Conestoga wagon weathervane reflect the origins and farming lifestyles of these settlers. It was built, in part, as a goodwill response to anti-German sentiment during the First World War.

  • French services available
  • Kid-friendly
  • National Historic Site (Canada)
  • Parking
  • Partial wheelchair access

Architecture

Year built: 1926; restored 1997-2002
Building type: Attraction Cemetery Historical landmark
Architect: William Langton (Waterloo County Pioneer's Association)

Dates/hours open

Sep 16 - Sep 16