Step into the Cotton Factory, a vibrant creative hub in lower Hamilton and a stunning adaptive reuse of the 1900 Imperial Cotton Company. Home to artists, artisans, and creative professionals, it offers open studios, galleries, pop-up markets, and versatile event spaces. Discover dramatic Gothic industrial architecture, original details, and a rare, fully operational 1944 Otis Fensom freight elevator.

Step into the 1860s at Cottonwood for guided tours that will be running daily, as well as a chance for families to participate in a scavenger hunt through the mansion. View the Italianate and Georgian architecture, and use the stereoscopes — a popular Victorian pastime that you now have the chance to try.

Creek View Acres is home to a growing nursery and orchard. The farmhouse was built in 1902 and is of simplified Italianate architecture featuring original large glass windows. The main barn foundation dates back to 1880. The property features a mixed orchard and a professionally landscaped botanical garden. A historical walking tour uses landmarks to tell the stories.

In 1960, NATO and the Canadian Department of National Defense built a satellite communications facility here that provided communications between all NATO countries until 1999 when the site was decommissioned. In 1999, it was purchased by Canadian Space Services Ltd. to serve as its corporate headquarters. Today, interior space is rented to local businesses for meetings, workshops and parties.

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum provides visitors with an immersive, seasonal experience that showcases rural life in the 1920s and 1930s in Eastern Ontario. Tour an operational sawmill and blacksmith shop, an old train station and caboose, a one-room schoolhouse, a print shop, a 1927 Imperial Gas garage, a 1904 church and several family homes and barns.

The Curtain Club Theatre has entertained Richmond Hill for over 70 years, supporting live performances, rehearsals, and programs while nurturing local talent. Guided tours offer behind‑the‑scenes access, chances to view and photograph archival materials, and opportunities to learn about the theatre’s history, notable productions, and enduring role within the community.

When this church was constructed in 1911, the surrounding area was mostly farmland. But it quickly grew and was settled by English, Irish and Scottish immigrants. Despite a major renovation in 1993, the elevation from the street looks much the same — even with the new addition. Set back from the sidewalk, the site offers gardens, benches and a Little Library.

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.

Daniels Spectrum is a vibrant cultural hub located in the heart of Regent Park. It celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the local community while welcoming global perspectives. Since opening in September 2012, it has fostered social and community development, playing a pivotal role in transforming the neighbourhood into an inclusive, livable, healthy, safe and thriving community.

This award-winning building serves a representational role for the Ismaili Imamat in Canada, offering a centre for building relationships, enabling quiet diplomacy, and disseminating knowledge and information, while reflecting the humanistic/humanitarian agenda of the Aga Khan Development Network and its associated institutions. Inside, the play of light on transparent and translucent surfaces creates a dynamic visual effect.

Start your day at the Doors Open Stratford Information Headquarters! Grab a coffee downtown and pick up your map/information before starting your journey. Kresge’s “five and dime” opened here in 1929 during the Depression, offering affordable goods until the early 1970s. Later home to the National Bank, the building now welcomes visitors as Stratford’s tourism centre.

The DIALOG Design Studio is a landmark transformation, repurposing a former television studio space in the iconic Canadian Broadcasting Centre into a dynamic creative hub that fosters design collaboration, focus and innovation. During Doors Open, you can explore their projects and gain insight into their design process, sparking conversations about the importance and impact of thoughtful design.

Nestled in the heart of Manotick Village, Dickinson Square shares a remarkable past rooted in Canadian history and industrial ingenuity. Run by Watson’s Mill Manotick Inc., Dickinson Square comprises two sites: Watson’s Mill and the Dickinson House Museum. This heritage home explores the lives of the past mill owners. After touring this historical museum, check out the adjacent mill.

The Diefenbunker is Canada’s most significant surviving Cold War artifact. It is an impressive four-storey underground facility that operated as the country’s central communications headquarters during the Cold War, ready at any moment in case of a nuclear attack. Now a museum, the Diefenbunker offers a one-of-a-kind experiential learning environment, coupled with award-winning programs, events and exhibitions. Registration is required.

This office was built from scratch by the label in 2017. The unique location features an event space, a record store and a management office. Many of the internal features are repurposed pieces designed specifically for the space. Staff will offer guided tours where visitors can view label and artist awards, platinum- and gold-certified albums, and the unique interior design.

Come and visit this popular eatery set in a building constructed in 1870 by John Forin (formerly the home of Lafferty's Billards). It is a three-storey building, consisting of three fire-proof containers built of brick and stone. Historical features include rounded arches in rusticated masonry framing, heavy, carved keystone arches, and a wooden cornice and brackets.

A 232-square-metre (2,500-square-foot) community workshop offers tools and supplies for woodworking, metalworking, electronics, prototyping and crafting. Memberships are available, and there is a community of makers who are always excited to discuss and collaborate on projects. Diyode's mandate is to support a do-it-yourself culture, encourage people to build rather than buy and repair rather than discard.

Built in the 1840s, this picturesque building was a doctor's office for six consecutive local physicians and served generations of Dundas patients until 1974. When the office was under threat from nearby construction, Dr. Clarence Bates donated it to the Dundas Museum where it was moved on a truck. It is now the largest artifact in the Museum's collection.

The Dominion Observatory Campus consists of several scientific buildings used for astronomy, seismology, gravity and geo-magnetism. In 1904, the first building was constructed to house the retractable telescope. In 1905, a transit house was added to the western wing for the meridian circle telescope and transit instruments that were used to determine time, longitude and star positions.

During Doors Open, visitors to DTAH will experience the history of a beautifully renovated modern building in the heart of downtown Toronto. This leading landscape architecture, architecture and urban design firm will offer tours where you can learn how DTAH continues to shape the city through projects like the Tommy Thompson Park Pavilion, Evergreen Brick Works and Artscape Wychwood Barns.

Opened in 1956, the Dundas Museum & Archives is a private, non-profit museum that collects, interprets and celebrates the unique identity of the Valley Town. As part of Doors Open Hamilton, they welcome the public to tour its permanent galleries. As well, you can visit the historical circa 1848 Doctor's Office and the 1873 Pirie House.

Explore Dundurn Castle, an Italianate villa built in the 1830s on Burlington Heights, once home to Sir Allan Napier MacNab, Premier of the United Canadas and his family and household staff. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Castle, listen to traditional music performed by harpist Ruth Sutherland and don’t forget to explore the grounds, including Dundurn’s beautiful Historic Kitchen Garden.

Built in 1924, Richmond Hill High School is now home to École secondaire Norval‑Morrisseau. Expanded in 1951, 1960 and 2011, the building began as an eight‑classroom replacement for the original Yonge and Wright school, reinforcing Richmond Hill’s role in regional education. Guided English and French tours highlight the school’s history, Francophone culture, and its connection to artist Norval Morrisseau.

Welcome to edstudiO — where imagination meets transformation in the journey to reshape the future of education. It is a space for innovative educators and education researchers. Play, collaboration and interaction are central to the edstudiO experience, where the focus is on learning through playful engagement with state-of-the-art digital tools and physical materials.

Celebrating its 78th anniversary this year, the legendary El Mocambo has seen some of the world’s top musical acts — including Ronnie Hawkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Rolling Stones. It has become a world-class production and entertainment facility. Come and take a tour of the most legendary music venue in North America!