For 35 years, the Dinkel family and the city have supported the preservation and restoration of the front of this historic building. At Gallery 121, a co-op space for art and art lovers, a frieze lines the front of the building while the back space transports you into Dinkel's Restaurant and historic patio, complete with a fountain and climbing ivy.

Located on the oldest farmstead on Amherst Island (from c. 1790), this art gallery is a destination unlike any other. With stunning views and rustic charm, a visit here is like journeying back in time — where the tradition of fine craftsmanship in wood, metal, fibre and glass arts is presented in original ways. Enjoy this unique and immersive experience.

The two buildings that house Gallery Stratford were constructed by London architect George F. Durand. One structure was built as the Stratford Waterworks’ pump house and the other for equipment storage. Durand believed that architecture was more than just engineering — it was art. You can see that in his mix of styles. Designated by the City of Stratford in 1985.

The Iroquois Marina sits along the St. Lawrence River at the site of the historical Galop Canal. The canal system was dug in 1844, and the original lock was opened in 1847. The lock was decommissioned in the late 1950s in preparation for the flooding of the Seaway. Today, our marina sits on these historical canal walls.

In 1962, the Orillia Fish and Game Conservation Club acquired this 24-hectare (60-acre) property with a commitment to operate it as a wildlife sanctuary. Comprising primarily wetlands and popular nature trails, the property features an aviary, swan enclosure, pollination gardens and an education building. The sanctuary is ideal for learning about the value of wetlands and conservation.

The George Quantz House is a 19th‑century building featuring patterned red brickwork along with added barge-boards and a bellcast veranda. Relocated from Bayview Avenue in 2013 for conservation, it is now home to Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate. Learn about its architecture, restoration, and the Quantz family legacy.

The George R. Robinson Bandshell was built in 1947 in memory of Lieutenant George R. Robinson. Robinson, born 1840, was Bandmaster of the 13th Battalion Royal Canadian Militia from 1869 until his death, and is credited with reforming Canadian music. His Battalion Band was known for traveling across North America. Today, the bandshell serves as a stage for summer concerts.

This school is a 600-square-metre (6,500-square-foot) maker space that complements the expanding arts scene in Owen Sound. With classes in pottery, jewelry, printmaking, stained glass and more, the school is steadily growing — offering new classes and open studios and acquiring new equipment regularly. Come and explore this creative space and see how they foster collaboration and skills development.

Step into a vanished rural crossroads where only traces remain. This evocative site reveals the story of a once-thriving hamlet centred around the Black Horse Inn (1853-75), a fascinating glimpse into the region’s early settlement and the forces that led to its disappearance. See inside three outbuildings from that era: a barn, smokehouse and stone-built former cheese factory from 1835.

Established in 2015, Giaimo is a Toronto-based architecture firm integrating design with heritage conservation. Their work engages deeply with Toronto’s built environment and its history — fostering environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable places through adaptive reuse, retrofits, renovations, additions, transformation, revitalization and integrating new with old. Come and explore their offices, located in an adaptively reused former industrial building.

Located on Mnisiing (Toronto Islands) in a former schoolhouse, this arts centre offers affordable retreat space, studios and accommodations for artists and creative thinkers. During Doors Open, learn about the facility, enjoy games on the lawn and the beach, and visit the lighthouse across the street (exterior only). Note: This site is accessible by ferry only. Consult the schedule. (Photo: Revel Photography)

Gibson House is a 19th-century farmhouse hidden among North York’s highrises. Step into the 1850s kitchen, where you will be met by the warm aroma of wood smoke and beeswax. Explore how David Gibson — a Scottish immigrant, land surveyor, farmer, politician and rebel — put his mark on the community, city and province. Come and taste, smell and touch history.

Glanmore is one of Belleville’s historical gems. Now a community museum, Glanmore was built for banker J.P.C. Phillips and his wife, Harriet Dougall Phillips. The grand house features beautifully restored interiors, period-room displays, European fine art and decorative objects. Artifacts related to local history are also included as part of the restored rooms in this historical house.

Built in 1849, this small but stunning historical church sits on a hill overlooking the village of Glen Morris on the banks of the heritage Grand River. The main church building is constructed of beautiful local fieldstone, giving it a timeless character that reflects the craftsmanship and heritage of the early community.

Opened in 1962, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum has grown to include eight heritage buildings, including the Star Inn, a stagecoach stop in the 1860s. Its barroom is thought to be one of the oldest in Eastern Ontario. Other pioneer buildings on this site are the blacksmith shop, town hall, Orange Lodge, log barns, drive shed and cheese factory.

Located in the heart of the city, the Goethe-Institut Toronto is the meeting point and partner for anyone interested in contemporary German art and culture as well as the German language. It welcomes all into its community space and newly launched Media Lounge, highlighting the relationship between the natural and digital realms.

Located in Stittsville, the Goulbourn Museum preserves and interprets materials from the Goulbourn Township area. Built in 1872, the building was once the old town hall for the former township. This popular community hub was home to council meetings, parties and dances. The adjacent office building is used as administrative offices, as well as the museum’s primary collections storage.

Come be an architect for the day! Gow Hastings Architects is a Toronto-based architecture/design studio that creates vibrant places for research, learning, play and discovery. Doors Open visitors will have the chance to participate in an interactive workshop. Through writing, drawing and model-making, staff will guide participants to explore the design of an urban school in a multicultural, global city.

Situated in a park-like setting in the heart of Waterdown, Grace Anglican Church is a welcoming, affirming, inclusive faith community for people of all backgrounds. Its stunning Gothic-revival building, with gorgeous stained-glass windows, was built in 1860. The parish has its own food bank and is engaged in social justice, climate justice, and truth and reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

Dive into Waterloo Region’s past through maps, photographs, postcards, yearbooks and archival collections. This dedicated research space is a treasure trove for anyone curious about local history, genealogy and the stories that shape the community. Plus discover a range of services and resources you may not expect, including specialized scanning and conversion equipment and reference and research support.

Grace United Church was designed by William Thomas — the same architect who designed Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral, Hamilton’s St. Paul’s Presbyterian and Brock’s Monument in Queenston. The magnificent stained-glass windows memorialize early church members and wartime casualties, and the interior reflects the classic Methodist form of practical design. In 2023, the Grace United congregation celebrated its 200th anniversary.

"Cheers to Years" celebrates 100 years of the Graham Arboretum. Join City of London Parks and Forestry staff in Springbank Park for a tour exploring its 1926 origins and unique trees. Eighteen highlighted species feature signage across six categories: Carolinian, Great Lakes, Boreal, Canada-wide, North America and World. Enhancements were funded through partnerships and a Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grant.

The elegant Edwardian gable and bay on Grant Avenue was transformed by Dan Lanois, Bob Lanois and Bob Doidge into the world-renowned recording venue, Grant Avenue Studio. The two-storey box bay façade with stained-glass windows has welcomed artists from Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers to U2 and Johnny Cash. Check out this excellent example of adaptive reuse.

Grosvenor Lodge, an 1853 manor featuring beautiful stained glass, a wrap-around veranda and gardens, opens for a self-guided tour of the home built for Samuel and Ann Peters. Explore displays by Society for Learning in Retirement members, plus retrospectives marking 25 years of Doors Open London, and a video on Heritage Awards. Enjoy music and children's activities on the veranda.

Explore the studio of a leading planning, urban design and landscape architecture firm shaping great communities throughout southwestern Ontario. They create, collaborate and innovate solutions addressing community development needs and challenges. Their renovated office is in a building constructed in 1903 for industrial manufacturing for the Berlin Interior Hardwood Company and is part of the Warehouse District Cultural Heritage Landscape.