St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church was built of local limestone. It remains an active place of worship and a concert venue today, with a history that’s closely intertwined with that of the local community, the city of Ottawa and the nation. Artifacts and windows remind us of those connections — particularly the stained-glass window behind the altar and the magnificent Létourneau organ.

Built in 1924 in the heart of Westboro, the designated Westboro Masonic Hall has opened its doors to the public for the past several years. Join a guided tour of the Victorian banquet hall and the Masonic lodge room. The elegant Victorian hall — with its high ornate ceilings, crystal chandelier and rich draperies — is one of Ottawa’s best-kept secrets.

The only French-language museum in Ottawa, the Vanier Museopark is a non-profit organization in the heart of Vanier, a popular neighbourhood near downtown Ottawa that celebrates the rich heritage and history of its community. Through exhibits, talks, workshops, school programs and interpretive tours, they enable visitors to discover and learn about the habits and customs of the local Francophonie.

Designed by Ottawa architect L. Fennings Taylor, Trinity Anglican Church has occupied the corner of Cameron Avenue and Bank Street in Old Ottawa South since 1926. Today’s visitors are invited to view its unique stained-glass windows, especially the Great Resurrection Window installed in 1973 behind the altar, and to learn about its exceptional Casavant pipe organ, dedicated in 1963.

A tour of this site by one of the guide-interpreters is a unique way to learn about the building, its massive scale and commanding entrance hall. Architect Ernest Cormier’s art deco design enhances the natural beauty of the exquisite woods and marble interior. For Doors Open, only the Grand Entrance Hall, the judges’ gallery and the courtroom will be open.

Suntech is a commercial greenhouse that supplies Ottawa's grocery stores with tomatoes and cucumbers. They use hydroponics to reduce water consumption and give exact nutrients to the plants in conjunction with LED lights in certain crops. They also focus on providing the highest quality vegetables to local markets, meaning that their carbon footprint is reduced. Don’t miss the tasting tables!

Designed by Hobin Architecture, the new School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO) building was completed in just 43 days in the heart of Little Italy. The contemporary, purpose-built design is quintessential to the development of photography, with room for the SPAO Centre Gallery, classrooms and the most well-appointed darkroom in the Ottawa region.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has guided learning for specialist physicians so they can deliver the best health care for all. This landmark building, which overlooks the Rideau Canal, is a classically inspired structure — featuring impressive stained glass and an interior courtyard. It was formerly a monastery for the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood.

Headquartered in the historical building where the Mint was founded in 1908, this facility produces hand-crafted commemorative coins, gold and silver bullion, medals and medallions. A tour of the operations explains the many different coin manufacturing technologies. For an unforgettable souvenir, hold a 24-karat pure gold bar worth over $700,000.

This single-storey building is home to the tv Rogers and Rogers tv community production studios, where they create 300 original hours of programming every year. Come and visit the studios and learn more about the fascinating world of television. Check out their volunteer opportunities. Or suggest an idea for programming you’d like to see developed here.

Ottawa Valley Grain Products is a cornerstone building in the heart of Carp that reflects the village's strong agricultural roots and heritage. The building — a working mill — is a relatively simple structure that houses grain processing and milling equipment at its core, where they still grind grain to make flour and barley products. This business remains family owned.

Opened in 2005, the 9,290-square-metre (100,000-square-foot) Ottawa Paramedic Service Headquarters is a state-of-the-art facility that houses all paramedic operations (except for medical dispatching), a vehicle depot and administrative area for the service. This was the first LEED-certified building in Ottawa. Each day, more than 75 emergency vehicles are deployed to serve the communities of the nation’s capital.

Discover the interim main library inside a former bank — designed in 1924 by John MacIntosh Lyle, one of Canada’s leading beaux-arts architects. In this unique setting, where modernism rubs against a classical esthetic, you will learn about the Library of Parliament’s collections and services as well as have a look inside its reading room, upgraded in 2018.

Laurier House commemorates two of Canada’s most notable prime ministers — Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King. For over 50 years, from 1897 to 1948, the house occupied a central position in Canada’s political life as the residence of Laurier and, after his death, of Mackenzie King.

The Carleton County Jail was built in 1862 and was run as a prison for 110 years, with room for approximately 150 prisoners. In 1972, the jail was shut down due to inhumane conditions. But it was repurposed and opened a year later as this hostel. After a night in a real cell block, you can visit Ottawa’s main sites.

Fairfields Heritage House is an impressive 19th-century farmhouse with recreated rooms that tell the story of the many generations of the Bell family who made their mark on the home, the property and their community. The collection of 3,000 artifacts reflects the family’s shifting priorities. The property still features beautiful green lawns, gardens, a gazebo and statuesque trees.

Known as Toller House, this building was designed by Henry Horsey and J. Sheard in the domestic Gothic revival style. Many dignitaries lived here, including Frederic Toller, Auditor General of the Dominion’s Currency in the 1880s. In 1999, it opened as the Embassy of Croatia following an award-winning restoration. Guided tours will be offered for the ground level only.

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 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.

Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre (CDCC) is Carleton University’s arts, performance and learning centre, and is dedicated to providing a welcoming, professional and safe environment to foster programming that is multi-generational, diverse and inclusive. CDCC is the university’s first downtown Ottawa building and is managed by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The centre serves a variety of user groups from the university and community at large. It strives to ignite creative exploration and rich presentation opportunities, offering a unique event experience in a historical Ottawa venue for performances, workshops, lectures, meetings, curricular programming, lifelong learning courses and beyond. Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre is a beautiful 1912 heritage building located in Centretown - showcasing unique Romanesque Byzantine architectural styles. Reaching nearly 3,700 square metres (40,000 square feet), the building includes an 870-seat main performance hall that is visually and acoustically stunning, various multi-use event and activity spaces, classrooms and its own beautiful outdoor garden. For Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to learn more about this unique site.

The Ottawa Hospital is a world leader in cancer research. During Doors Open, discover fascinating cancer research with a behind-the-scenes tour of a lab, and an opportunity to explore the lab’s high-tech tools. For safety reasons, visitors must be 16 years or older. Forty-minute guided tours leave every hour from the Cancer Centre lobby. Space is limited. Registration is required.

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.