Behind Closed Doors

See the city like never before during Doors Open Toronto this weekend.

With the warm weather finally upon us spending the weekend inside might be the furthest thing from your mind. However, the opportunity to sneak a peek inside the city’s most interesting museums, libraries, theatres and hotels might be enough to lure you indoors–for a few hours at least. 

Architectural enthusiasts, local historians and nosy individuals like myself will get a chance to tour private homes and hidden heritage buildings this Saturday and Sunday during the eleventh annual Doors Open Toronto. This year, over 140 of Toronto’s landmarks will open their doors to the public in a citywide celebration of built heritage, architecture and design. 

You will have to brave long lineups for popular hotspots like the Flat Iron building and Casa Loma, so why not head off the beaten track and take in some of the city’s hidden historical gems. Alternative urbanites can tour the historic walls at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, uncover 100-year-old maps at the City of Toronto Archives or catch a glimpse of the first phase of the Regent Park revitalization project. From local breweries to places of worship and everything in between, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy during this year’s Doors Open event.

Unfortunately there isn’t enough time to see all of the buildings (believe me I’ve tried), so plan your weekend carefully and be sure to visit the city’s official website (www.toronto.ca/doorsopen) for a full list of participating venues and hours of operation. The event is free (yes that’s right…free!), but I do recommend you invest in a TTC pass for the day in order to get across the city easily and affordably. Also, don’t forget to bring your camera as many of the venues allow visitors to snap photos inside their historical walls.

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This entry was posted on May 29, 2010 at 10:40 am and is filed under Arts & Culture, In the City. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.