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On the weekend of May 25th and 26th, the City of Toronto will host its annual Doors Open event, presented this year by Great Gulf. This city-wide event encourages residents and tourists to take the walk and discover over 150 structures of either historical, architectural, cultural, or social importance. Doors Open Toronto 2013 highlights buildings that have been redesigned, staying true to the theme “Creators, Makers, and Innovators”. Since beginning in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has attracted over two million visitors to over 600 locations. During the course of the weekend, buildings typically welcome guests from 10am to 5pm; however, some buildings may operate on a limited schedule. A few buildings that will be included in this year’s Doors Open Toronto event include:
401 Richmond Street West (1899)- Cedar Ridge Creative Centre (Edwardian 1912)
- Children’s Aid Society (2006)
- Daniel’s Spectrum (2012)
- Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre (1914)
- Enoch Turner Schoolhouse (1848)
- Fort York National Historic Site (Georgian ~1812)
- Havergal College (Gothic Revival 1926)
- Humber Arboretum Centre for Urban Ecology (2007)
- Market Gallery (1845)
- One King West Hotel & Residence (1914)
- Riverdale Hub (2009)
History of Doors Open Toronto
The first Doors Open Day occurred in France, 1984. Due to the sheer success of the event, within a matter of years the rest of Europe followed suit, adopting European Heritage Days by 1991. In 2003, all 48 European Cultural Convention states participated in these events between the months of April and October. It wasn’t until the millennium, however, that such an idea came across the Atlantic. In 2000, Toronto launched the first Doors Open event in North America, and two years later, the rest of Ontario joined-in. Hundreds of locations and millions of people come to celebrate the Doors Open Toronto event each year, so come on out for the 14th annual celebration and observe first-hand Toronto’s past and present.
Become a Volunteer
If you have been involved in the Doors Open Toronto event before, or wish to get involved this year, please email spevvol@toronto.ca or call (416)-392-9315 for additional details. The committee is always looking for an extra set of hands for the weekend. As well, Doors Open Toronto advertises a donations program that helps cover the administration and operating fees associated with the event’s free-admission. Keep this event alive by helping out this year!
