Ottawa Events:
What is Doors Open Ottawa?
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During this early June event, you can visit more than 100 significant buildings across Ottawa—including many that normally charge admission or are closed to the public—for free.
– Ottawa Tourism
Best Of Ottawa
In our Best of Ottawa articles, we call attention to the people, places and events that make our city a wonderful place to call home.
Best Of Ottawa
Doors Open Ottawa is a special event held annually, allowing residents and visitors a chance to explore some of Ottawa’s most interesting and normally private or restricted buildings for free. During this event, various heritage buildings, modern structures, embassies, places of worship, government buildings, and other facilities open their doors to the public, often providing guided tours, exhibitions, and presentations to highlight the building’s architecture and historical significance.
Each year, a diverse range of buildings participates in Doors Open Ottawa, making it a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes of many places that are typically not accessible to the public. This event is part of a larger Doors Open initiative that occurs in various cities across Ontario and is coordinated by the City of Ottawa. It typically takes place over a weekend in early June, offering an educational and cultural experience to discover architectural and historical gems within the city.
2024’s full list of open doors will be published on May 22nd this year, and you can find it here.
3 Top Open Door Locations for Families
1
OC Transpo – Check out the service yard and the bus watch for any kids who love buses.
2
Traffic Control Centre – Learn about how the city monitors streets in the huge control room, see where signs are fabricated and check out the line painting trucks.
3
Science and Tech Museum Warehouse – Not the museum itself, but the overflow storage. See a pope-mobile, tons of trains and fascinating pieces of tech history that haven’t made it into the public collection yet.
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