This weekend is your chance to get a glimpse behind many of Ottawa’s iconic and historic buildings – in-person and virtually. It’s Doors Open Ottawa 2022 – Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5.
After a two-year hiatus, Doors Open Ottawa is offering many in-person building tours. Depending on your comfort level, virtual tours are also being offered. You can explore behind those doors right in the comfort of your home, balcony, porch or backyard. Some buildings are offering both virtual and in-person tours, so be sure to double check each building’s schedule.
This year’s event also celebrates Doors Open Ottawa’s 20th anniversary, and it will feature a celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee as she marks 70 years of service to the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth.
As one of the featured sites, British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Susannah Goshko, will be opening the doors to the High Commissioner’s residence – Earnscliffe – for guided tours. A Platinum Jubilee street party will also take place, giving all visitors a flavour of British food, culture and music.
Some of the other featured buildings include:
In-person tours
- Parliament of Canada: Centre Block
- Parliamentary Precinct Block 2 Redevelopment Project
- Ottawa Art Gallery
- Rideau Hall
Virtual tours
- Cancer research labs at The Ottawa Hospital
- Ottawa Humane Society
- Embassy of Hungary to Canada – Birkett Castle
- John R. Booth Residence National Historic Site of Canada – Laurentian Leadership Centre
In-person tours operate from 10 am to 4 pm. It’s also important to note that many of the in-person tours have their own respective health measures in place. Remember, be kind and respectful.
And what’s a tour without discovering interesting tidbits of information? Ottawa Regional Society of Architects has partnered with Doors Open Ottawa to present a 20th anniversary scavenger hunt – where people can take part in the in-person tour or virtually at home to find key information for a chance to win one of the $50 gift certificates from local businesses. Entry form and contest rules are on ottawa.ca/doorsopen.
Complete list of buildings
Take advantage of this free event. Explore these architecturally and historically rich buildings that we often pass and wonder what they look like inside. For the complete list of buildings, including the Fairfield Heritage House on Richmond Road, please visit here.
