Discover your community! Doors Open Waterloo Region returns for 2026

A day of discovery! Doors Open has been a key event in Waterloo Region since 2003. This year’s event is on Saturday, September 19 and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Go behind-the-scenes to explore local buildings and their stories. Visit sites featuring gorgeous architecture and rich local heritage. Meet fascinating people doing amazing things. Discover more about Waterloo Region during this immersive day of exclusive access.

Admission to all Doors Open sites is always free.

Doors Open Waterloo Region showcases 27 participating locations throughout the Region’s three cities and four townships, including: four churches, two world-class research facilities, six museums, one repurposed 1852 jail, an iconic Kitchener stone tower and a ghost village in Ayr.

Thirteen of the sites are buildings which have been adapted for reuse. These include churches converted to affordable housing and performing arts spaces, and offices transformed into jam halls for local musicians.

A handful of locations are celebrating milestones as part of their Doors Open festivities, including: Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower (100 years since completion of construction); the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary; and Holly’s Neighbourhood Café & Bar which marks two years to the day since it was transformed from a heritage home into its current iteration by owners RFB Development.