Doors Open is an exciting event that allows visitors to explore Ontario’s heritage treasures at free public events across the province. Satisfy your curiosity and get behind normally closed doors to experience intriguing interiors, where you will be inspired by rare and exceptional materials, craftsmanship and design. From historical houses to modern marvels of construction, Doors Open Ontario has something for everyone!
We are excited to offer a Rideau Lakes Doors Open event next year, held over a single weekend in August 2025. The hours that participating sites will be open are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Old Stone Mill and Blacksmith Shop in Delta
Chaffeys Lock Master's House Museum
The Red Brick School in Elgin, photo by Diane Haskins
Who is planning the event?
Doors Open Rideau Lakes is being organized by a working group of the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC). On this working group is Sabrina Barrett, Diane Haskins, Councillor Paula Banks, and staff Marie White, coordinator of Economic Development and Cultural Heritage. Rosanne Lake is the Heritage Program Assistant who is helping to coordinate the event for 2025.
Get involved
Have a heritage property within Rideau Lakes and interested in getting involved in Doors Open? We would love to hear from you! Participating sites must be of historical, architectural, natural or cultural significance.
Please let us know:
- a bit about your property – what makes it special;
- if you are available on one or both days throughout the weekend of August 16-17, 2025 – participating sites must have volunteers (or property owners) on site through the entirety of the event to welcome the public;
- If you are a member of one of the local heritage societies or groups;
- How you heard about doors open;
- If you have an idea of interpretation or tours for your home or property.
Please note, that reaching out regarding participation is an expression of interest and does not guarantee participation in the Doors Open.
What we provide
Doors Open Rideau Lakes is working with the Ontario Heritage Trust to put on the local event. As such, visitors to an in-person Doors Open event must receive information about the historical, cultural, natural or architectural significance of all participating Doors Open Ontario sites.
Your property will be featured in our local promotion of the event, complete with photos and a brief description. We are planning on a physical and online brochure and map, as well as handouts to distribute at each Doors Open location across the township. We will also provide communication and guidance throughout the planning process, as well as signage to be displayed on the days of the event.
Timeline
The Rideau Lakes Doors Open events is planning ahead for August 2025. The sites must be solidified by fall 2024 in order for participation next year. Photos and visual components are being completed by September 2024.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Have some questions about Doors Open Rideau Lakes? Here are some answers.
The event is taking place August 16-17, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It’s free! Doors Open events are free for visitors during the allotted times. Even sites that normally require a fee are free for visitors during the event.
For participating sites, being involved in the Doors Open Rideau Lakes event is also no cost, but sites will require liability insurance to be included. The Township of Rideau Lakes will not cover the additional cost for insurance but the Doors Open coordinator can help facilitate the event insurance (for example, through Duuo. It typically averages about $40 for the entirety of the event). Please email with questions.
In the beautiful Township of Rideau Lakes! Rideau Lakes is located between Kingston and Ottawa, smack dab in the middle of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Rideau Canal. With lakeside villages, scenic public spaces, and history spanning millennia, it’s the perfect spot to spend a weekend exploring heritage places and meeting friendly faces.
Designed to create free access to, awareness and excitement about, Rideau Lakes’ heritage sites, hosting Doors Open Ontario in our community provides residents and visitors alike with a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy the sometimes hidden and always interesting places and spaces in our villages and hamlets. These events celebrate our community’s identity, generate volunteerism, build interest in heritage and drive cultural tourism and economic development opportunities.
Anyone can visit all participating sites for free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 16-17, 2025. A call for sites and site interest was put out in July 2024 and the sites are chosen by committee for participation by September 2024.
Yes and no. Some sites are considered accessible such as The Red Brick School (ramped entry), while others are not due to their historical nature and how the building is used. Still others, like the Old Stone Mill in Delta, are partially accessible, but still make for an intriguing visit (you can witness grain being ground into flour on the ground floor!). Look for an accessible icon by the site to indicate each property’s accessibility level. For more site-specific information, please email and we’re happy to help.
Keep an eye on the socials for Rideau Lakes for more information about the sites and the event as it draws closer. We’re planning in highlighting the sites on Instagram leading up to the event! Here’s where you can find Rideau Lakes on Facebook @twprideaulakes and on Instagram @experiencerideaulakes
Also, please check out the official Doors Open Rideau Lakes page through the Ontario Heritage Trust to see which sites will be featured. Lastly, be sure to check back here for a detailed map and brochure in early 2025!
