Doors Open: More Amazing Things to Do in London, Ontario:

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Doors Open London is one of my favourite fall events—and one of the best free things to do in London, Ontario. For one weekend each year, heritage buildings, cultural institutions, places of worship, creative spaces, and other sites across the city open their doors to the public.

It’s an opportunity to step inside places you might normally only admire from the street, learn more about London’s architecture and history, and discover corners of the city you may have overlooked. The Doors Open program began in France in 1984 before expanding across Europe and internationally. Ontario joined the movement in 2002 through the Ontario Heritage Trust, and communities across the province now host their own events throughout the year.

Doors Open London 2026

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Doors Open London will take place on Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th, 2026. Participating sites, opening hours, and tour formats vary. Some locations are open all weekend, while others offer access on only one day or require visitors to join scheduled guided tours.

Before setting out, check the official Doors Open London website for the current schedule, accessibility information, parking details, and any advance-registration requirements.Whether you want to build a full weekend itinerary or simply visit one or two places that pique your curiosity, Doors Open London offers a memorable way to see the city from a fresh perspective.

UPDATE FOR 2026: What’s New this Year

Doors Open London will feature 40 participating sites, including numerous new locations. This year’s theme is Cheers to Years: Celebrating 25 Years Together with selected sites offering special tours, talks, performances, or activities that bring London’s stories to life. This is an updated guide, including my recommended stops and practical tips for planning your weekend.

There are new sites to visit this year and a few returning. A few others have dropped off but they have been replaced by other ones that have added tours or performances by local artists or theatre groups. It adds another level of interest to the attractions. The descriptions below are from the Doors Open website.

*New* Locations This Year

Drop by Collège Boréal for a game of bilingual bingo! Whether you are a fluent Francophone, a French learner, or just love games, everyone is welcome. Play in French and English, explore their bright, modern, and accessible campus in the Talbot Centre and have a chance to win some awesome Boréal prizes!

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 11 am to 2:30 pm
📍142 Fullerton Street, London, Ontario

Experience the spirit of a traditional Irish village festival at Forest City Irish Fest. Enjoy live music, art, Irish history and sport alongside vendors offering food and drink. Families can explore the kid zone and take part in activities. Bring a lawn chair and soak up this lively, immersive celebration of Irish culture and community for all ages.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 11 am to 7 pm
📍206-226 Wortley Road, London, Ontario

Join City of London Parks and Forestry staff in Springbank Park at the Graham Arboretum for a tour exploring its 1926 origins and unique trees. Eighteen highlighted species feature signage across six categories: Carolinian, Great Lakes, Boreal, Canada-wide, North America and World. Enhancements were funded through partnerships and a Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grant.

🕒 Saturday and Sunday: Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday: 11 am to 3 pm

📍Springbank Park, 925 Arboretum Avenue, London, Ontario

Indigenous Fellowship of Hamilton Road – Mushkeeki Gitigan invites the community to a day of Indigenous culture, learning and connection at South Branch Park. Explore teachings on sacred medicines, the Three Sisters and the medicine garden through elders, firekeepers and hands-on activities. Enjoy a sacred fire, drum music, children’s activities, Indigenous arts and food vendors, a community feast, evening draw and movie.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 11 am to 10 pm
📍Follow the Green signs, South Branch Park, end of Dillabough Street London

Visitors to My Sisters’ Place will explore a historic, award-winning coach house, recipient of a 2015 ACO restoration and adaptive reuse award. Home to a CMHA Thames Valley social enterprise, the Micro Enterprise empowers women through small business and jewelry-making with recycled materials, while guests can learn its history and shop beautifully upcycled creations on site.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 9 am to 3 pm
📍566 Dundas Street (Coach house behind the main building), London, Ontario

Join the unveiling of the Village SoHo historical project. Explore stories of Victoria Hospital and the diverse SoHo neighbourhood through a guided walking tour of a new outdoor exhibit. Learn how immigrant communities shaped the area’s identity. Tours begin at 10 a.m., with additional tours at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Families can also enjoy a self-guided scavenger hunt.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: Sept. 19, 10 am to 4 pm
📍373 Hill Street, London, Ontario

Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada – London celebrates its centenary by showcasing the beauty of its church, inside and out. Visit the activity centre for demonstrations and exhibitions highlighting Ukrainian culture, traditions and community life. Discover the rich history and ongoing contributions of this longstanding organization through engaging displays, cultural experiences and welcoming volunteers.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 10 am to 4 pm
📍151 King Edward Ave., London, Ontario

Nuit Blanche London 2026 transforms Dundas Street into a vibrant space for exploration. As a dynamic urban canvas, it invites visitors to experience the city in unexpected ways. This year’s theme, “This Is Not a Landmark”, challenges traditional ideas of public space, encouraging fresh perspectives on how we define, use and interact with the urban environment around us.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 7 pm to midnight
📍179 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

Saint James’ Westminster Anglican Church – Become immersed in the church’s history and present-day community through self-guided tours and exhibits. Enjoy mini concerts throughout the day featuring Saint James’ vibrant musical ensembles. Brassroots, celebrating its 40th anniversary, will perform two 45-minute concerts at 11:30am and 2:30pm, sharing exciting brass music and their history through displays, with opportunities to meet performers.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: SEPT. 19, 11 am – 4 pm Musical Performances at 11:30 a.m. (Brassroots), 12:30 p.m. (Canadian Celtic Choir), 1:15 p.m. (London Pro Musica), 1:50 p.m. (Alexandre von Wartburg and Eliza Lam), 2:30 p.m. (Brassroots) and 3:30 p.m. (Stephen Holowitz & Friends)
📍115 Askin Street, London, Ontario

Woodland Cemetery offers a peaceful, calming ambiance, full of wildlife, visually stunning scenery and historic sites. It is the final resting place for many prominent local community members. Please join us for an historical QR code tour and self-guided tours throughout the property, as well a glimpse inside the historical mausoleums.

🕒 Sunday ONLY: SEPT. 20, 10 am to 2 pm
📍493 Springbank Drive, London, Ontario

Some Returning Locations I’ve Visited in The Past

Labatt Memorial Park Visit Labatt Memorial Park, the world’s oldest baseball park, dating back to 1877. Watch under-16 baseball games and take guided tours to learn about its rich history. Don’t miss the special pop-up exhibits from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Beachville District Museum.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: 10 am to 4 pm ; Guided tours at 1 and 3 p.m.
📍25 Wilson Avenue, London, Ontario

Central Library – London Public Library Visit London Public Library for hands-on activities, photo ops with historic backdrops, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Wolf Performance Hall. Kids can enjoy crafts and outdoor musical instruments.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
📍251 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

London Amateur Radio Club Visit the London Amateur Radio Club to tour their station and learn about amateur radio licensing. You might get to operate the radios, connecting with others worldwide or tracking satellites overhead.

🕒 Saturday: 11 am to 4 pm ; Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.
📍2155B Crumlin Sideroad, London, Ontario

Interesting Locations you May Want to See

London City Hall Welcome autumn at London City Hall’s observation deck with panoramic views of the city’s changing leaves. Try a visual scavenger hunt, spotting landmarks from above.

🕒 Saturday and Sunday: 11 am to 4 pm
Musical Performances at 11 am. (Jonathan Noel) and 1 pm (Cool Shoes)
📍300 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario

London Research and Development Centre (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Explore how modern science and biotech help reduce crop pests, decrease fertilizer use, create plant-based vaccines, and grow disease-resistant crops. Kids can enjoy a Family Zone, and visitors can take a wagon ride while learning about the center’s history.

🕒 Saturday ONLY: 10 am to 2 pm
📍1391 Sandford Street, London, Ontario

Western Centre for Brain and Mind

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Western Centre for Brain and Mind at Western University. This core research facility brings together experts in cognitive neuroscience to explore how the brain works. A limited number of public tours on September 19 offer a rare opportunity to see cutting-edge research spaces and shared scientific resources in action.

🕒 Saturday ONLY:  Sept. 19, 10 am – 2 pm
📍Western Centre for Brain and Mind, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, Perth Drive London, ON N6A 3K7

Doors Open London in 2026

1. 1st Hussars Museum
2. 427 Wing (RCAF Association)
3. Banting House National Historic Site of Canada
4. Brick Street Cemetery
5. Canada Life
6. Collège Boréal *New*
7. Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University
8. Eldon House
9. Elmwood Lawn Bowling Club
10. Fanshawe Pioneer Village
11. First St. Andrews United Church
12. Forest City Irish Fest *New*
13. Graham Arboretum *New*
14. Grosvenor Lodge
15. HDR Architecture Associates Inc
16. Heritage London Foundation
17. Indigenous Fellowship of Hamilton Road *New*
18. The Jet Aircraft Museum
19. Labatt Memorial Park
20. London Amateur Radio Museum
21. The London Children’s Museum
22. London City Hall
23. London’s W. Peter Harding Fire Hall No. 4
24. London Muslim Mosque (LMM)
25. London Police Service Headquarters
26. London Public Library – Wolf Performance Hall
27. London Research and Development Centre (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
28. Museum London
29. My Sisters’ Place *New*
30. Nuit Blanche
31. Rising Moon Belly Dance Studio
32. The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
33. Saint James Westminster Anglican Church
34. Secrets of Radar Museum
35. St. Paul’s Cathedral
36. Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada London *New*
37. Urban Roots
38. Village SoHo *New*
39. Western Centre for Brain and Mind
40. Woodland Cemetery, Mausoleum and Crematorium

Ontario Doors Open Events:

Doors Open is not exclusive to London, Ontario. Other cities hold one—or two-day events. Kingston and the Area even have three different events through the summer. This is a great way to encourage tourism throughout the region.

European Doors Open events:

• Doors Open Days in Scotland
• European Heritage Days in Europe (Council of Europe)
• Heritage Open Days in England
• Open House London in London, England
• European Heritage Open Days in Northern Ireland
• Open Doors in Wales

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 🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials