Heritage Winnipeg
Doors Open Winnipeg - Celebrating Stories Our Buildings Tell

Free Event!
Saturday May 26th & Sunday May 27th, 2012

The 9th Annual and Biggest Ever!

Don't forget to look for the Doors Open Winnipeg insert in The Winnipeg Free Press on Thursday, May 24th. You can also pick up a copy at Explore Manitoba centre at The Forks or at the Millennium Library on Donald Street after May 18. The insert has great information on all the buildings, locations and times for this year's event. It's a great tool for helping to plan your day.

Doors Open Winnipeg

Heritage Winnipeg will be presenting our 9th annual Doors Open Winnipeg event. A free annual event that celebrates Winnipeg’s unique spaces and architecture. The event will take place on the weekend of May 26th & 27th and will showcase approximately 80 remarkable buildings/sites.

In addition to introducing the public to Winnipeg’s architecture, history and culture, Doors Open Winnipeg, which boasts 250,000 site visits since 2004, has also brought an influx of visitors over the weekend, creating valuable economic spin-offs in the retail and hospitality sectors. It is an exciting opportunity for community involvement, with over 400 volunteers lending their time and passion to this event.

About Doors Open

Doors Open originated in France in the mid-1980s and has since been held in cities such as New York City, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro. The Doors Open idea came to Canada in 2000 when Toronto held its first annual Doors Open, attracting 76,000 visits to over 90 buildings. Doors Open attracts not only tourists, but residents of Winnipeg and Manitoba who are interested in learning the history of many architecturally stunning and historically significant buildings.

We are excited to continue two new initiatives. Storytelling which will bring to life the history behind the buildings, sharing stories about the railroad, big business in the Exchange District, and the development of the city. Storytellers will be at the various buildings throughout the City. In addition we are proud to continue with the Doors Open Winnipeg Awards, the first of its kind in Canada. Visitors have the chance to vote for their favourite buildings. Winners will receive a spectacular award created by a local artist at a media event in June. The public can vote in five categories: