Doors Open Waterloo Region is back, featuring two UW associated buildings including the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. 

The event allows visitors access to buildings, historical sites, and spaces not typically open to the public, with a goal of celebrating community heritage and culture.  

“We always try to put in a mix of new sites every year,” said Kelly Spencer, coordinator for the Doors Open Waterloo Region. “There’s always favourites that people want to see over and over again, but it’s really important to get new sites into the mix as well.” 

This year, 23 locations are participating, including three churches, three museums, two architect studios, an art gallery, and a rural fire station. Each location hosts a little differently – some will provide guided tours, while others provide a free roam experience. Other sites will offer a combination of both. 

“It’s a very individual experience. Each site is basically operating their own open house,” Spencer explained. “They have certain parameters they have to work within based on our requirements… but they’re basically free to provide whatever kind of experience they want and can.” 

Doors Open Waterloo Region saw more than 13,000 people attend across all sites in 2024, one of the best in recent history. Over the years since the event’s inception 23 years ago, about 200,000 people have attended across all sites.

“A rural site will get less attendance generally than one that’s in the cities,” Spencer said. “They may get around 80 or 100 people… some places like the Perimeter Institute, they stopped counting at 5,000 last year. It depends on a lot of different factors.”

The Perimeter Institute is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and will remain open on Saturday and Sunday for the Doors Open event, which is unique from other sites.

“Enjoy each site as an individual experience,” Spencer said. “The success of this program is really due to the site operators and all of the effort they put into trying to create a remarkable experience for every visitor. 

“Go in with an open heart and an open mind would be my advice for a great day.”

Locations from each city and township in the region will be participating, including Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Wellesley, Wilmot and North Dumfries. The full list of participating locations is available on the Region of Waterloo website. 

Doors Open Waterloo Region will take place tomorrow, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.