The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum will spearhead Doors Open NOTL this fall as part of provincewide Doors Open Ontario heritage tourism initiative led by the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Planned for Oct. 24, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the museum is set to bring back the program, which initially launched in 2002. The event creates access, awareness and excitement about the province’s heritage through free public tours of local sites.

Confirmed historic sites signed up to participate this year include the NOTL Museum, RiverBrink Art Museum, Willowbank, the Pumphouse Arts Centre, the Masonic Lodge, the Shaw Festival Theatre, the Courthouse, Voices of Freedom Park and a surprise Parks Canada site. Churches such as St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Grace United and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian are also set to welcome visitors during the program.

NOTL participated in regional Doors Open Niagara from 2003 to 2013 and revived the program locally as Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2017 as part of the Canada 150 celebration and the 225th Anniversary of the First Legislative Assembly in Ontario.

Amy Klassen, the museum's director of finance and marketing, said she’s excited to bring the program back to NOTL.

“The event is always popular throughout the province and it offers a chance for some buildings to be seen that aren’t usually accessible to the public, like the Masonic Lodge. Many sites will be giving guided tours of their buildings as well,” Klassen said in a media statement.

She said the museum is looking for more sites to add to the event.

“These can be private homes, businesses or public buildings. As long as you are willing to allow the public in for free on Oct. 24 and you have an historic or architectural story, we would love to include you,” she said.

If you are interested in having your building participate in Doors Open, please call the museum at 905-468-3912. If volunteers are needed to assist at your site, this can also be arranged.