25+ Coolest Places to Visit During Doors Open Toronto 2025
Toronto is opening its doors—literally. On May 24 and 25, more than 150 buildings, museums, studios, and institutions across the city will welcome curious minds for free, celebrating this year’s Doors Open Toronto 2025 theme: “Play.” That means expect city-wide access to some of the most imaginative, interactive, and rarely seen spaces in Toronto—from architecture studios to sugar factories, gaming headquarters, and historic landmarks.
To help you plan your weekend, here’s a comprehensive guide to 25+ of the coolest places worth visiting during this much-loved annual event.
Doors Open Toronto 2025: 25+ Coolest Buildings You Can Explore for Free This May
1. YZD Experience Centre
- Location: 34 Hanover Rd
Get a sneak peek into the future of the Downsview lands, with immersive displays about this $30-billion city-building project.
2. Ubisoft Toronto
- Location: 224 Wallace Ave
Tour the creative home of Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed, inside a restored 1920s industrial building turned high-tech gaming studio.
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3. Spin Master Headquarters at Metro Hall
- Location: 225 King St W, Suite 200
Explore the colorful hub behind PAW Patrol and Unicorn Academy, including murals, toys, and a “Playground Café.”
4. St. Lawrence Market North
- Location: 125 The Esplanade
Go beyond Saturday’s farmer’s market with a behind-the-scenes look at the market’s brand-new facility.
5. Old Don Jail
- Location: 550 Gerrard St E
Visit this once-notorious 1860s prison, now transformed into part of Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital’s campus. Don’t miss the glass skybridge.
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6. Old City Hall
- Location: 60 Queen St W
Reopened for the first time since 2019, this Romanesque landmark is known for its gargoyles and powerful war memorials.
7. Redpath Sugar Refinery
- Location: 95 Queens Quay E
One of Toronto’s last waterfront industrial sites. Peek inside, meet staff, and grab a sweet treat or two.
8. R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant
- Location: 2701 Queen St E
Tour Toronto’s largest water facility, nicknamed the “Palace of Purification” for its striking Art Deco design.
9. MaRS Discovery District
- Location: 101 College St
This innovation hub includes state-of-the-art health research labs, startup spaces, and a revitalized heritage hospital.
10. Toronto City Hall + Observation Deck
- Location: 100 Queen St W
Access rarely opened floors and behind-the-scenes spaces. Be sure to check out the 27th floor deck view.
11. Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts
- Location: 443 Lakeshore Ave (Toronto Islands)
A creative haven housed in a 1909 school building, offering artist studios and quiet lakeside reflection.
12. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
- Location: 2 Eireann Quay
Go behind the scenes of this island airport’s WWII past, medevac services, and scenic runway views.
13. The Riverdale Hub
- Location: 1326 Gerrard St E
A restored silent film theatre turned sustainable arts space and rooftop garden.
14. TRCA Head Office
- Location: 9755 Jane St (North York)
A showcase of sustainable mass timber construction, cutting-edge geothermal systems, and environmental innovation.
15. Daniels Building, U of T
- Location: 1 Spadina Cres
Explore where historic Gothic Revival meets modern design at the architecture faculty of the University of Toronto.
16. City of Toronto Archives
- Location: 255 Spadina Rd
This 11,000-sq-ft space holds 130,000+ record boxes. Check out digitization labs and rotating exhibitions.
17. architects-Alliance, Commodore Building
- Location: 317 Adelaide St W, 2nd Floor
Visit this leading architectural firm’s HQ in a heritage Art Deco space, featuring designs that shaped Toronto’s skyline.
18. Gensler Toronto Studio
- Location: 150 King St W, Suite 1400
Peek into one of the world’s largest design firms and its work on local landmarks like Holt Renfrew and BMO Field.
19. OCAD University
- Location: 100 McCaul St
Experience Toronto’s hub for design and digital arts, including the iconic Sharp Centre building.
20. Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
- Location: 158 Sterling Rd
Enjoy free entry and explore exhibits housed in a former industrial space now pulsing with creativity.
21. Aga Khan Museum
- Location: 77 Wynford Dr
A rare opportunity for free entry to this architectural masterpiece featuring Islamic art, culture, and history.
22. Bata Shoe Museum
- Location: 327 Bloor St W
From ancient sandals to celeb heels, explore the cultural power of footwear—free of charge for the weekend.
23. Metropolitan United Church
- Location: 56 Queen St E
Enjoy organ demos, bell tower tours, and a lawn recital featuring the Met’s 54-bell carillon.
24. Toronto’s First Post Office
- Location: 260 Adelaide St E
Try writing with a quill and ink at this National Historic Site and working post office museum.
25. Evergreen Brick Works
- Location: 550 Bayview Ave
Visit this former quarry-turned-eco hub with trails, workshops, and markets. Expect crowds, so go early.
26. Q4 Architects Studio
- Location: 4110 Yonge St, Suite 602
Tour this woman-led architecture firm overlooking the Don Valley, celebrating 20 years of thoughtful urban design.
The full list of participating buildings, events, and talks—including “Ready Player One: A Dive into Toronto’s Video Game Industry” and Indigenous storytelling workshops—is available on the official City of Toronto Doors Open website.
Which Toronto building are you most curious to step inside during Doors Open 2025?
More…
- https://www.overheretoronto.com/doors-open-toronto
- https://www.blogto.com/events/akin-davisville-open-studio-doors-open-toronto-2025-toronto
- https://storeys.com/doors-open-toronto-2025
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