Heritage, History & Community Come Alive at Doors Open Peterborough | Sept 13, 2025

With September marking the return to school, it’s the perfect time for families to combine classroom learning with real-world discovery. One of the best opportunities is the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Doors Open Ontario program, which invites visitors of all ages to explore the places and stories that shape our communities. On Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Doors Open Peterborough returns with 12 in-person sites, featuring historic homes, churches, museums, theatres, and even a lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. This one-day event is a wonderful chance to spark curiosity and make history come alive for students and lifelong learners alike. Keep reading for our exclusive interview with an event organizer for the inside scoop.

Located in the Kawarthas, Peterborough is a city known for its vibrant arts, heritage, and connection to science and nature. Whether you’re travelling from Toronto (under 2 hours), Durham (90 minutes), or Kingston (2.5 hours), it makes for a rewarding family day trip or cultural getaway. Through the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Doors Open Ontario program, visitors get free access to remarkable sites that are often not open to the public. At Teachers on Call, our in-person and online tutoring team loves highlighting events like this because they foster curiosity, storytelling, and lifelong learning—skills that benefit students in and out of the classroom.

Participating Site for Doors Open Peterborough

• All Saints’ Anglican Church – 225 Sherbrooke St., Peterborough, ON K9J 2N1
• Activity Haven Recreation Centre (Queen Alexandra Community Centre) – 180 Barnardo Ave., Peterborough, ON K9J 5G5
• Peterborough Theatre Guild – 364 Rogers St., Peterborough, ON K9H 1W7
• Peterborough Museum & Archives – 300 Hunter St. E., Peterborough, ON K9J 6Y5
• Hutchison House Museum – 270 Brock St., Peterborough, ON K9H 2P9
• Auburn Heritage Walking Tour – North of Armour Rd., starting point: 911 Armour Rd
• William Dixon House – 661 Park St. N., Peterborough, ON K9H 4S1
• Lock 19 – Scotts Mills (Trent-Severn Waterway) – 217 Morphet St., Peterborough, ON K9J 1G2
• New Canadians Centre Peterborough – 221 Romaine St., Peterborough, ON K9J 2C3
• Peterborough & County Military Museum – 220 Murray St., Peterborough, ON K9H 2S8
• Quaker Park Tennis Club – 425 Driscoll Terr., Peterborough, ON K9J 4N5
• Sadleir House – 751 George St. N., Peterborough, ON K9H 3T2

Read our full interview with Colin Walsh, Heritage Programs Coordinator for the City of Peterborough

Doors Open Peterborough always delivers a fascinating mix of history, innovation, and community. What highlights can visitors look forward to this year?

Visitors can look forward to an exciting day out. Two sites are celebrating milestone anniversaries. In 2025, All Saints’ Anglican Church is 150 years old, and Activity Haven Recreation Centre is 50 years old. All Saints’ (225 Sherbrooke St.), a south end landmark, is celebrating with tours of its beautiful building, an organ recital, and refreshments. Activity Haven Recreation Centre, located in the Queen Alexandra Community Centre (180 Barnardo Ave, Peterborough, ON K9H 5V3), will be showcasing their lineup of programming for adults 55+. Another highlight is the Peterborough Theatre Guild who is offering backstage tours and performing short plays from their recent 10-minute play festival.

What kind of turnout are you anticipating for this year’s event? Do you expect most visitors to be local, or are you seeing interest from other parts of Ontario like the Kawarthas, Durham, or the GTA?

Doors Open Peterborough is always a popular event; people are curious about their city. With houses, churches, museums and locks, there’s something for everyone! In 2024, 64% of respondents to our survey said that it was their first time attending a Doors Open event. Maybe this year, we’ll have even more first-time visitors. While we expect most to be from Peterborough and the surrounding area, we love to hear about curious travellers from other parts of Ontario and beyond.

If a visitor only has time to explore a few places, what would be your “can’t-miss” sites this year, and what makes them special?

The Peterborough Museum & Archives and Hutchison House are both featuring temporary exhibits, only on until October. At the PMA, check out artiFACTS, exploring the rich and sometimes complicated stories behind artifacts donated to the museum. At Hutchison House, explore Together From Apart: Stories of Immigration, an exhibit on travel, opportunity and community curated by the Fleming College Museum Management and Curatorship program. Make sure to check these out before they’re gone!

We are always happy to have knowledgeable local historians lead walking tours. This year, join Gord Young for a walk through the Auburn neighbourhood north of Armour Road. Once Thomas A. Stewart’s farm, this area was later largely shaped by the thriving Auburn Woolen Mill on the banks of the Otonabee River. Gord first gave this tour during the first Doors Open, almost 20 years ago.

Are there any new or rarely-opened sites making their debut this year that you're especially excited about?

The William Dixon House is on for the first time since 2010; this is a rare look inside one of Peterborough’s oldest homes. The house was built in 1837 by early settler William Dixon using stones from his quarry (located in present day Jackson Park) and lumber from his sawmills. It has passed hands many times since it stopped being a family home 100 years ago. 16 years ago, it was lovingly restored and now houses a psychologist’s office. During Doors Open, the owners will be showcasing some of the treasures unearthed during the renovation.

We also have two new sites this year: Lock 19 and the New Canadians Centre Peterborough. Lock 19 – Scotts Mills is one of the most historic locks on the whole Trent-Severn Waterway, built in 1837-43 to allow steamships to travel up the Otonabee River to Peterborough. It is the only lock on the waterway to retain its original masonry. The lock and dam recently underwent a fascinating restoration and Parks Canada staff will be on hand to answer questions about the project. We are also excited to have the New Canadians Centre Peterborough who recently became the owners of the historic St. James United Church. The NCC has been supporting refugees and other newcomers to the Peterborough area since 1979, and they now call this beautiful 1917 church home.

Peterborough is a city rich in arts, heritage, and science. Are there any kid-friendly or hands-on elements planned this year that make the day especially engaging for students and families?

There’s lots to see and do for students and families. All three of the museums participating this year, the Peterborough Museum & Archives, Hutchison House, and the Peterborough & County Military Museum, have wonderful exhibits which make our history accessible. Visitors can see cooking displays on the hearth at Hutchison House (and yes, eat some oatcakes) and try their hand at tennis at the Quaker Park Tennis Club.

With locations spread across the city, what’s your advice for visitors mapping out their day? Are there any clusters of sites that are walkable or make for a convenient driving route?

There are clusters of sites around the city, it is easy to walk between each site, and bike, drive, or take transit between each cluster. Downtown is a good place to start, with the Peterborough & County Military Museum and Hutchison House, then head across the bridge to East City to check out the Quaker Park Tennis Club, Peterborough Theatre Guild, and the Peterborough Museum & Archives. In the south end you’ll find All Saints’ Anglican Church, the New Canadians Centre and Lock 19, and in the north end you’ll find Dixon House, Sadleir House, Activity Haven, and the Auburn Heritage Walking Tour. Check out our Story Map to plan your excursion.

For families looking to recharge during the day, what are your go-to recommendations for a great coffee, lunch, or sweet treat nearby? Any hidden gems you'd love to spotlight?

All Saints, Sadleir House and Hutchison House will be offering refreshments to visitors. For a more detailed list of great restaurants, cafes and stops in Peterborough visit www.ptbotourism.ca/eat-drink/.

Doors Open is a powerful platform for storytelling and community connection. What do you hope local residents and visiting families take away from the experience this year?

I hope visitors come away with a new appreciation for our city’s history. Maybe they’ll learn a new fun fact about a building they drive past every day but never thought twice about. Doors Open’s motto is “discover a story behind every door”, and I hope visitors do just that.

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Whether you’re fascinated by 19th-century homes, intrigued by immigration stories, or eager to try hands-on activities like hearth cooking or tennis, Doors Open Peterborough has something for everyone. Families can plan a route around walkable clusters, enjoy refreshments at select stops, and even discover treasures unearthed during historic restorations. Most importantly, you’ll come away with a new appreciation for the hidden stories behind the city’s landmarks. This fall, mark your calendar for Saturday, September 13, 2025, and take part in a day of exploration, discovery, and lifelong learning with Doors Open Peterborough. Want to look back at past Doors Open Ontario events? Read out recent blogs about Doors Open St. Marys and Doors Open Burlington.