Sights, Sounds & Stories: Doors Open London | September 20-21, 2025

This September, London, Ontario, invites families, students, and lifelong learners to explore the city through the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Doors Open Ontario program. Doors Open London takes place over two days, Saturday and Sunday, September 20–21, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Themed “Sights, Sounds & Stories,” the event offers free admission to 40 diverse sites, from museums and historic estates to studios, farms, and performance spaces. Visitors can enjoy guided and self-guided tours, live demonstrations, pop-up theatricals, dance workshops, musical performances, and interactive activities that bring the city’s rich history, evolving communities, and cultural stories to life. Highlights include Canada Life and Hyland Cinema pop-up theatricals, the London Children’s Museum, and special musical performances celebrating London’s distinction as Canada’s only UNESCO City of Music. Keep reading for our full interview with Dhira Ghosh, Director of Operations at the London Heritage Council, for the inside scoop on this year’s event.

Located in southwestern Ontario, London, known as the “Forest City” for its more than four million trees, offers a unique blend of urban culture, heritage, and green spaces. The city is easily accessible for day trips, sitting approximately two hours from Toronto, 90 minutes from Kitchener-Waterloo, and less than two hours from Windsor. Visitors will discover a vibrant mix of museums, historic estates, studios, performance venues, and community landmarks that showcase how London’s sights, sounds, and stories have shaped its identity over time. Organized by the Ontario Heritage Trust, Doors Open London brings these stories to life through interactive activities, performances, guided tours, and demonstrations. The Teachers on Call in-person and online tutoring team recommends this event as an engaging way for students and families to connect classroom learning in history, music, geography, and cultural studies to real-world experiences across the city.

Participating Sites for Doors Open London

• 1st Hussars Museum - 1 Dundas Street, London, ON N6A 5H4
• Baitur Rasheed Mosque - 70 Charterhouse Crescent, London, ON N5W 5V5
• Banting House National Historic Site - 442 Adelaide St N, London, ON N6B 3H8
• Brick Street Cemetery - 370 Commissioners Rd W, London, ON N6J 4X7
• Canada Life - 255 Dufferin Ave, London, ON N6A 4K1
• Central Library London Public Library -251 Dundas St, London, ON N6A 6H9
• Centre of Movement Arts - 925 Dundas Street (Queens Park) London, ON, N5W 5N3
• Clayworx Ceramic Arts Learning Centre - 664 Dundas St, London, ON N5W 2Y8 
• Covent Garden Market (featuring the EmpowerHer Fest) - 130 King Street, London, ON, N6A 1C5
• Dundas Place (featuring Nuit Blanche) - Dundas Street, London, ON, 179 Dundas St, London, ON N6A 1G4 
• East Lions Community Centre (featuring the London East Lions Club and The Art of Living) 1731 Churchill Ave, London, ON N5W 5P4
• Eldon House Heritage Site and Gardens - 481 Ridout Street North, London, ON N6A 2P6
• Elmwood Lawn Bowling Club - 17.5 Edward St, London, ON N6C 3G9 
• Elsie Perrin Williams Estate - 101 Windermere Road, London, ON N6G 2J4
• Fanshawe Pioneer Village - 1424 Clarke Rd, London, ON N5X 4A1
• First St. Andrews United Church - 350 Queens Avenue, London, ON N6B 1X6
• Hamilton Road Culture Tour - Start at 525 Hamilton Road (Hamilton Road Seniors' Community Centre) 
• Hyland Cinema - 240 Wharncliffe Rd S, London, ON N6J 2L4
• Jet Aircraft Museum - 2465 Aviation Lane, Unit 2, London, ON N5V 3Z9
• Labatt Memorial Park - 25 Wilson Avenue, London, ON N6C 1A4
• London Amateur Radio Club - 2155B Crumlin Sideroad, London, ON N5V 3Z9
• London Children’s Museum - 100 Kellogg Ln, London, ON N5W 0B4
• London City Hall - 300 Dufferin Avenue, London, ON N6B 1Z2
• London Fire Station #4 - 400 Horton St E, London, ON N6B 1L7
• London Muslim Mosque - 151 Oxford Street West London, ON N6H 1S1
• London Police Services Headquarters - 601 Dundas Street, London, ON N6B 1X1
• Museum London - 421 Ridout St N, London, ON N6A 5H4
• Platinum Training Facility - 561 Southdale Road East, London, ON N6E 3A6
• Rising Moon Bellydance - 190 Wortley Road, Unit LL5, London, ON, N6C 4Y7
• Royal Canadian Regiment Museum -  701 Oxford Street East, London, ON N5Y 4T7
• Secrets of Radar Museum - 2155B Crumlin Side Road, London, ON N5V 3Z9
• SoHo Neighbourhood Tour - Meet at 255 Horton Street East (Edgar and Joe’s Café)
• St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church - 489 Pinetree Drive, London, ON N6H 3M9
• St. Paul’s Cathedral  - 472 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 3E6
• Talbot Street Church - 513 Talbot Street, London, ON N6A 2S5
• Urban Roots London - 21 Norlan Avenue, London, ON N5W 1B3
• Wesley-Knox United Church - 91 Askin Street, London, ON N6C 1E7
• Western Ontario Fish & Game Protective Association - 790 Southdale Rd E, London, ON N6E 1A8

Read our Full Interview With Dhira Ghosh, Director of Operations at the London Heritage Council

This year’s theme, “Sights, Sounds & Stories”, highlights how performances, demonstrations, and guided tours bring London’s past to life. What story are you most excited to share with visitors?

Each of our sites have their own unique story to tell –the event weekend is geared in a way that visitors get a behind the door experience of that site. We have a pop-up theatricals happening at Canada Life and Hyland Cinema which is the only surviving single screen move theater in our city. We have dance workshops and the story of dance evolution in our city happening at Queens Park. London being Canada’s only UNESCO’s City of Music, we have a number of musical performances happening at several sites. For the first time DOL will feature Nuit Blanche. We have a number of sites showcasing ethnic cultures.

With 40 in-person sites across the city, including museums, places of worship, historic estates, studios, farms, and more, what kind of turnout are you expecting?

We hope to have about 30,000 people attend the 2 day event.

For someone visiting London for the first time, what’s the best starting point or neighbourhood cluster, especially downtown, to make the most of both walking and transit access?

Attached is a list of our clusters—we call it “One Stop, Many Hops” This will be promoted via our social media platform

Which sites offer interactive or kid-friendly features?

Most of our sites will offer kid-friendly activities as this weekend is designed to offer family friendly activities but of course top of the list is London Children’s Museum. Most sites will have interactive activities –to name  a few, East Lions community Centre, Fanshawe Pioneer Village, London Fire Station # 4, Museum London, Banting House National Historic Site, Western Ontario Fish & Game Protective Services, Rising Moon Bellydance, SoHo Walking Tour, Bus Tour with Hamilton Road Culture Tour.

If someone only has time for a handful of sites, what are your top three “can’t-miss” picks—and what makes them stand out?

This one is a tough question since each site has its own unique story to tell—I think it depends on what one’s area of interest is—again I’ll say visit Doors Open London website and see what piques your interest—there is something for everyone!

A day of exploring London builds an appetite!

What local cafés, markets, or eateries would you recommend around the downtown core?

Visit Downtown London Ontario | Events, Dining & Shopping in London and you’ll find lots of options.

~

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, Doors Open London offers a unique opportunity to explore the city's hidden treasures. With over 40 sites to choose from, you can plan your visit using the "One Stop, Many Hops" clusters to make the most of your day. Each site offers a distinct experience, from interactive exhibits at the London Children's Museum to historical tours at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Don't miss the chance to witness live performances, participate in dance workshops, and enjoy the rich cultural tapestry that makes London a UNESCO City of Music. Looking for more Doors Open fun? Check out two additional Doors Open Ontario events happening in Gravenhurst and Aylmer and Malahide happening September 20, 2025. Also, don’t miss our feature from last year’s Doors Open London event.