With its tree-lined streets, heritage buildings, and vineyard-dotted landscape, Niagara-on-the-Lake offers the perfect setting to celebrate Ontario’s history. On Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can enjoy a full day of exploration through the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Doors Open Ontario program. As the final Doors Open event of the 2025 season, Niagara-on-the-Lake offers a rare chance to step inside some of the region’s most treasured landmarks, from elegant wineries and restored estates to theatres and museums that celebrate the town’s rich artistic and architectural legacy. Keep reading for our full interview with event organizer Amy Klassen, Director of Finance & Marketing, Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum.
Nestled along the shores of Lake Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake is known for its Victorian-era charm, award-winning wineries, and world-class Shaw Festival Theatre. Located just 30 minutes from Niagara Falls, an hour from Hamilton, and approximately 90 minutes from Toronto, this historic town is ideal for day-trippers and families seeking an immersive learning adventure. The Teachers on Call in-person and online tutoring team recommends this Ontario Heritage Trust Doors Open event for students who love history, the arts, and hands-on learning. It’s an opportunity to see heritage come alive outside the classroom while connecting to stories that shape Ontario’s past and present. Check out our interview about the 2024 Doors Open event in Niagara-on-the-Lake and keep reading for tips on what is new for 2025.
Participating Sites – Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake 2025
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum – 43 Castlereagh St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- RiverBrink Art Museum – 116 Queenston St., Queenston, ON L0S 1L0
- St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church – 323 Simcoe St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre – 247 Ricardo St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- The Exchange Brewery – 7 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery – 1366 York Rd., St. Davids, ON L0S 0A1
- Niagara Lodge No. 2 (Masonic Lodge) – 153 King St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Niagara Apothecary – 5 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Shaw Festival Theatre – 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Willowbank School of Restoration Arts – 14487 Niagara Pkwy, Queenston, ON L0S 1L0
- McFarland House – 15927 Niagara Pkwy, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Lawn Bowling Club – 14 Anderson Ln., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
Read Our Full Interview With Amy Klassen, Director of Finance & Marketing, Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake has been part of the Ontario Heritage Trust’s program for years. How has the event evolved over time, and what makes it unique to this community?
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a community so rich in history, so it is the perfect place to come visit some of the province’s most historic buildings. Our community is a great example of how to do heritage preservation and adaptive reuse. We have an old telephone exchange that is now a brewery, an old high school that is now a museum, and an old estate that is now a school for restoration, among other examples. Every site has a unique building that tells a different story.
Many of the sites return each year, but there is always something new to see. Galleries and museums have new exhibits, different guides give you new perspectives and new stories about the sites, and we try to find at least one new site each year to expand the Doors Open experience.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is home to iconic heritage sites and landmarks. For visitors who may have attended before, what fresh experiences or behind-the-scenes moments will they discover this year?
In past years, the Shaw Festival has had to work around performance times, so their tour times were limited. This year, they will be able to offer tours on the hour from 10 am to 2 pm, so more people will be able to get to experience a behind-the-scenes look.
McFarland House is back this year after several years (they last participated in 2017), so it is a great opportunity to get in for a tour of this historic home that survived the War of 1812. We are also welcoming the Niagara-on-the-Lake Lawn Bowling Club to the event this year. Although they are in a modern building at the Community Centre, the club has a rich history, and they are excited to share that with the public.
Some of the most memorable parts of Doors Open are the places usually not accessible to the public. Which sites do you think will surprise returning visitors the most this year?
Although they have participated many times before, the Masonic Lodge is back, and this is the only day of the year they are open to the public. If you don’t have time to do all the sites, I suggest making a stop there first. Willowbank is another one that isn’t open to the public very often. They are a School for Restoration Arts, a very unique program in Canada, and their talented students will showcase the site and the work they do. Their hours are a little bit shorter than some of the other sites – noon until 5 pm.
For families and younger visitors, are there interactive or hands-on activities at any of the sites that you’d recommend?
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Lawn Bowling Club is looking forward to sharing the history of their club at their current site at the Community Centre. And, weather permitting, they will be showing people how to lawn bowl on the greens! This will be a fun, interactive visit for the whole family. The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum will also have heritage food expert Pam Mundy, from 2-4 pm sharing samples of period baking and talking about her recipes.
Visitors will be able to take home a handout with her favourite ones to try making at home. The Museum also has 1812 period costumes for kids to try on for a nice photo op.
Many of the other sites will have guides available which will help bring the history of the sites alive through tours, questions, and conversations.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a popular spot for day-trippers. If someone only has a few hours, which cluster of sites would you recommend pairing together for a well-rounded experience?
The great thing about Niagara-on-the-Lake is that many of the sites are within walking distance of each other in the heritage district. It is very easy to get to most of the sites by parking and walking around. The Niagara Pumphouse and the Lawn Bowling Club would be a bit further for walking, but both have parking lots for a quick car ride over.
There is also another cluster of sites along the Niagara Parkway from Old Town to Queenston. If you have done many of the sites in the heritage district, stopping to see McFarland House, RiverBrink Art Museum, and Willowbank is the perfect scenic drive along the Niagara River with three heritage gems to explore.
Exploring heritage sites often works up an appetite. What local cafés, restaurants, or wineries would you suggest for visitors to stop at while reflecting on their Doors Open experience?
Two of the Doors Open sites are culinary sites, so we recommend making the most of those experiences. You can taste the wines at Ravine and dine for lunch in their restaurant or try a beer flight at the Exchange and enjoy some apps. But anyone that has been to Niagara-on-the-Lake knows that it is full of amazing food and drink experiences. There are so many great wineries and breweries that you will pass along your route between Queenston, St. Davids and Old Town. Fall is also the perfect time to stop at a roadside stand or farm for fall produce. And, of course, the heritage district in NOTL has so many great restaurants and cafes to choose from. From gelato, apple fritters, and baked goods to full three-course meals, there is no shortage of great places to get a bite to eat!
What do you hope visitors take away from Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake this year, whether they are first-time attendees or returning guests?
We want visitors to leave with a better appreciation for preservation and built heritage. For many of the Doors Open NOTL sites, these architectural gems would have been lost had they not been adapted for another purpose. They are important organizations and businesses in our community, and they create a unique cultural landscape that you can’t find anywhere else. We also want people to understand the importance of museums and galleries within a community and how they help to educate, inspire, and bring people together.
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From behind-the-scenes Shaw Festival tours to interactive lawn bowling demonstrations and museum exhibits, Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake 2025 offers a full day of exploration and education for visitors of all ages. Whether you’re sampling local heritage at Ravine Vineyard, trying period baking at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, or admiring restoration craftsmanship at Willowbank, each stop reveals a new layer of this town’s storied past. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 18, 2025, and spend the final weekend of the Doors Open Ontario season discovering why Niagara-on-the-Lake remains one of Ontario’s most treasured heritage destinations. Looking to celebrate more from the Niagara-on-the-Lake area? For more inspiration from Niagara-on-the-Lake, explore our Hooked on Books interview with student author Charlotte Collins, who shares her debut publishing experience and advice for aspiring young writers.
