Doors Open
Every other year, we celebrate the unique places and spaces that make Kawartha Lakes so special with Doors Open! We're excited to host Doors Open 2026 to showcase spaces of civic engagement to celebrate the City's 25th anniversary. Join us on September 13, 2026 from 10am to 4pm for this year's event.
Doors Open Kawartha Lakes is part of the Doors Open Ontario program, running from May to October each year and showcasing communities and their hidden spaces and places across the province.
Doors Open Passport
Heritage Scavenger Hunt
Our New Doors Open Passport!
In 2024, we introduced a new Doors Open Passport! Visitors who explored three or more sites were able to enter a draw to win great local prizes. Passports were stamped at each site and dropped off at the final stop of the day to be entered into the draw.
The passport will return in 2026 and can be picked up on the day of the event at any participating site.
Can you find that historic building?
In 2026, we're introducing an exciting new activity: the Heritage Scavenger Hunt! Identify historic buildings throughout Kawartha Lakes for a chance to win great local prizes.
The Scavenger Hunt will run from the Labour Day Long Weekend until Thanksgiving. Check back here on Labour Day for the full list of clues!
Explore our 2026 Doors Open Sites
We're excited to invite you to visit our 2026 Doors Open sites. We'll be posting information about our sites here, including their locations and hours for the event, here. Check back in summer 2026 for a full list of sites.
Academy Theatre
2 Lindsay Street South, Lindsay
Hours: 10am-4pm
The Academy Theatre opened its doors in 1893 and has served as Lindsay's premier performance space since that time. The theatre hosts musical and theatrical acts throughout the year and acts as a busy cultural hub in downtown Lindsay. Visit this building to experience a behind-the-scenes look at this local landmark! Theatre staff will be running ghost tours throughout the day to introduce visitors to the building's haunted past. Register here for one of our tours.
Kawartha Lakes City Hall
26 Francis Street, Lindsay
Hours: 10am to 4pm
Kawartha Lakes City Hall was constructed in 1863 as the Victoria County Courthouse. The building has served as as the City's primary administrative building since amalgamation in 2001. Come and see where Council meets, works by local artists and an exhibit about the history of Kawartha Lakes to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We will also be hosting the traveling exhibit, Their Votes Counted, courtesy of the Kawartha Lakes Museum and Archives, marking the 100th anniversary of women voting in a Canadian election.
Kawartha Lakes Museum and Archives
50 Victoria Avenue North, Lindsay
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives is located in the former Lindsay Gaol, constructed in 1863, and showcases historical artifacts from Lindsay and the surrounding area. Come and experience the history of Kawartha Lakes with their range of exhibits as well as aspects of the former jail, such as the cell blocks that still exist inside the museum.
Lindsay Daily Post Building
15 William Street North, Lindsay
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The tradition of written communications comes full circle in this building, once home to the Lindsay Daily Post and currently home to the Kent Bookstore and a number of other businesses. Featuring original wooden floors and magnificent tin ceilings, this historical facility is reputed to be haunted. Tours of the building will be held throughout the day.
Lindsay Legends and Lore
180 Kent Street West, Lindsay
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The Lindsay Legends and Lore Walking Tours are self guided walking tours of Lindsay that explore the historic buildings in downtown Lindsay and beyond. Pick up your self-guided tour brochure at Lindsay's historic Queen's Square and former Lindsay Town Hall and explore Lindsay's historic past.
Manilla Library
17025 Simcoe Street, Manilla
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The written word has been the heartbeat of communication for centuries. Built in 1887, this frame building became a Mechanic's Institute in 1893, from which the Manilla Library emerged. Since then, the library has offered library and community services to Manilla and the surrounding area. Now restored, it is operating as a community hub once again.
Oakwood Library
932 Highway 7, Oakwood
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The Oakwood Library was constructed in 1913 as the new school for Mariposa School Section 12. Operating as a school until 1985, it became the Mariposa municipal administration building and then, in 2002, the Oakwood branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library. Join us to explore the building and learn about this historical institutional building in the hamlet of Oakwood.
Oakwood United Church
949 Highway 7, Oakwood
Hours: 10am to 4pm
Oakwood United Church was built in 1912 as a Methodist church and has served the village ever since as a place of worship and community gathering space for the local area. The church's important collection of stained glass was sourced from the Toronto Plate Glass Importing Company and contribute to this beautiful building's distinctive architecture.
Old Bethany Post Office
1480 Highway 7A, Bethany
Hours: 10am to 4pm
This post office, constructed in 1875, is one of the oldest restored freestanding post offices in Ontario. It has served many roles over the years and is now home to the Manvers Historical Society. Come and see what a post office looked like when mail was the way that people stayed connected.
Omemee Legends and Lore
1 King Street West, Omemee
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The Omemee Legends and Lore Walking Tour is a self guided walking tour of downtown Omemee that explores the historic buildings on Omemee's historic main street and the stories behind them. Pick up your self-guided tour brochure outside Coronation Hall and explore Omemee's historic past.
Omemee Railway Station
17 James Street North, Omemee
Hours: 10am to 4pm
The Omemee Railway Station served what was once a bustle train line that ran through the village of Omemee. The station has long been unused and is currently located behind Lady Eaton Elementary School. The Omemee Lions have launched a campaign to move and restore this building and are inviting the community to see the train station and learn more about its past and future.
Woodville Town Hall
101A King Street, Woodville
Hours: 10am to 4pm
In 1903, Woodville's original 1857 Town Hall was in need of a replacement and money was raised for a new large building on King Street. This brick building included a large performance space as well as space for village Council meetings and administration. Now a rental venue and community hall, this building has been lovingly restored by local residents over the years, including its striking wooden interior.
