Doors Open turns Toronto into an urban playground this weekend

The City of Toronto is inviting people to embrace their playful side this weekend for its 25th edition of Doors Open.

The program celebrates the city's architecture and history by giving visitors behind-the-scenes access to 150 buildings across Toronto.

In this year's lineup of hidden gems, there's an emphasis on joy and fun through the theme of play, says Kristine Williamson, the program lead for Doors Open Toronto. 

"We were thinking about all the playful ways that we get out into the city… and how we could turn the city into an urban playground," she said. "I like to think of Doors Open as a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure piece."

New additions to this year's map include video game development studio Ubisoft Toronto, children's entertainment company Spin Master Headquarters and the Toronto School of Art, where visitors can try button-making and still-life drawing. 

Old City Hall and the historic Don Jail at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital are also joining the program after a five-year hiatus.

Both locations are on Yavuz Topbas's map this year. The 23-year-old Toronto resident says he spent hours planning his routes for Saturday and Sunday.

"It's very important for us to bring out our inner child, even in our adult lives," Topbas said, adding he's especially excited for the chance to visit government spaces, such as Ontario's legislative building.

"I think transparency in a society is a very important concept, and having a society where people are able to actually go into the halls of power and see themselves in the nexuses of power."

Events and exhibitions

Doors Open also features a variety of interactive events, including workshops, panels and tours. 

In line with this year's theme, there's even an exhibition dedicated to the city's love of basketball.

Located at the Harbourfront Centre, Home Game: Toronto Loves Basketball highlights the Canadian invention of the sport, personal stories from local players and memorabilia from city teams, past, present and future — the Huskies, the Raptors and the Tempo. 

"This exhibition celebrates how the game has shaped our city and our communities… because it really has," said Heidi Reitmaier, CEO of the Museum of Toronto, curator of the site. 

This is the exhibition's opening weekend and it'll run until Oct. 12.

Reitmaier says she hopes that when people see the collection and come out for Doors Open, they'll reflect on the importance of public spaces and how they bring people together.

"We should think about our public spaces as spaces where we socialize, where we connect, where we need to feel a sense of belonging… We need to think about the idea of play as a kind of civic action."