Doors Open Burlington runs Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving residents a look behind the scenes at ten sites around the city. All participating locations offer free admission and on-site activities — one of the rare civic events where "free" actually means free, no fine print.
Here's what's on the list this year, in plain terms:
Art Gallery of Burlington — 1333 Lakeshore Road. Visitors can view two exhibitions, including installations by artists Celina Eceiza and Chukwudubem Ukaigwe, and walk through working studios covering pottery, textiles, the darkroom, and painting. Built in 1978, architect John Harkness.
Burlington Community Robotics — 1140 Heritage Road, Unit 14. A tour of the facility and a look at the group's award-winning FIRST Robotics Competition team, with the chance to drive one of their robots. Kids can build a mini-robot to take home.
Burlington Lawn Bowling Club — 2275 New Street. Construction began in 1969, opening in 1971 with over 200 members in its first season. Doors Open visitors can tour the club, try lawn bowling, and get refreshments.
Burlington Masonic Temple — 459 Brant Street. The current meeting room was built between 1953 and 1954. Guides will be on hand to walk through the lodge and answer questions about the history of the organization.
Burlington Model Railway Club — 1137 Hidden Valley Road. Established in the 1980s. Three layouts will be running — two indoor, one outdoor garden-gauge — built and operated by club members. The outdoor layout runs weather permitting.
Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club — 3521 Mainway. Founded in 1975, marking its 50th season this year. The club is open to players 35 and over year-round.
Kilbride Fire Station — 2241 Kilbride Street. Firefighters will lead tours of Station 5 and walk through the equipment used on their trucks.
Notre Dame Convent Chapel at Laureate College — 1921 Snake Road. Built in 1956 by architect Peter Tillman. Features carvings by sculptor Dora de Pedery Hunt, stained glass by Yvonne Williams, and a Casavant Frères pipe organ.
St. Luke's Anglican Church — 1382 Ontario Street. Built in 1834 on land donated by Joseph Brant's daughter, Elizabeth Kerr, and Augustus Bates. The congregation is marking over 190 years, with tours of the church and cemetery.
West Plains United Church — 549 Plains Road West. Built in 1930 by architect George T. Evans, with a congregation dating to 1871. Sits next to the Royal Botanical Gardens and includes a black box theatre used for music and theatre.
Most sites list parking on-site, and several — the Art Gallery of Burlington, Burlington Community Robotics, Kilbride Fire Station, Notre Dame Convent Chapel, and West Plains United Church — are marked kid-friendly. Full accessibility, tour, and contact details for each site are available through the individual event pages on the Doors Open Ontario website.
If you're only hitting a few stops, that's still ten more Burlington buildings you'll actually know something about by 3 p.m. than you did at 10 a.m.
Details sourced from the official Doors Open Ontario website. Confirm hours and accessibility directly with individual sites before visiting.
Stay Updated Every Week
Get the latest stories, insights, and trends delivered straight to your inbox.