About Doors Open

Congratulations to the WINNERS of the 2008 Art of Architecture and architage Doors Open Niagara Photography Contests:

For the list of winners names, click on Art of Architecture Contest and architage contest.

These amazing photos will be unveiled at the Doors Open Niagara Gala on Tuesday, June 9th at the Buffalo Canoe Club in Ridgeway, Ontario.  Full details to be announced shortly and tickets will be available for purchase at that time.

3rd Annual Binational Doors Open / Niagara By Design Launch Event

Buffalo Canoe Club 4475 Erie Road Ridgeway, Ontario

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Awards Presentation and Exhibit of Winning Photographs of the 2008 “Art of Architecture” and “architage”  Photography Contests Announcing the 2009 Binational Doors Open Niagara/Niagara By Design Program Introducing the Bicentennial of War of 1812 Art of Peace Gardens Project Celebrating Boundary Waters Week & Centennial of the Boundary Waters Treaty

Wines Courtesy of our Binational Niagara Wineries  Decadent Finger Foods and Desserts  Music by the Mark Mazur Band

Limited number of tickets:  $25.00 per person / $20.00 per person for BTA or Doors Open Niagara Members

For More Information & To Purchase Tickets:  Contact Helga Honey at 888.849.5834 or helga.honey@btapartners.com

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2008 Doors Open / Niagara By Design program - the Sponsors, Volunteers, Speakers, participating Sites, and of course the Visitors!  We will be continuing with our Niagara By Design Speaker and Movie Series throughout the year.  More details to follow. 

Share your favourite Doors Open stories, experiences and photos.  Click on Stories or Photos and submit. Eventually, we hope to add these stories, experiences and photos into the Doors Open website.

Doors Open Niagara 2009 will take place on Saturday, October 17 & Sunday, October 18.  If you wish to be a participating site or volunteer, please contact us as soon as possible.

Download the complete 2008 NIAGARA BY DESIGN / BINATIONAL DOORS OPEN NIAGARA event guide here!

The inspiration for DOORS OPEN NIAGARA had its origins in France where the first Doors Open event (La Journee Portes Ouvertes) took place in 1984. The idea soon spread to neighboring countries and has since expanded around the globe. Toronto was the first North American city to follow the European lead and launched a high profile event showcasing constructed heritage, architecture and design as a millennium project in 2000.

Using the Toronto model, the Ontario Heritage Foundation launched Doors Open Ontario in 2002. Standing out in the list of participating communities in that inaugural year, binational DOORS OPEN NIAGARA featured towns and villages on both sides of the international boundary, opening heritage properties for all to see, and in many cases, for the first time! Each year, the Foundation publishes a full color catalog featuring all Doors Open communities including twenty of the DOORS OPEN NIAGARA sites. The catalog is distributed throughout Canada, as well as internationally. Information about all participating sites is available at www.doorsopenontario.on.ca.

DOORS OPEN NIAGARA is organized by a steering committee of volunteers from both Canada and the United States in association with the Binational Tourism Alliance (BTA). The BTA is a tourism product and infrastructure development and training organization. It has been working with tourism, cultural and hospitality partners in the binational region since 2001 to develop the cross-border region into an internationally recognized, year-round cultural tourism destination.

 A variety of special events will highlight the wealth of both old and new architecture and design in this region by introducing exciting new elements of design, indoor and outdoor landscaping, environmental and reuse projects, into the heritage and architecture mix that Doors Open Niagara has always celebrated.

"The Art of Architecture" is the theme of this year's DOORS OPEN NIAGARA, with a special emphasis on discovering art in and around historically and architecturally significant sites. Among the types of art visitors can encounter are:

• Architectural: interior and exterior construction and architectural details; examples of rare design styles
• Fine Art Collections: galleries and exhibits contained in many sites as well as permanent art collections
• Decorative Art: interior decor; original and reproduction furnishings and antiques
• Historical Art: memorabilia, folk art, historical artifacts
• Mechanical Art: antique machinery and equipment, tools, vehicles and engineering marvels
• Horticultural & Landscape: formal gardens, labyrinths, picturesque grounds

Participating sites include elegant residences and inns, churches containing magnificent stained glass windows, Industrial Age factories, municipal buildings, museums, schoolhouses, and sites that played a role in the Underground Railroad. A wide variety of architectural styles are represented including 18th and early 19th century stone and log structures, homes and buildings crafted in the Victorian, Neo-Classical, Art Deco, Italianate and Greek Revival styles, and churches of Romanesque and Gothic Revival design. Many of the sites in both the U.S. and Canada are registered as National Historic landmarks and others played important roles in the history of both countries.

NEW FOR 2008:
This year take the Bike Train to Doors Open Niagara 2008. The Bike Train is a new sustainable transportation initiative that has opened up the Niagara region to Toronto cyclists. By adding a special baggage car to select VIA Rail departures between Toronto and Niagara Falls Stations, the Bike Train allows up to 56 cyclists per train to travel to Niagara hassle free.

 

Cycling is a great way to experience Doors Open Niagara. Bicycle from site to site and see all that Niagara has to offer on two wheels. Return trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls is $59, including passenger ticket, fees and bicycle transport. Schedule and reservation information is available at www.biketrain.ca

Download the complete 2008 NIAGARA BY DESIGN / BINATIONAL DOORS OPEN NIAGARA event guide here!