Doors Open Ottawa, 2026

Doors Open is a fun event for getting to explore some of the more distinct buildings in Ottawa.  I would compare this event to a compilation of short stories, in that with different authors, themes and tales, there are bound to be some that are better than others, and some that simply appeal to you more than others do.  

This year, I planned four visits, with mixed results.  I scheduled a visit to City Hall, the old jail youth hostel, the old courthouse, and the Ottawa School of Art.  I wanted the places to be close together, so I could park at City Hall, and then walk to the others.  

Modern City Hall is a reasonably nice building, with nice public art.  I find the modernist style to be a touch soul-less.  Everything was wheelchair-accessible, functional, as was the city meeting hall, and the art is designed to be inclusive, particularly to the Indigenous history of Ottawa.  Artistically, there aren’t many great beauties that were designed by committee, and this is a reminder of that.  I wouldn’t recommend this stop to anyone next year.

The old jail youth hostel was a bust.   It wasn’t really accessible to anyone, the crew at the desk gave obtuse directions, and there wasn’t much to see.  The old courthouse next door, on the other hand, was much easier to access and there were holding cells in the basement that could augment the imagination.  Because this building is a functioning building, associated with the Ottawa Art Gallery and the University of Ottawa, it was buys with the hullabaloo of regular life on a Saturday afternoon, and not the fearsome ambiance of a hanging court.  The dank dungeon was well lit, dry, and up to safety code, which is good… even if ahistorical.

While heading over to the School of Art, I stopped into the Byward Market to use the facilities, when I stumbled upon a guided tour of the market area.  So I skipped the Art Museum and went on that, and it was the highlight of my day.  It involved a nice walk and some context to the history of the market itself as well as the surrounding neighborhoods.  I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to go to the Ottawa School of Art, but that can be in my rotation for next year.  

The moral of the story is that the self-managed events of Open House Ottawa are wildly different in terms of quality and interest.  I had a good few hours going out, and I’ll be planning next year’s trip with a bit more of an eye towards detail.