Barrie 
Doors Open Simcoe County offers an enriching experience to explore the rich cultural, historical, and architectural sites of the County.
Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum/Credit: Doors Open Simcoe County
Simcoe County is inviting residents and visitors to step inside some of its most intriguing sites on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the annual Doors Open event offers free entry to museums, historic buildings, churches, and cultural spaces across the region.
Doors Open Simcoe County features 23 sites across communities including Midland, Coldwater, Penetanguishene, Orillia, Collingwood, Alliston, Wasaga Beach, Oro-Medonte, Creemore, Minesing and Utopia.
You can explore museums, historic homes, churches, galleries, conservation areas and walking tours.
Highlights include Coldwater Mill, Fort Willow Conservation Area, Leacock Museum National Historic Site, Nancy Island Historic Site, Oro African Methodist Church and Sir Frederick Banting Homestead.
Cultural stops include Midland Cultural Centre and Quest Art School + Gallery, while the George Langman Wildlife Sanctuary adds a nature-focused option. Together, the locations offer a mix of history, art, architecture, military heritage and outdoor spaces.
With 23 sites to choose from, the day offers a chance to experience the county’s architecture, history, and community spirit, all free of charge.
Doors Open Simcoe County – Sites to Explore:
Nancy Island Historic Site
- Canadian Museum of Water Interactive Hub
Address: 333 King Street, Midland
Feature: Explore the relationship between people and water through technology, science, storytelling and interactive play inside the Midland Cultural Centre. - Coldwater Mill
Address: 1 Mill Street, Coldwater
Feature: Step inside an 1833 grist mill on the Coldwater River, with a museum, local artisan gift shop and covered picnic area. - Coldwater Museum
Address: 1474 Woodrow Road, Coldwater
Feature: Explore the early-1840s Woodrow Homestead, a preserved log cabin on a 2.6-hectare historical property beside the Coldwater River. - First Presbyterian Church, Penetanguishene
Address: 20 Robert Street East, Penetanguishene
Feature: Visit an 1887 church with sanctuary windows inspired by Georgian Bay landscapes and an addition that blends old and new spaces. - Fort Willow Conservation Area
Address: 2714 Grenfel Road, Minesing
Feature: Walk a War of 1812 supply depot site along the historic Nine Mile Portage, with trails and open spaces to explore. - George Langman Wildlife Sanctuary
Address: 2457 Bass Lake Sideroad East, Orillia
Feature: Discover a 24-hectare wildlife sanctuary with wetlands, nature trails, an aviary, swan enclosure, pollination gardens and an education building. - Historic Walking Tour of Downtown Collingwood
Address: Meet at 44 Hurontario Street, Collingwood
Feature: Join a one-hour guided walk through downtown, combining local history with architecture, public art, landmarks and stories about Collingwood’s past. - Leacock Museum National Historic Site
Address: 50 Museum Drive, Orillia
Feature: Visit Stephen Leacock’s 1928 summer property on Lake Couchiching, including his cottage, boathouse and gardens. - Midland Cultural Centre
Address: 333 King Street, Midland
Feature: Explore a community arts and culture hub that is also home to the Midland Cultural Centre Gallery of Indigenous Art. - Museum on the Boyne
Address: 250 Fletcher Crescent, Alliston
Feature: Discover South Simcoe history through local artifacts, notable industries and famous Canadians, with a scavenger hunt and hands-on activities for children. - Nancy Island Historic Site
Address: 119 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach
Feature: Learn about the 1814 Battle of Nottawasaga Bay while exploring the preserved HMS Nancy hull, museum, blockhouse and theatre. - Orillia Museum of Art & History
Address: 30 Peter Street South, Orillia
Feature: Explore art and local history inside the 1895 Sir Samuel Steele Memorial Building, a long-standing cultural hub in downtown Orillia. - Oro African Methodist Church
Address: 1645 Line 3 North, Oro-Medonte
Feature: Visit the 1846-49 National Historic Site, one of Canada’s oldest surviving Black churches and an important landmark of the Oro Settlement. - Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives
Address: 13 Burke Street, Penetanguishene
Feature: Explore an original 1875 company store, learn about the local logging industry and see exhibits including Simcoe County’s oldest car. - Penetanguishene Historical Walking Tour
Address: Starts at 13 Burke Street, Penetanguishene
Feature: Follow the story of lumber baron Charles Beck past former mill sites, his family home and Burkevale school. - Peter Dušek Gallery
Address: 151 Mill Street, Creemore
Feature: See Peter Dušek’s minimalist and Zen-inspired Ontario landscape photography inside the former Creemore Meat Market building, dating to 1881. - Quest Art School + Gallery
Address: 333 King Street, Midland
Feature: Visit a non-profit visual arts space inside the Midland Cultural Centre that has supported creativity in Georgian Bay for more than 30 years. - Seven Star Masonic Lodge No. 285 G.R.C.
Address: 28 Victoria Street West, Alliston
Feature: Go inside a Masonic Lodge normally closed to the public and view its 1872 charter and other artifacts while learning about Freemasonry. - Sir Frederick Banting Homestead
Address: 5116 Sir Frederick Banting Road, Alliston
Feature: Visit Sir Frederick Banting’s birthplace, explore exhibits and the historical farmhouse, and walk the legacy trail devoted to the co-discoverer of insulin. - St. James on the Lines Anglican Church
Address: 215 Church Street, Penetanguishene
Feature: Explore an 1836 garrison church restored with wooden shingles, clapboard siding and handmade iron details. - Town of Midland Mural and Public Art Walking Tour
Address: Meet at 165 King Street East, Midland
Feature: Walk through Midland’s waterfront and downtown to discover 50 murals and public artworks while learning the stories behind them. Preregistration required for the guided tour at 10 a.m. Guidebooks will be available for self-guided tours. - Utopia Hall
Address: 8396 6th Line, Utopia
Feature: Visit the community hall, then explore nearby Utopia Conservation Area trails leading toward Bell’s Gristmill, originally built in 1864. - Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Address: 500 Church Street, Penetanguishene
Feature: Learn about the centre’s history, including its 1860s Administration Building, and how the site has evolved as a mental health hospital since 1904.
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Administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust, Doors Open Ontario is an annual cultural tourism initiative. The objective is to unravel the stories of the exceptional spaces that define Ontario communities — ranging from historical homes to modern architectural wonders.
