DOORS OPEN NIAGARA is this weekend! This unique event started in France in 1984. The idea soon spread to neighboring countries and has since expanded around the globe.
DOORS OPEN NIAGARA features 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.
Buffalo sites that will have their Doors Open include: the Electric Tower, the Botanical Gardens, Gilda’s Club, Westerminster Presbyterian Church, Hayes Hall (UB), St. Ann’s RC Church, the ASA Ransom House, the Mansion and others, plus dozens of spectacular sites throughout Niagara County and S. Ontario. This is a fabulous opportunity - be part of it!
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. Bicycle from site to site and see it all 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
“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.
Plenty 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.
Download the complete 2008 NIAGARA BY DESIGN / BINATIONAL DOORS OPEN NIAGARA event guide here!
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