Toronto Doors Open 2017: May 27-28
To some, the event’s appeal is the opportunity it gives to visit free of charge buildings normally accessible for a fee. To others, it’s the thrill of being allowed to explore what is otherwise closed to the public, such as the TTC-Greenwood Complex, or with limited access, such as Redpath Sugar. You can browse through their website to see which buildings are part of their roster this year (not all of them return every year into the program). For each building, they describe the visitor's experience.
A few years ago, we tried to visit the Flatiron Building but the line-up was at least one hour long. I recommend sticking to larger attractions when visiting with kids, they're able to welcome a bigger crowd (and chances are the line-up won't be too long). We headed instead to the Horse Palace within Exhibition Place and it turned out to be a great choice, especially with animal lovers. It is part of the Doors Open 2017. Low relief sculptured Art Deco facade and horseshoe imprints in the concrete at our feet reminded us that we were indeed at the Horse Palace. There were lots of activities and no line-ups. We had a close look at officers on their horses, we admired riders jumping around the arena and beautiful horses resting in their stall. Some of the places I'd like to visit this year: R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant in The Beach (for little engineers), the Gladstone Hotel (for artsy kids, they open up a few of the artist-designed rooms and there are intriguing art galleries on every floor), and Toronto City Hall (because it is a really cool building and it gives you an excuse to visit the Green Roof!).
