Awards

2024 - Best Tour

Vaughan Street Jail

Located at 221 Memorial Boulevard

Visit Winnipeg’s very own Victorian gaol and hear true crime stories about rapscallions, bootleggers, soiled doves and murderers. Stand in cells that held the undesirables from the Winnipeg General Strike, the infamous Gorilla Strangler, solitary confinement and more! For 50 years this building and the people who passed through it changed both local and Canadian history for the good and the bad. Join us for this unique experience and discover Winnipeg’s darker side of history!

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2024 - Best Architecture

Holy Trinity Anglican Church

Located at 256 Smith Street

Designed by Charles Wheeler, the interior of this Gothic Style Church features spectacular stained glass windows, original woodwork, inspiring architectural and historical features, and a magnificent pipe organ. The building is designated as a Provincial and National Heritage Site. For over 150 years, Holy Trinity continues as a home of worship and an outreach Anglican community in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Come and experience the sounds of our pipe organ. Come and enjoy a Sanctuary for our city. You are welcome to join us for Sunday service at 10:30am.

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2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 - Best Overall Experience

Vaughan Street Jail

Located at 221 Memorial Boulevard

Visit Winnipeg’s very own Victorian gaol and hear true crime stories about rapscallions, bootleggers, soiled doves and murderers. Stand in cells that held the undesirables from the Winnipeg General Strike, the infamous Gorilla Strangler, solitary confinement and more! For 50 years this building and the people who passed through it changed both local and Canadian history for the good and the bad. Join us for this unique experience and discover Winnipeg’s darker side of history!

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2023 - Best Architecture

The Inkster's Red River Home - Step Inside History at the Seven Oaks House Museum

Located at 50 Mac Street

Step back in time at the oldest home in Winnipeg, and experience life as it was for a wealthy Scottish-Metis family throughout the 1800s. Tour the oldest building of any kind in Winnipeg, as you visit the Inkster family’s General Store and get a taste of the fur trade. Learn about Red River’s unique heritage as you view a stunning collection of beadwork, embroidery, locally-built furniture and Victorian finery. Brave visitors will even hear tales of the Spirits of Seven Oaks, who linger on the property to this day.

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2022 - Best Architecture

Dalnavert Museum

Located at 61 Carlton Street

Choose-your-own-adventure through Winnipeg’s Victorian Past! Built on Treaty 1 land in 1895, Dalnavert is now a national historic site and one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Revival architecture in Western Canada. The fully furnished family home of the Macdonald’s is filled with period artifacts and antiques featuring a day in the life of an affluent family in 19th century Winnipeg. At Doors Open, you will be treated to a unique and in depth tour of 3 rooms of your choosing.

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2021 Best Tour

Ghost Sign Walking Tour *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Located at The Cube, Old Market Square

Join tour guide Matt Cohen and walk the Exchange District in search of ghost signs. Discover the area’s fading promotional signage and learn more about the companies that called these warehouses home. This 90-minute tour will allow participants to travel back in time and get to know the businesses behind the ads and the impact they played in shaping the landscape of the district.

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2021 Best Architecture

Dalnavert Museum

Located at 61 Carlton Street

Go back in time as soon as you step into this small mansion in the heart of Downtown. One of the finest examples of Queen Anne Revival architecture in Western Canada, the house has an impressive collection of 19th century decorative arts all out on display as they might have been back in 1895. A national historic site, it feature rooms on the main floor such as the Kitchen stove with built-in waffle iron, and the parlour with its papier-mâché chess board table!

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2020 Best Tour

Haunted History Tour *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Located at 444 York Street

Join one of Winnipeg’s most experienced guides, Matthew Komus, author of the book Haunted Winnipeg: Ghost Stories from the Heart of the Continent, on a tour of haunted history. The walk combines historical fact with ghost stories connected to three well-known Winnipeg buildings. Starting at Vaughan Street Jail, the tour proceeds to the Manitoba Legislature Building and concludes at Dalnavert Museum.

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2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Best Restoration

Dalnavert Museum

Located at 61 Carlton Street

The Dalnavert Museum and Visitor’ Centre has undergone an incredible transformation through detailed restoration that is immediately visible to guests as they enter the 1895 home of Sir Hugh John MacDonald, son of Prime Minister John A MacDonald. The grand old house was nearly lost in the 1970s, and was slated for demolition. Thanks to dedicated volunteers and philanthropists, restoration to the house began almost immediately after the purchase.

Then again in 2014 Dalnavert Museum was closed and in risk of being lost forever. The Friends of Dalnavert Museum was formed and took over ownership with a new business model. In 2015 the museum officially reopened stronger than ever, guaranteeing it will be part of our social and architectural fabric for generations to come.

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2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013
Best Guided Tour/Programming

Vaughan Street Jail

Located at 221 Memorial Boulevard

The Vaughan Street Jail was built in 1881 by architect Charles Osborne Wickensen, and was later modified by Samuel Hooper in 1909. It is the oldest provincially owned building still standing within the City limits. There are significant local and Canadian historical figures connected to this building, and yet unfortunately, there is still no heritage designation.

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2018 The "HIDDEN GEM"

Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church

Located at 505 Watt Street

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2016 - The Hidden Gem

Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church

Located at 505 Watt Street

The original Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Parish was built in 1919. It was the third Ukrainian Catholic church built in Winnipeg. In the 1940s, East Kildonan was growing. The small church wasn’t large enough to house the ever growing congregation.
The new building was constructed in 1954, six blocks north of the original location. Today the Church is well known for its perogy suppers.
It is home to the Millennium Senior’s Centre, and the council #11330 of the Knights of Columbus.

The Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Parish had 168 visitors in one day over the weekend of Doors Open. The visitors to their site received a taste of the church’s famous perogies.

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2016 - Best Architecture

Manitoba Legislative Building - Roots, Rights, Democracy & Design

Located at 450 Broadway

The Manitoba Legislature formally opened on July 15th, 1920 on the 50th anniversary of Manitoba’s confederation. The impressive architecture in Beaux Arts style and the intriguing interior and exterior art have only become more renowned with time. The building is well known for the famous Golden Boy, who stands on top of the building’s domed ceiling. The statue was first installed in 1919, originally called Eternal Youth, and sculpted by Parisian artist Georges Gardet.

The Legislature is open for tours all year round, but that doesn’t detract from the building’s popularity during Doors Open. It’s always popular, and this year it also attracted nearly 2,000 visitors over the weekend.

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2015 - The 'Hidden Gem'

Celebration St. James-Assiniboia Museum

Located at 3180 Portage Avenue

The Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia located at 3180 Portage Avenue is a museum that strongly reflects the history of its community. There are three buildings on the property for visitors to explore, including the William Brown Red River Frame House circa 1856 and the old Municipal Government Hall, built in 1911, which now houses displays about the development of St. James-Assiniboia as well as an interpretive centre showcasing pioneer life in the late 19^th century. A long-standing participant in Doors Open Winnipeg, the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia is one of many incredible museum experiences that the city of Winnipeg has to offer. Truly an historical asset to the Doors Open event, we are very pleased with their continued participation.

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2015 - Best Overall Experience

Ghost Sign Walking Tour *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Located at The Cube, Old Market Square

The creation of Matt Cohen from the Advertising Association of Manitoba, the Ghost Signs Walking Tour was a new addition to Doors Open this year. Focusing on the Exchange District, the tour sought out and explored the histories of the fading promotional signage and the companies that called these warehouses home. The 90-minute tour allowed participants to travel back in time and get to know the businesses behind the ads and the impact they played in shaping the landscape of the district. The walking tours that were added to Doors Open this year were unique and incredibly well received and will hopefully continue to be a part of this event. There is an opportunity to continue grow these events as their popularity increases.

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2015 - Best Architecture

Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church

Located at 505 Watt Street

The Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church located at 505 Watt Street is one of Elmwood’s hidden treasures. Built to replace the original Holy Eucharist Church in 1954, this building is a sight to behold, adorned with stained glass windows and frescoes by famous artists, hand-carved Iconostas, and a crystal chandelier. The original parish was established in 1919 along with the original church, which was only the third Ukrainian Catholic Church to be built in the city. This was the first year that the Holy Eucharist participated in Doors Open Winnipeg, hosting nearly 500 visitors over the weekend! A valuable and beautiful addition to our Doors Open event, we are pleased to offer such a unique architectural gem in East Kildonan and we hope to include them again next year!

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2014 - Best Restoration

La Maison Gabrielle-Roy

Located at 375 Rue Deschambault

La Maison Gabrielle-Roy is the childhood home of prominent Canadian author Gabrielle Roy. The house was built in 1905 by her father and features a gabled attic, sweeping veranda, and beautiful white Corinthian columns. Gabrielle Roy was one of Canada’s great novelists both in English and in French, as well as being an immensely important figure in French Canadian culture. One of the books she wrote Rue Deschambault, or Street of Riches in English, was based on her childhood in this home. This Doors Open site is one of many in the St. Boniface area of the city and provides tours in both French and English. The goal of the museum is to not only preserve the life, works, and personality of Gabrielle-Roy, but also to play an active role in the cultural life of Manitoba, particularly in the French-speaking community.

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2012 - Best Overall Experience

Celebration St. James-Assiniboia Museum

Located at 3180 Portage Avenue

Winnipegers were invited to return to a time past at the St. James Museum….and they did…and they loved it! Visitors were able to visit the three historical buildings on site: The William Brown Red River Frame House (constructed waaaaay back in 1856), the historic Municipal Hall, and the Display Building housing artifacts of blacksmithing, farming and transportation. In the William Brown House, trained Actors transported visitors back to early Manitoba pioneer life in late 19th century. For the second year in a row, Winnipegers have let Doors Open and the St. James Museum know that they love the site, the programming and St. James history in general.

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2012 - Best Guided Tour/Programming

Law Courts

Located at 408 York Avenue

Those participating in the guided 45-minute tour from the Law Courts got a chance to see the beautiful interior spaces of some of the highest courts in Manitoba. In addition to seeing Courtroom 330 (the Manitoba Court of Appeal) and Courtroom 210 (the Court of Queen’s Bench), those on the tour visited the Great Library. Hundreds of visitors nervously interacted with Courtroom 210: kids and adults alike, enjoyed sitting in the chairs of the judges, counsel and jury. While sheepish at first, more than a few put on a stern face and mimicked the motion of slamming a gavel down for silence. The tour guides patiently pointed out that Canadian justices do not use gavels. The engaging tour guides and rich symbolism of the building ensured that no one will soon forget the Law Courts.

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2012 - Best Architecture

Manitoba Legislative Building - Roots, Rights, Democracy & Design

Located at 450 Broadway

The Legislative Building, or ‘ledge’ is one of the finest public buildings, not just in Manitoba, but across North America! The ledge formally opened on July 15th, 1920 on the 50th anniversary of Manitoba’s confederation. The impressive architecture in Beaux Arts style and the intriguing interior and exterior art have only become more renowned with time. While the Ledge provides tours year round, every year during Doors Open, Winnipegers flock to see the life-sized North American bison on the grand staircase, the Pool of the Black Star beneath the Rotunda antechamber and the other treasures within this Frank W. Simon and Henry Boddington III creation. For the second year in a row, Winnipegers have proudly proclaimed that this Manitoba landmark has the best architecture in the city.

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2011 - Best Overall Experience

Celebration St. James-Assiniboia Museum

Located at 3180 Portage Avenue

Winnipegers were invited to return to a time past at the St. James Museum….and they did…and they loved it! Visitors were able to visit the three historical buildings on site: The William Brown Red River Frame House (constructed waaaaay back in 1856), the historic Municipal Hall, and the Display Building housing artifacts of blacksmithing, farming and transportation. In the William Brown House, trained Actors transported visitors back to early Manitoba pioneer life in late 19th century.

• See it this year!

2011 - Best Architecture

Manitoba Legislative Building - Roots, Rights, Democracy & Design

Located at 450 Broadway

The Legislative Building, or ‘ledge’ is one of the finest public buildings, not just in Manitoba, but across North America! The ledge formally opened on July 15th, 1920 on the 50th anniversary of Manitoba’s confederation. The impressive architecture in Beaux Arts style and the intriguing interior and exterior art have only become more renowned with time. While the Ledge provides tours year round, every year during Doors Open, Winnipegers flock to see the life-sized North American bison on the grand staircase, the Pool of the Black Star beneath the Rotunda antechamber and the other treasures within this Frank W. Simon and Henry Boddington III creation.

• See it this year!