Dozens of Baltimore buildings that are usually locked to outsiders will throw their doors open for free this Saturday, October 24, as part of the city's annual architecture festival. Visitors can expect to find 52 participating buildings scattered across the city, each open on a set schedule for drop-in exploration with no admission charge.
According to Doors Open Baltimore, every participating site will be open on October 24, though hours vary by location — some run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while others open from 1 to 5 p.m. The event, hosted by the Baltimore Architecture Foundation, launched in 2014 and has since grown into what organizers describe as an annual city-wide festival celebrating Baltimore's neighborhoods, architecture and distinctive spaces, per the Foundation's about page. On a single Saturday each fall, the event opens 52 buildings across the city, many of them not normally accessible to the public, for free walk-in visits.
What's Open This Year
This year's lineup includes the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry. The Baltimore Basilica is known as America's First Cathedral. The organization also publishes a Google map of participating sites and transit routes so visitors can plan a route through multiple stops in one day. Sites have taken part in the event over the past 13 years.
Those looking for a deeper dive beyond Saturday's quick visits have another option: paid guided tours run throughout the month of October for more in-depth exploration, according to Doors Open Baltimore. The free, single-day open house format is meant to maximize access — the Baltimore Architecture Foundation says that by offering free entry, it enables a wide audience to participate, as noted by the American Institute of Architects Baltimore chapter. The group also points to the event's broader civic goal of bringing visitors to neighborhoods they might not otherwise explore, engaging them with cultural sites to build new audiences.
A Look Back at Past Doors
Last year's event offered a glimpse of the architectural details visitors could find. At First Unitarian Church of Baltimore during the 2025 open house, visitors could explore the building's architectural details, as reported by Baltimore Fishbowl. The same church also houses a Tiffany mosaic of The Last Supper made from 64,000 pieces of favrille glass, the outlet reported.
The 2025 lineup also included the SNF Parkway Theater, which was envisioned as a 1,100-seat venue, though its seating capacity was later reduced, per the same account. Another stop, the Robert Long House, was built in 1765 for merchant Robert Long and is described as the oldest urban residence in Baltimore. Last year's event continued the festival's focus on giving visitors access to historic buildings and areas not typically open to the public, Baltimore Fishbowl noted.
Earlier editions of the event have drawn even larger numbers of participating buildings. The sixth annual Doors Open Baltimore, held October 5-6, 2019, included tours of 57 buildings, according to the Baltimore Sun. That year's roster featured Davidge Hall, built in 1812 as part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and described as the oldest structure in the Western Hemisphere in continuous use for medical education. Also on the 2019 list was St. Mary's Chapel, designed by architect Maximilian Godefroy and completed in 1808.
Alex Parker of Fox45 News visited the Maryland Institute College of Art, a participating Doors Open Baltimore site, ahead of this year's 13th annual edition, as reported by WBFF. For anyone looking to spend a free Saturday poking around spaces they'd otherwise never see — from a centuries-old merchant's house to a dental history museum — October 24 is the day to map out a route and start knocking.
