The 21st annual Open House New York Weekend is taking place this weekend, Oct 20-22. The festival invites New Yorkers to explore single rooms, buildings, factories, waterways, and more public spaces across the five boroughs. Offering a mix of in-person experiences, self-guided explorations, and digital content, OHNY is a celebration of New York and the power of place. All events are free, aligned with the organization's mission to promote citywide access to all New Yorkers.

There are hundreds of noteworthy places opening their doors this weekend–here are five standouts:

‍

1. Weeksville Heritage Center (Oct 21, 10am-5pm) 

Weeksville Heritage Center is a historic cultural center in Brooklyn that uses education, arts, and a social justice lens to inspire engagement with the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America, and the Historic Hunterfly Road Houses. Weeksville Heritage Center's Fall Festival will include tours of the Road Houses, free yoga, self-guided tours, and the "In Pursuit of Freedom" and "40ACRES: Weeksville" exhibitions. Learn more here.

2. 1014 (Oct 21-22, 11am-5pm) 

Discover the public floors of 1014 Fifth Avenue, a historic townhouse across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Built in 1907, the building has served both as home to an ambassador and as the German cultural center. 1014 creates a space to explore global challenges and opportunities together. Program offerings this weekend include tours as well as artist presentations. Learn more here.

3. Alice Austen House Museum (Oct 21, 11am-4:30pm)

Enjoy a guided tour of Clear Comfort, a charming waterfront Victorian Gothic cottage that serves as the Alice Austen House Museum. Located in a park on the shore of Staten Island with sweeping views of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, the museum is dedicated to the life and work of trailblazing lesbian photographer Alice Austen. The House staff offers tours with a lens focused on LGBTQ+ and Women's History. Visitors will also be able to view the retrospective "Jean Weisinger: Progress Towards Freedom and Love."  Learn more here.

4. Judd Foundation: War Resisters League 100th Anniversary Exhibition (Oct 21, 12-5pm) 

Founded in New York City in 1923, the War Resisters League (WRL) observes its 100th Anniversary in October 2023. The remarkable people and programs of this oldest pacifist, antiwar organization in the country is celebrated with an exhibition spanning the history of WRL. This exhibition is free and open to the public at the Judd Foundation. At 1pm on Saturday, WRL historians will offer a first-come, first-served special walk-through of the exhibit with highlights from the history as well as first-person stories. Learn more about the exhibition here.

5. General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen (Oct 21, 11am-4pm) 

The General Society Library, the second oldest library in the city, includes a light-filled atrium that is used as a vibrant programming space by the General Society and other nonprofits. Overlooking the Library is a striking wrought iron balcony area that houses the John M. Mossman Lock Collection, which contains more than 370 locks, keys, and tools dating from 2,000 BC to the early 20th century. The Society's archives and history date back to 1785. In addition to the Library and Lock Collection, the Society's distinctive Member's Assembly Room is also open to the public only on OHNYWeekend. Learn more here.

‍

‍
‍