Contact:
Meghan Hudson
Communications Associate
mhudson@aiabalt.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Doors Open Baltimore 2022 Registrations Open Now
Baltimore, MD (September 1, 2022) – Registration for Doors Open Baltimore events are now open! During the first weekend in October, 46 sites will open to the public, and there will be over 12 guided tours. Plus, the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) will host two virtual history events.
While a full list of sites and tours can be found at DoorsOpenBaltimore.org, there are some key events to know about this year.
Door Open Baltimore 2022 kicks off with a lecture by Nicole King, PhD titled, “Preservation for the People: The Fight for Development without Displacement,” on September 29. Having a background as a cultural historian and preservationist, King challenges the city’s “move on in good faith” perspective regarding Baltimore’s history with development and displacement.
On Saturday, October 1, Doors Open Baltimore will offer a brand-new tour of Turner Station and Henrietta Lacks Village at Lyon Homes. Learn about the Turner Station community’s rich history and the life of Henrietta Lacks, one of its most significant residents.
Sunday welcomes the long-awaited return of our Architectural Boat Tour of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. There will be two tour times available: 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Then, in Towson, Doors Open presents a new tour this year of Baltimore County’s oldest African American Community, East Towson. See architectural structures still in place and shaped by shifting political, economic, and social pressures through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights and into the present day Black Lives Matter movement.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to offer the open houses once again,” Chelsea Thomas, Co-Chair of the Doors Open Baltimore Committee, said. “Doors Open is all about walking through that threshold and discovering the unknown. We have over a dozen new sites this year to explore, and we’ve expanded our territory to include several guided tours in Baltimore County. I encourage a visit to the new Center for Architecture and Design on Saturday to pick up an event guide and participate in kid-friendly STEM activities.”
Doors Open Baltimore is for kids, too! A crowd favorite, the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center, will return with a tour of their state-of-the-art facility, plus other water-related activities, on Saturday, October 1.
Also on Saturday, Future Architects Resources (FAR), an education focused committee by BAF, will offer children’s activities at the Center for Architecture and Design. Kids of all ages can come and test out their design and engineering skills in a spaghetti tower challenge! Volunteers from the FAR committee will be on hand to teach basic architectural concepts and assist in the building process. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
“I am particularly excited for visitors to have a chance to experience such a huge range of sites in Baltimore,” Daphne Daly, Event Coordinator for Doors Open Baltimore, said. “There really is something for everyone – from colonial-era historic sites to industrial era mills, and from modern architectural gems to public parks and kid-friendly museums.”
Organized by BAF, Doors Open Baltimore is the free citywide festival of architecture and neighborhoods that invites thousands of people to explore the city and make meaningful connections to the built environment. Tickets for guided tours are limited so be sure to register as soon as you can!
BAF staff is monitoring COVID-19 developments and will follow the guidance of Baltimore City for all programs.
Visit www.doorsopenbaltimore.org for more information and follow the program on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to hear about this year’s programs.
About Baltimore Architecture Foundation
The Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) celebrates design and the built environment. Launched in 1987, BAF encourages people to explore Baltimore architecture: to be mindful of the area’s history, and recognize Baltimore’s architectural heritage, and appreciate its design innovations.
Through its tours, lectures, educational programs for adults and kids, exhibitions, research, and publications, the BAF demonstrates how ideas are manifested in the built environment and urban design of the city.
###
