What is Brisbane Open House?

Brisbane Open House [BOH] is an annual FREE event, where selected buildings across the city are opened for the public for guided or self-guided tours, encouraging exploration, re-examination and engagement with Brisbane’s built environment.

BOH provides residents and visitors with an opportunity to discover the hidden wealth of architecture, engineering and history in buildings and places around Brisbane city.

BOH is a part of the Open House Worldwide family – a global network of Open House events which has become a worldwide movement. International cities include New York, Tel Aviv, Stockholm, Chicago, Barcelona and Dublin. Locally Melbourne, and the Sunshine and Gold Coasts also host Open House events.

Each Open House city is run as an independent organisation but all adhere to a shared set of values and ideals. For more information visit www.openhouseworldwide.org

What is the date of Brisbane Open House?

Brisbane Open House [BOH] 2023 was held over the weekend of 15-16 July.

Villages of Brisbane – Paddington [VOB] 2023 was Saturday 5 August.

Sign up to our email list (if you haven’t already) to be the first in the know about our annual calendar of events and 2024 Brisbane Open House weekend!

Where can I find out more about the 2023 BOH event?

Go to the 2023 Brisbane Open House page on our website for this year’s event report, video, photo album and participating buildings.

Where can I read the event reports?

You can find the 2023 and previous year, event reports on our Partner Page.

Is Brisbane Open House free?

Yes, the Brisbane Open House weekend is a FREE public access event.

BOH is not-for-profit and is a part of the Open House Worldwide family – a network of Open House events (in over 50 cities!) which is a global movement.

Each Open House city is run as an independent organisation but all adhere to a shared set of values and ideals, including that all buildings will open for FREE.

For more information visit www.openhouseworldwide.org

What is the Iconic Precinct?

Each year Brisbane Open House selects an Iconic Precinct to highlight and celebrate some of Brisbane’s incredible urban landscapes.

For 2023 we partnered with Herston Health & Heritage and in 2022 we partnered with Aria Group to highlight Fish Land Arts Precinct for our inaugural precinct celebration. 

What are the Villages of Brisbane?

Each year we will introduce a new Village of Brisbane to showcase local communities across the greater Brisbane region and the vast and diverse history and design of different areas of Brisbane.

Villages of Brisbane [VOB] 2023 celebrated Paddington. Our inaugural event was held at Sandgate in 2022.

 

What buildings are open during the BOH event?

BOH 2023 saw the return of a number of our most popular buildings as well as 13 new ones– including a number of residential homes.

View the full 2023 Program HERE >>

Do I have to book all the buildings I want to see?

For the most part, no, you don’t need tickets or to book in advance for Brisbane Open House.

The majority of buildings, spaces, structures, places are openly accessible. Some tours require on-the-day registration, others are pre-booked.

 

 

How do I volunteer?

Volunteers are integral to the success of Brisbane Open House. We value their energy and time in helping bring this event together.

Our Volunteer applications are currently closed.

 

 

Are children welcome at the buildings?

Brisbane Open House is a family-friendly event, with many buildings offering childrens’ activities.

If visiting residential homes, please note each buildings requirements of entry

 

Am I allowed to photograph or record inside the buildings?

Generally, yes – although a small number of buildings do not allow photography.

The ‘Tour Tip’ section on each building page will confirm if there are photography restrictions. If in doubt, please check upon arrival.

Remember you can enter your best photographs into our annual Photography Competition.

 

How can I enter the Brisbane Open House Photography Competition?

The 2023 BOH Photography Competition is now closed but generally the competition opens on Day 1 of Brisbane Open House and ends one to two weeks later.

Visit our Photography Competition page for details or to browse previous winning entries.

 

How do I know which buildings have wheelchair access?

Most buildings and the hop-on hop-off bus have access for people with disabilities – unfortunately, a small number of buildings have limited or no wheelchair access. These details will be available on release of the BOH program.

 

Is parking available at each building?

There is no special parking for Brisbane Open House at each building – there is limited paid and street car parking in each of the precincts. More information on getting to the event and getting around the event will be available in 2024.

 

 

Can I sponsor or partner with this event?

Each year Brisbane Open House offers a number of partnership opportunities to selected organisations with an interest in Brisbane’s built environment and a desire to contribute to the city and the region’s cultural and economic future.

For further information please view our Partner page or contact us.

Can I suggest a building for Brisbane Open House?

If you would like to suggest a building which could be included in next years program, stay tuned for when our next event comes around.

Buildings invited to participate in Brisbane Open House are selected based on their architectural significance and the fact that they are not usually accessible to the general public.

Not all suggested buildings will make the program, however if not successful, we will note them for future year programs.