08/26/2026
Doors Open California Returns in September 2026
Statewide program unlocks rare access to historic places, hidden interiors, archives, adobes, theaters, private homes, and landmarks across California
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - This September, the California Preservation Foundation presents Doors Open California 2026, a statewide celebration of historic places, hidden interiors, cultural landmarks, and behind-the-scenes experiences rarely available to the public.
Now in its fifth year, Doors Open California invites visitors to step inside the places that shape California's story - from Gold Rush towns and landmark theaters to private homes, working craft shops, archives, adobes, ships, churches, civic buildings, gardens, and architectural icons. Across four weekends in September, more than 60 participating sites will open their doors with special tours, talks, open houses, and one-time-only experiences designed to connect people directly with the state's diverse heritage.
For a single $20 ticket, visitors receive access to participating sites during their selected weekend, with opportunities organized by region so guests can explore close to home or plan a preservation- minded road trip.
A Once-a-Year Invitation to Step Inside
Doors Open California is not a typical museum day or self-guided sightseeing program. Many participating sites are offering access that is limited, rarely available, or specially created for Doors Open visitors.
This year's statewide lineup includes hardhat tours, small-group archive visits, tower and bell access, private residences, restoration previews, behind-the-scenes museum spaces, working historic landscapes, and tours led by preservationists, historians, architects, curators, community advocates, and site stewards.
Participants can go behind the scenes at San Jose's 1926 Bank of Italy Building during its restoration and office-to-residential conversion; step inside Oakland's newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts after decades of closure; explore rarely seen collections at the Society of California Pioneers; visit the Agnews Historic Museum and former hospital landscape; and experience the 1912 Oakland 16th Street Station and signal tower as a landmark of rail, labor, and migration history.
Across the Sierra Foothills, visitors can explore mining towns, mills, dance halls, and Gold Rush-era buildings, including rare access to sites in Alleghany, Forest City, Mariposa, Colfax, and Sierra City. Along the North and Central Coast, Doors Open experiences include Pond Farm Pottery in the
californiapreservation.org/doca
California Preservation Foundation | Doors Open California 2026
redwoods, Blue Ox Millworks in Eureka, Napa's Goodman Library and riverfront history, the Bale Grist Mill, Sonoma adobes, and special access at Mission San Luis Obispo.
In Monterey and the Sacramento region, visitors can walk Old East Davis, step aboard the restored Western Flyer - the sardine fishing boat made famous by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts - and explore Pacific Grove's 1881 Chautauqua Hall. Southern California offerings include a preview of the restoration of Breed Street Shul in Boyle Heights, Richard Neutra sites, Hollywood Heritage archive access inside the Lasky-DeMille Barn, the Queen Mary, Little Tokyo walking tours, the Art Deco Cal Edison Building, Rubel Castle, the Maloof home and craft legacy, La Casa Nueva at 100, Santa Monica's Marion Davies Guest House, and Route 66 landmarks in the High Desert and Inland Empire.
2026 Doors Open California Weekends
"Doors Open California is about the thrill of discovery. These are the kinds of places people pass by, wonder about, or may never know exist. For one weekend at a time, we get to open those doors and connect people with the stories, craftspeople, communities, and preservation efforts that keep California's heritage alive."
- Jon Haeber, California Preservation Foundation
Weekend
Featured Regions
September 5-6
Bay Area and Sierra Foothills
September 12-13
North Coast and Central Coast
September 19-20
Monterey and Sacramento Region
September 26-27
Los Angeles, High Desert, and Inland Empire
What Visitors Can Expect
Rare access to historic buildings, private spaces, archives, attics, towers, and collections
Guided tours led by historians, preservationists, curators, architects, and local stewards
Historic theaters, civic buildings, adobes, churches, homes, museums, landscapes, ships, and industrial
sites
Restoration previews, hardhat tours, and behind-the-scenes looks at preservation in progress
Special programs focused on community history, civil rights, labor, immigration, architecture, arts, and
cultural memory
Opportunities to explore major landmarks and lesser-known places that are rarely open to the public
Why It Matters
California's historic places are more than beautiful buildings. They are records of migration, labor, creativity, industry, faith, activism, community building, and everyday life. Doors Open California helps make those stories visible by inviting the public inside places that are often overlooked, under- recognized, or inaccessible.
By participating, visitors also support the organizations, volunteers, property owners, and community partners working to preserve and interpret these places for future generations.
How It Works
When: Every Saturday and Sunday throughout September 2026 californiapreservation.org/doca
California Preservation Foundation | Doors Open California 2026
Where: Participating sites across California, organized by regional weekend
Tickets: $20 per person for access to participating sites during the selected weekend
Access: Some sites are open-house style, while others require timed reservations or have limited
capacity
Details: Site schedules, tour times, accessibility information, and registration details are available
online
Tickets, schedules, and site details: californiapreservation.org/doca Follow along using for updates, photos, and statewide highlights. Media inquiries and image requests: [email protected]
About the California Preservation Foundation
The California Preservation Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, celebrating, and sharing California's diverse historic and cultural places. Through education, advocacy, technical assistance, and public programs, CPF helps communities recognize the value of historic places and build a stronger future through preservation.
# # #
California Preservation Foundation
