Brisbane Open House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brisbane Open House |
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| Genre | Open day |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Inaugurated | 2 October 2010 |
| Next event | 2025 |
| Participants | 50-120 buildings |
| Attendance | 25,000-33,000 |
Brisbane Open House (BOH) is a super cool yearly event in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It lets everyone explore amazing buildings and places for free! You get to discover their special architecture, clever engineering, and interesting history.
During Brisbane Open House, certain buildings open their doors to the public. You can take guided tours with experts or explore on your own. It's a fantastic way to learn about Brisbane's built environment.
This event is put together by important groups like the Queensland Government Architect, the Brisbane Development Association, and the National Trust of Queensland. The Brisbane City Council also helps out, along with many other partners and friends of the event. Brisbane Open House is part of a bigger worldwide event called Open House Worldwide.
Exploring Brisbane's History and Design
How Brisbane Open House Started
The very first Brisbane Open House happened on October 2, 2010. It featured 20 buildings in the city center, known as the CBD, and in South Bank. More than 12,000 people came to explore!
In 2011, the event grew to include 30 buildings and expanded into the Fortitude Valley area. By 2012, there were 51 buildings open, and a huge 33,000 visitors joined in the fun. The 2013 event became even bigger, with 71 buildings open over a whole weekend. In 2014, 89 buildings participated.
New Buildings to Discover Each Year
Each year, Brisbane Open House adds new and exciting places for people to visit.
Highlights from 2015
Some of the new buildings that opened for the first time in 2015 included:
- Archerfield Airport
- Brisbane GPO (General Post Office)
- Princess Theatre
- The Queensland Emergency Operations Centre, where important decisions are made during emergencies.
Highlights from 2016
The 2016 event was even larger, with 100 buildings participating. Many new places were open to the public, such as:
- 480 Queen Street, a modern skyscraper.
- Brisbane Arts Theatre, a place for performances.
- Fort Lytton Historic Military Precinct, a historic fort.
- Queensland State Archives, where important records are kept.
- Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, a place to learn about space.
- Wolston House, a historic home.
Tenth Anniversary in 2019
In 2019, Brisbane Open House celebrated its tenth birthday! This special year saw 119 different locations open, attracting an amazing 80,000 visits.
Changes in 2020 and 2021
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned events for 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled. Instead, Brisbane Open House offered smaller activities throughout the year for groups to enjoy safely.
Partnerships and Special Tours in 2022
In 2022, Brisbane Open House worked with Aria Property Group to celebrate the Fish Lane Arts Precinct. They offered special guided walking tours to explore this creative area.
Recent Events in 2024
For the 2024 event, Brisbane Open House once again opened many buildings and spaces. The program focused on areas like the Brisbane CBD and New Farm. They also started a new Speaker Series, where experts shared interesting talks about architecture and history.
Villages of Brisbane (VOB)
The "Villages of Brisbane" (VOB) is a special part of the event that focuses on different local neighborhoods. The first VOB celebrated Sandgate and Shorncliffe. Many local buildings opened, and there were talks at the Sandgate Town Hall, plus walking tours.
In 2023, the VOB showcased the "Iconic Precinct" in Herston. This included beautiful old heritage buildings and super modern medical labs. In 2024, the inner-city suburb of New Farm was celebrated as the Village of Brisbane.
What Kinds of Buildings Participate?
Brisbane Open House features a wide variety of buildings. You can explore historic places like Brisbane City Hall and Old Government House. There are also modern skyscrapers, interesting museums like the Queensland Museum & Sciencentre, and even places like the Queensland Performing Arts Centre where shows happen. It's a chance to see behind the scenes of places you might usually only see from the outside!
See also
- Doors Open Days
- Open House Melbourne
