Open House New York Weekend Unlocks the City October 18-20, 2024

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August 19, 2024—Want to peek inside a power plant, a private club on Gramercy Park, or the last remaining glove factory in New York City? On October 18-20, Open House New York will present Open House New York Weekend (OHNY Weekend), an annual five-borough festival offering more than 200 ways for the public to explore, discover, and access their city.

Since 2003, the festival has invited hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to gain a deeper understanding of the city through behind-the-scenes tours led by architects, engineers, designers, preservationists, historians, community advocates, curators, and more.

“The act of opening doors to share the experience of the city is a radically simple yet deeply democratic act—one rooted in learning, connecting, and joy,” said Kristin LaBuz, executive director of Open House New York. “Nothing reflects the dynamism and diversity of New York quite like OHNY Weekend. And nothing rivals the experience of exploring and discovering the city alongside thousands of New Yorkers and visitors worldwide.”

The full OHNY Weekend lineup will be released to the public on October 1. The majority of the festival is free and open to the public—no advance registration or tickets are required. Due to safety and security, select OHNY Weekend sites will require tickets. These tickets are distributed in two ways: a lottery, which runs from October 1–4, and online registration, which opens on October 10.

With more than 200 sites in the OHNY Weekend lineup, the festival offers a unique experience for every participant.

New sites:  

  • Ravenswood Generating Station: Rise Light & Power will be offering tours of NYC’s largest power plant, the Ravenswood Generating Station, which is being redeveloped into a renewable energy hub.
  • The Players in Gramercy Park: The Players in Gramercy Park, NYC’s oldest private club in its original home, will unlock their doors to the public for a rare tour of their historic landmark building designed by Stanford White.
  • Colossal Media: Picture an auto shop that moonlights as a paint shop, art store, and hand-painted signage museum—that’s what you’ll get to see at Colossal Media’s headquarters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
  • Bronx Music Hall: Bronx Music Hall will host its grand opening weekend, offering visitors the chance to explore the venue’s brand new performance and community space in Crotona Park East, including the Bronx Music Heritage Center, for the first time.

Returning favorites:

  • Powerhouse Arts: Formerly the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power Station, Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus is a non-profit organization that opened its doors in spring 2023, offering state-of-the-art fabrication facilities, event and community spaces for contemporary artists. 
  • Lewis Latimer House: The newly reopened Lewis Latimer House, located in Flushing, will share its brand new gallery spaces and interactive displays, dedicated to the life and work of Lewis Latimer, an African-American inventor, electrical pioneer, and son of self-emancipated enslaved people.
  • WNYC Studios: WNYC celebrates 100 years of public radio allowing visitors to get a behind-the-scenes look at their Hudson Square headquarters, which houses their live studios, newsroom, master control, performance space, and more.
  • United Nations: The UN New York Headquarters will offer an insider architecture tour exploring “Workshop for Peace,” the collaborative effort of 11 renowned architects from around the world to build a home for the United Nations.

OHNY Weekend also features curated series, each with multiple sites opening up around a common theme:

  • Innovation in Preservation: A look at the techniques, tools, and materials helping practitioners breathe new life into historic buildings. Produced in partnership with the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation.
  • Structural Engineering: A look at award-winning examples of how structural engineers contribute to a safe, resilient, and sustainable built environment. Produced in partnership with the Structural Engineering Association of New York.
  • Urban Omnibus 15: A look at stand-out features on the collective work of citymaking, in celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of Urban Omnibus, a digital publication dedicated to observing, understanding, and shaping the city. Produced in partnership with The Architectural League of New York and Urban Omnibus.
  • Affordable Housing: A look at affordable housing developments across the city to reveal how design can not only provide shelter but also build community.
  • Green Economy: A look at sites related to transportation, construction, workforce training, and waterfront development to showcase how the City is achieving climate goals and building a more equitable economy.

This year, OHNY Weekend kicks off on October 17 with a festive Launch Party at United Palace, a historic theater in Washington Heights.

Select photos and festival assets may be downloaded here. A limited number of press passes are available. Please email press@ohny.org with your request.

The 2024 OHNY Weekend is made possible with support from Bloomberg Connects. Additional public support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and funded in part by a grant from the New York City Tourism Foundation.

Additional philanthropic support is provided by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, M&T Bank, Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, and The Infatuation.