By donating to the Fenway Alliance, you are investing in the Fenway community, environment and supporting free cultural programming & initiatives
The Opening Our Doors festival — Boston’s largest day of free cultural experiences — was conceived of and founded by the Fenway Alliance in 2001 with this central mission: to “open the doors” of Boston’s most iconic & historic institutions for a free day of music, art, creativity, performances, and cultural experiences.
The very first Opening Our Doors was a recognition and celebration of the literal opening of the doors of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. What started in 2001 with 12 locations and 16 programs grew in 2021 to a festival that spans the entire Fenway Cultural District and over 10k attendees annually. Please see prior year's schedule through the links below.
Each year the Fenway Alliance works with our member institutions and many community partners on this day of free programs and performances in some of Boston’s most historic and iconic spaces: Huntington Theatre, Boston Symphony Hall, the Christian Science Plaza, Jordan Hall, Massachusetts Historical Society, and many others up and down Huntington Avenue/Avenue of the Arts.
Since 2003, the Opening Our Doors opening ceremonies have found a wonderful collaborator and generous home on the historic grounds of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. We are grateful to all of our Alliance members for their ongoing support of this festival.
Opening Our Doors has cultivated many long-standing relationships and collaborations with a diverse representation of Boston artists from all neighborhoods, backgrounds, and disciplines. We look forward to continuing in this work, with a focus on elevating the voices and creativity of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Artists working in Boston.
Please enjoy the highlights below from Opening Our Doors 2023, and find out more about previous years' programming by following the links below. We look forward to seeing you for the 23rd Annual Opening Our Doors day on Monday, October 14, 2024!
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
All participating locations' events are free and open to the public. For more information on each site's programming, checkout our online schedule or email info@fenwayculture.org. See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC,and ConnectorCare
discounts.
Opening Our Doors 2024
Monday, October 14th
Thank you to all who came out and celebrated with us on Opening Our Doors festival 2024. We had a wonderful day celebrating art, music, and performance in the Fenway Cultural District. Thanks to all of our participating organizations including The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Fenway Gallery at Fenway Studios, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Huntington Theatre, YMCA Huntington Avenue, MFA, Boston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Mass Art Art Museum (MAAM), Massachusetts Historical Society, and Kaji Aso Studio. Thank you for opening your doors to the community every year! We thank all of our sponsors for their support. See below for the full list!
Mark your calendars for Boston's largest free day of cultural experiences at the 24th annual Opening Our Doors day on Monday, October 13, 2025!
Please see below for select photos from Opening Our Doors 2024 by our talented photographer Annielly Camargo, and check out our Opening Our Doors 2024 video coming soon.
We want to thank OUR SPONSORS for making this festival possible!
Corporate Sponsors
