Doors Open Milwaukee aims to broaden community horizons in 13th annual event

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Doors will soon be wide open at a variety of sites in Milwaukee at no cost to the public.

The 13th annual Doors Open Milwaukee event kicks off Saturday, Sept. 23. The event allows free access to over 130 sites, ranging from municipal buildings to art galleries, with no tickets required.

Attendees can build itineraries using the Historic Milwaukee app to find operating hours and information about any applicable need for reservations.

One major goal of the event is to inform the community by encouraging tours in Milwaukee's majority Black and Latino neighborhoods, helping visitors build the knowledge needed to advocate for the qualities that make those areas special.

Organizers say their annual survey indicates the event is expanding people's horizons, creating a social and economic ripple effect.

Grace Fuhr, events director for Historic Milwaukee, said, "Each year, we see more than 60% of respondents visit and tour neighborhoods that they were previously unfamiliar with, and we also ask if they plan to visit that neighborhood again and again.

"We find that over 60% of people plan to visit the neighborhood again," she noted.

Doors Open Milwaukee runs from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Specific site hours are available on HistoricMilwaukee.org.