Open House New York
Open House New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2001, that runs the annual OHNY Weekend festival opening 300+ buildings across NYC's five boroughs to 50,000+ visitors, funded through tiered memberships, partner fees, donations, and benefit events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open House New York does
Open House New York (OHNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 by architect Scott Lauer to broaden public access to New York City's built environment. Its flagship product is the annual OHNY Weekend, a citywide open-doors festival that has scaled from 84 participating sites in 2003 to 300+ destinations across all five boroughs, drawing 50,000+ visitors and supported by 1,100+ volunteers. The organization is the U.S. anchor of the Open House Worldwide network (60+ cities), and its brand has been recognized by Crain's New York Business as one of NYC's most iconic cultural assets.
The operating model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack across three primary streams: tiered membership ($60/year Standard, $10/month Metropolitan Circle, $1,000+ Open Council), festival partner fees ($250 for commercial organizations, $75 for nonprofits, $0 for government sites), and event-based fundraising via the Open City Benefit (tables priced $5,000–$50,000) plus general donations. Programmatic IP includes the Innovation in Preservation series co-developed with the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation. Digital distribution is layered across a 300,000+ email/newsletter reach and a presence on the Bloomberg Connects national cultural app, with website infrastructure developed in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The organization operates from a small staff (an estimated 5–10 employees) out of 150 Varick Street, Floor 5, in New York City, with no disclosed technology platform beyond the website and app presence. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities or venture-style funding; growth is funded through membership, donations, partner fees, and benefit events.
Open House New York firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open House New York
- Legal name
- Open House New York Inc.
- Website
- https://ohny.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Open House New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2001, that runs the annual OHNY Weekend festival opening 300+ buildings across NYC's five boroughs to 50,000+ visitors, funded through tiered memberships, partner fees, donations, and benefit events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open House New York industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Cultural Programming
- NAICS
- Historical Sites (71212)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses (THAHAJAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)
Keywords
Where Open House New York is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open House New York business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Tax-deductible memberships at multiple levels: Metropolitan ($10/month), Standard ($60/year), and Open Council ($1,000+). Provides advance access to festival lineup, exclusive tours, and community events.
- Donations: Direct donations from supporters, tax-deductible contributions, and year-end giving campaigns
- Special Events: Annual Open City Benefit (fundraiser) and Launch Party generate significant revenue. 2026 Benefit at 3 World Trade Center, tables ranging from $5,000-$50,000
- Festival Partnership Fees: Partners pay $250 fee ($75 for nonprofits, $0 for government agencies) to participate in festival with promotional campaigns, volunteer support, and ticketing services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Membership - $60/year tax-deductible |
| Subscription | Monthly | Metropolitan Circle - $10/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Open Council - $1,000+ |
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Festival Partner Fee - $250 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 2026 Open City Benefit Tables |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Open House New York product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open House New York operates a nonprofit civic engagement platform that unlocks access to New York City's architecture, infrastructure, parks, and cultural spaces. Its flagship offering is the annual OHNY Weekend festival, a three-day citywide event featuring 300+ destinations across all five boroughs with tours, talks, and special programming attended by 50,000+ people. Year-round programming includes boat tours, walking tours, open studios, and panel discussions, supported by a tiered membership program and a volunteer network of 1,100+ people.
Product overview
Open House New York operates as a nonprofit platform offering access to New York City's architecture, infrastructure, and urban spaces. The core offering is the annual OHNY Weekend festival across all five boroughs featuring 300+ destinations, complemented by year-round programs including tours, talks, boat tours, and social gatherings. The organization provides membership tiers (Metropolitan Circle, Membership Program, Open Council) offering progressively exclusive access including members-only events, advance lineup previews, and networking experiences. Additional offerings include volunteer coordination, festival partnership opportunities for organizations opening their spaces, Festival Passports for expedited entry, and special event fundraisers like the Open City Benefit and Launch Party. The organization is part of the Open House Worldwide network, the second city after London in a global movement to engage citizens in urban understanding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Open Council: A membership circle for city leaders offering curated quarterly events including private tours, briefings with city leaders, and networking experiences, with memberships starting at $1,000.
- Metropolitan
- OHNY Weekend
- Open City Benefit
- Launch Party
Products and services
- OHNY Weekend Festival Annual three-day festival across all five boroughs offering behind-the-scenes tours and special activities at 300+ destinations, attended by 50,000+ people.
- Year-Round Programs Ongoing tours, talks, open studios, boat tours, and social gatherings throughout the year providing access to places, people, and projects shaping New York City.
- Membership Program Tiered membership offering including free/discounted admission to tours and events, quarterly members-only tours, and advance preview of the OHNY Weekend lineup. Starting at $60 tax-deductible.
- Open Council Elite membership circle for city leaders offering private tours, briefings with city leaders, special dinners, and networking experiences. Memberships start at $1,000.
- Special Events (Open City Benefit & Launch Party) Annual fundraisers including the Open City Benefit and Launch Party that support OHNY programming and keep the majority of events free. 2026 Benefit at 3 World Trade Center, tables ranging from $5,000-$50,000.
- Festival Partner Program Program enabling organizations to open their spaces during OHNY Weekend for behind-the-scenes access, tours, and activities. Partners pay $250 ($75 nonprofits, $0 government) and receive promotional campaigns, volunteers, and ticketing services.
- Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities during OHNY Weekend and year-round, with shifts supporting festival operations, venue assistance, and event coordination.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,000+ annual visitors to festival destinations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Open House New York
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Open House New York technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Open House New York partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Silverstein PropertiescoreSpace provided with generous support from Silverstein Properties for the 2026 Open City Benefit at 3 World Trade Center
- Goldstein HallcoreAffordable Housing collection presented in partnership with Goldstein Hall law firm
- 311 Program Partnerscore311 organizations across all five boroughs opened their doors during the 2025 OHNY Weekend festival, providing destinations for tours and activities
- Richard Hampton Jenrette FoundationcoreInnovation in Preservation series produced in partnership with the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation for preserving historic architecture
- Bloomberg ConnectsminorFeatured collection in the Bloomberg Connects app platform for digital engagement
- Brooklyn Navy Yard Development CorporationcoreHost venue for the 2025 Open City Benefit at BLDG 303; operates Brooklyn Navy Yard which is a frequent festival partner
- Bloomberg PhilanthropiescoreBloomberg Philanthropies provided support for website development through their Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture program. The website was developed with their support.
- Open City (London)coreOHNY is the second city in the Open House Worldwide movement, founded by Victoria Thornton OBE in London in 1992. Open City administers the global network of 60+ Open House festivals.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open House New York competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Doors Open Toronto: Annual citywide event unlocking architecturally significant buildings to the public. Operates an analogous building-access festival model, though in a Canadian geography.
- Municipal Art Society of New York: NYC-based nonprofit advocating for thoughtful urban design, planning, and preservation. Comparable mission around civic engagement with the built environment and policy advocacy.
- Open House Chicago: Chicago chapter of the Open House network, also operated through a nonprofit model. Directly comparable as another major U.S. city architecture-access festival.
- Open House Dublin: Dublin chapter of the Open House Worldwide network, operating the same building-access festival model. Sister organization in the global network with comparable scale and programming structure.
- Open House London: Founding Open House city (1992) and OHNY's sister organization. Operates the same festival-plus-programming model with citywide building access; the closest functional peer.
- Open House Worldwide: The parent network administering the global Open House movement of 60+ cities. Directly comparable as the umbrella organization whose model OHNY replicates and extends into the U.S.
- The Architectural League of New York: NYC nonprofit fostering discourse around architecture and urbanism through programming, exhibitions, and publications. Comparable as an architecture-engagement nonprofit serving overlapping professional and enthusiast audiences.
Emerging players
- Center for Architecture: NYC-based nonprofit focused on public engagement with architecture and design through exhibitions, talks, and K-12 programs. Overlaps with OHNY's education-focused programming for similar audiences.
- Preservation League of New York State: Statewide nonprofit advocating for historic preservation. Comparable mission around heritage and built-environment stewardship, with overlap on architecture-tour programming and partner networks.
Broad incumbents
- Atlas Obscura: For-profit platform monetizing curated cultural, architectural, and hidden-place experiences at global scale. Comparable as a discovery-and-engagement layer for unusual architecture and urban spaces, though with a much broader commercial footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Open House New York social profiles
Digital presenceOpen House New York financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open House New York leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Open House New York funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open House New York M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open House New York
What does Open House New York do?
Open House New York operates a nonprofit civic engagement platform that unlocks access to New York City's architecture, infrastructure, parks, and cultural spaces. Its flagship offering is the annual OHNY Weekend festival, a three-day citywide event featuring 300+ destinations across all five boroughs with tours, talks, and special programming attended by 50,000+ people. Year-round programming includes boat tours, walking tours, open studios, and panel discussions, supported by a tiered membership program and a volunteer network of 1,100+ people.
Is Open House New York a public or private company?
Open House New York is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open House New York founded?
Open House New York was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Open House New York based?
Open House New York is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open House New York make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, special Events and festival Partnership Fees.
Who are Open House New York's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Doors Open Toronto, Municipal Art Society of New York, Open House Chicago, Open House Dublin, Open House London, Open House Worldwide and The Architectural League of New York. Emerging players are Center for Architecture and Preservation League of New York State. Atlas Obscura is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Open House New York have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open House New York.
What industry is Open House New York in?
Open House New York's product category is Civic Cultural Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAJAO, Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses, with a secondary code of THAHAAAI, Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers. Its NAICS code is 71212 and its SIC code is 7900.