Doors Open Day is officially a grown-up. Celebrating its 21st birthday this year, Scotland’s annual event is reaching Edinburgh on 24 and 25 September. This weekend will see a host of buildings dotted around the city open up their doors to the general public, so those in the know can get to see inside places they’d usually have to pay for.

Way back in 1990, when Glasgow was designated the European City of Culture, the Doors Open Day was born in Ayr and Glasgow. Due to its success it became an annual event, spreading to a number of cities all over Scotland. Each weekend in September, a different area of the country hosts events, talks, behind-the-scenes tours and the like, allowing us common folk to see aspects of the city that are usually closed off.

For example, the Royal Lyceum Theatre will be offering 30 minute backstage tours on 24 September, where visitors can see the set of Mary Queen of Scots got her Head Chopped Off, and try on various costumes. Carrying on with the theatrical note, the Traverse theatre are also offering guided tours around their £3.3million purpose-built two theatre space.

The University itself will be opening various buildings to the public, including the library and CSE, as well as lesser-known places like St Cecilia’s Hall which was designed by Robert Milne and houses the Musical Instrument Museum.

The Anatomy Lecture Theatre is also open at the weekend for anyone who wants to see a whale’s jawbone or elephant’s skeleton in the foyer, the remnants of two extensive medical museums on the top floor, or stay for one of the talks given in the lecture theatre itself.

Alternatively, if you head down to Alva Street the Edinburgh Chess Club will be showing off their olympic skills and are offering a friendly game to anyone up for the challenge. At the WASPS Studio, demonstrations of laser cutting and etching will be given, and the pleasantly-named Museum of Fire has a range of fire engines to satisfy any childhood nostalgia.

These kind of events are not really designed for tourists, who will (presumably) go sightseeing when they visit Edinburgh anyway. Instead, they allow us to explore our own city which is too easily taken for granted. Before exams, essays, deadlines and the ever-looming winter weather catches up with our daytimes, a September weekend is the perfect opportunity to get out of bed and see a side of the city that, for one weekend only, is welcoming you in with open arms.