A Quiet Campus Visit You Would Not Normally Plan, But Glad You Did
Did you know that Markham has its own Doors Open event? If you have only ever heard of the Toronto version, you are not alone, but Markham quietly runs its own iteration, and it is worth knowing about. This year it falls on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and York University is among the participating locations once again.
Before getting into details, let me give you some background first: in case you have been wondering how Toronto Doors Open event takes place, I have written a blog about my experience at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on Toronto Doors Open 2025, which can be found at: 2025 JCCC Doors Open. Both events have a similar idea, though Markham Doors Open is more personal one as there are fewer venues participating than in Toronto.
How I Ended Up at York University
I will be honest since York University was never really on my radar. I have visited a fair number of colleges and universities across the Greater Toronto Area over the years, but York’s Markham campus had simply never made it onto my list. No particular reason. It just was not somewhere I had thought to go.
That changed when I heard Markham was hosting their own Doors Open event and that York University was one of the locations. Something about that clicked for me. Doors Open events are exactly the kind of low-pressure excuse I needed to visit a place I had always been mildly curious about but never prioritized. So I signed up mentally, marked the date, and decided to go – mostly out of curiosity, and a little out of the desire to finally cross it off the unwritten list.
Going Early: The Right Call for the Wrong Reasons
I made the decision to visit in the morning, and that choice came directly from a lesson learned earlier in the year. York University had hosted an open house day for students and their families sometimes before, and by all accounts the afternoon was an absolute mess with cars circling endlessly looking for parking, crowds of prospective students and families, the general chaos that comes with a popular event at peak hours. I wanted none of that.
Another advantage of coming to the university in September was that this time of year suited me in another way. By September, most of the students were already back at school, meaning that there was definitely a less busy atmosphere on the campus than there would be at an open house in the summer. The parking was fine, the hallways quiet, and everything was a very relaxed atmosphere.
There was just one small catch: I arrived a little too early. The event staff were still wrapping up their last-minute preparations, like final touches, quick team huddles, the kind of organizing that happens in those last few minutes before doors officially open. So I found myself wandering a mostly empty building, just slightly ahead of the schedule. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but worth knowing if you are planning your own visit.
What the Campus Is Actually Like
York University’s Markham campus is spacious and modern, and notably different in feel from some of the more central Toronto campuses. Walking through it, the building feels open and airy – clean lines, plenty of natural light, the kind of environment that is easy to move through without feeling crowded or disoriented. Because I arrived early and foot traffic was almost nonexistent, I was able to get a clear sense of the layout quickly and without having to navigate around anyone.
It is worth being upfront about what this campus is and is not, though. Unlike visiting the University of Toronto or George Brown College, where the surrounding neighbourhood offers plenty of things to do before and after your visit with cafes, shops, transit connections to other parts of the city, while York University Markham sits in a part of the GTA where the campus is more or less the destination itself. If you are someone who likes to pair a campus visit with a full day of exploring nearby spots, this one may not be the natural fit.
With that being said, if you live in Markham, Richmond Hill, or the surrounding area, the situation changes completely. Having a university this close to home, with programs worth exploring, makes a visit here genuinely practical rather than just interesting.
Who This Visit Is Best For
This is the part I think is worth spelling out clearly, because it really does depend on what you are looking for.
If you are going purely out of curiosity, like the way I was, arriving early on a quiet morning is actually ideal. Low foot traffic, easy to look around at your own pace, no pressure. You get a clean, honest impression of the space without the noise of a busy event day around you. For that kind of visit, I had a genuinely pleasant time.
If you are seriously considering York University as a potential place to study, though, I would actually recommend going later in the day when the Doors Open event is in full swing. That is when the tour guides are available, when staff are set up to answer questions, and when you can get a much richer sense of what student life actually looks like on this campus. The early morning quiet is lovely for a casual look around, but it does not give you the full picture if you are making an actual decision.
A Few Practical Notes for 2026
If you are thinking about attending Markham Doors Open this year, here are a few things worth keeping in mind based on my experience:
- Arrive mid-morning rather than right at opening: give the event staff time to get fully set up before you walk in.
- Parking is much easier in September than during a typical open house day, so driving is a reasonable option.
- Check the full list of Markham Doors Open locations before you go, with fewer spots than Toronto, it is easy to plan two or three visits in one day if you time it well.
- If you have questions about programs or campus life, plan to stay longer and connect with the people who are there specifically to help. Do not do what I did and show up before they are ready.
Markham Doors Open is a genuinely underrated event, and the Markham campus of York University is definitely worth checking out if you are either a future student, a local, or just someone who enjoys exploring new locations. And sometimes the best thing to do is to simply take advantage of an open door policy for which you don’t need an invitation.
Final Thoughts
It is events like Markham Doors Open that really repay your efforts in attending them. The event does not draw huge crowds like the Toronto Doors Open event. Actually, it is this very thing about the event that gives it a special appeal. There is no need to rush about and no need to try to do everything within the limited time period allotted. Just attend and be taken wherever you want to go. For me, that somewhere was York University’s Markham campus, a place I had no particular reason to visit until Doors Open gave me one.
Whether you are a prospective student, a curious local, or just someone who enjoys exploring new spaces on a free Saturday morning, I hope this gives you a reason to check it out when September rolls around again.
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See you at the next one. 🗺
Jen's One Fine Day 
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