Campus Tour Highlights

The University Centre is the administrative hub of campus, where tons of student activities and services are available. These include; the Central Student Association, medical services (pharmacy, dentist, chiropractor and optician), Student Financial Services, Admission Services, Centre for International Programs, Student Experience, dining facilities such as the Food Court and the Brass Taps, and more. The Brass Taps pub on the second floor hosts Tuesday trivia nights where students can win prizes - make sure to check it out!

Tour Guide Brenna's Experience:

“The UC is the home of our on-campus radio station where I have been volunteering for three years. I always wanted to get involved in radio, so when I found CFRU 93.3 I was so happy! Volunteering was really easy. The radio station is just one of the fun and unique ways that you can get involved at the University of Guelph campus!”

A large open field in front of Johnston Hall, Johnston Green is a great spot for students to play frisbee or work on assignments while soaking up the sun (Wi-Fi coverage across the entire field). We have had an episode of Masterchef Canada filmed and many World Records broken on Johnston Green. The most recent World Record was broken in May 2019, when physics professor Burnaby Orbax broke the record for largest elephant toothpaste ever made! Another epic world record break was the world’s biggest snowball fight!

Tour Guide Mackenzie's Experience:

“I still think back to my orientation week event that took place on Johnston Green called Gryphfest! Food trucks (that accepted my meal plan) were lined up and calling my name along with bouncy castles, a dunk tank and a live concert. It allowed me to have fun, stop being nervous and meet some other great first year students!”

War Memorial Hall is one of two lecture theatres on campus with 600 seats and was built to honour students who enlisted and lost their lives in the First World War. Students forced the administration’s hand in choosing its location by cutting down a grove of spruce trees and digging out the foundation by themselves, all in one night! It is now used for larger first-year classes, musical productions, movie nights and guest speakers.

Fun fact:

15 U of G faculty members have been awarded the 3M National Teaching Fellowship - the most prestigious Canadian award for teaching excellence!

If you enjoy nature, you will love our 408-acre Arboretum on the east side of campus. The Arboretum is the home to more than 2000 different types of plants and features gardens, walking trails, natural woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. The Arboretum is open to the public and is a beautiful place to walk or jog on the over 9 kms of trails!

Fun fact:

Observed at the Arboretum are over 38 species of mammals, 188 species of birds, 39 species of butterflies, 18 herptiles, and 1700 types of trees and shrubs!

The Summerlee Science Complex is North America’s largest science-based integrated teaching and research facility. It is home to many undergraduate science labs as well as six research labs: The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre, an Electron Microscopy Suite, X-Ray Diffraction Suite, Mass Spectrometry Suite, Gene Sequencing, and Fermentation Unit. There is a large group study space on the main floor, known as the Atrium, which is available to all students. The Bachelor of Science Counselling Office is located in this building if students need to book an appointment or speak with a counsellor about academics/courses. This building also has a Second Cup to make sure you have the caffeine you need to make it through a long study session.]

Did you know:

Compostable Keurig coffee pods, omega-3 enriched eggs and milk, double churned ice cream and Yukon Gold potatoes were all invented at the U of G. We also discovered the first signs of water on Mars! Also, the steel tree structure in the atrium, known as the Tree of Life, holds up the roof and signifies the importance of each branch of science. The 4 main branches represent chemistry, physics, biology, and math.

The Bullring got its name because it used to be a show ring and auction house for livestock on campus! Now, with its relaxing living room feel, this café is commonly compared to “The Central Perk” from the show Friends. The café is filled with comfy couches and a stage where live music and open mic night's take place. This is the only dining facility on campus that is completely student-run and is known for having the best mac and cheese on campus, so make sure to try it for yourself! The Bullring runs off renewable energy like green electricity which is just one of the many reasons U of G has been recognized as a Canadian leader for sustainability initiatives!

Tour Guide Elyse's Experience:

“Every Wednesday at the Bullring there’s an open mic night and I once witnessed a 6' 7" friend of mine perform a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” for the event. It may not have been the best performance the Bullring has ever seen but it was definitely one of the funniest!”

Now a 130,000 sq. ft environmental teaching and learning hub, Alexander Hall also houses faculty and students from departments including the School of Environmental Sciences, the School of Engineering, the School of Fine Art and Music, and the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development.

Our largest residence on campus, this building houses 1,824 students and is divided into three sections called Mountain Hall, Prairie Hall, and Maritime Hall. It was designed by the famous architect John Andrews who also designed the CN Tower! It houses most of our single rooms, but also offers double and triple rooms.

The first marché-style dining hall at a North American university, Creelman Hall is the largest dining facility on campus. It contains a seating area and multiple eateries that use locally grown and fresh ingredients. With rotating menus prepared by world-class chefs, students can choose from a wide variety of dishes every day. We recommend trying Creelman Hall’s famous wood oven pizza – it’s a Tour Guide favourite!

The University of Guelph has been rated the best campus food in Canada for over 10 years in a row! We offer lots of food options for students, including options for those with dietary restrictions or allergies. We also have partnerships with over 30 restaurants off-campus where students can use their meal plans. You will never go hungry with 22 dining facilities right on campus!

Tour Guide Elyse's Experience:

“Because I lived in residence for three years a lot of the staff at Creelman know me quite well! Chef Ian at the Exhibition Place - where they serve delicious restaurant-quality meals like surf and turf dinners, always gets super excited to see me and asks about how my degree is going. The folks at the vegan-vegetarian counter - called Nature’s Best, know to start making me one of their buddha bowls as soon as they see me walking in their direction. The thing that makes Guelph’s food so outstanding isn’t just the food itself, but the wonderful staff who go out of their way to connect with the students they serve."

The McLaughlin Library has 7 floors that feature a combination of group study and quiet areas. You can check out this map of the entire building to get a better idea of where things are! The first floor is home to the Ask Us desk where students can sign-out books, access course textbook reserves, and ask any library-related questions. The IT Help Desk, Learning Commons, Printers and Writing Services are also located on this floor.

The third floor holds the Science Commons which provides academic support for students needing help with chemistry, physics, and math. Students are encouraged to take advantage of Supported Learning Groups (SLGs), which run in the library. These are study groups led by upper-year students who compile practice questions based on what was learned during the previous week. The library also runs events called stressbusters to promote positive mental health. The most popular one is called “Take a Paws”, which features therapy dogs that students can pet to reduce feelings of stress and anxiousness during exams!

Tour Guide Elyse's Experience:

“One of my favourite MacLaughlin Library “rules” that is different from most other libraries is that we’re allowed to bring food and drinks anywhere except the archives! I once successfully ordered Thai food into the library during a marathon study session and had a really great delivery person who actually came and found me on the fourth floor!”

Made up of several buildings, the north residences include Johnston Hall, Mills Hall, Maids Hall (aka Arts House), Lennox-Addington Hall, Watson Hall (all-female residence), and Lambton Hall. These residences include multiple types of rooms such as singles, doubles, triples, quads, and suite-style.

Tour Guide Elyse's Experience:

“In my second year as an Academic Cluster Leader in residence, I led the Agriculture Cluster in Lennox Addington Hall. I think my favourite event I ever helped run was a “Learn to Line Dance” session! We brought in a couple of upper year “Aggies” (Agriculture students), put on some aggressively loud Shania Twain and learned to line dance in one of the building’s lounges. The best part was that the lounge is visible to everyone walking by, so we got to see loads of funny looks from the other residents as they walked by and saw 40 Aggies dancing away."

The Cannon, aka Old Jeremiah, is a campus landmark! It was manufactured around 1800 and could possibly have seen action in the war of 1812. Its original purpose was to train Ontario Agricultural College militiamen. With its barrel now filled with concrete, Old Jeremiah’s main purpose is now ornamental, acting as a canvas for student creativity. The cannon is painted almost every night and has been used to advertise parties, make political statements, send out invitations, and even marriage proposals. It is a tradition that every U of G student paint the cannon and guard it until the morning, so no one else can come and cover up your masterpiece.

Tour Guide Allison's Experience:

“My floor in residence painted the Cannon during the first weeks of school, and it was a great way for me to connect with my floormates that I had not gotten to know yet. When you become a Gryphon, painting the Cannon is something you have to add to your U of G bucket list to complete before you graduate!”

Home to one of our largest lecture theatres (600-seats), Rozanski Hall is where many first and second-year classes are held. This building is easily recognizable by the diamond shape pattern on the outer walls and historically used to be the original beef barn on campus!

Built in 1969 for the study of chemistry, physics, and mathematics, this building also includes the U of G Bookstore, Pages Coffeehouse/Tim Horton’s, and an observatory on the roof of the building!

East is comprised of East Residence apartments and East Village townhouses and is the only residence on campus that offers a full-size kitchen in each unit. The apartments can range from 6-12 students (single and double rooms) while the townhouses hold 4-6 students (all single rooms). East Residence is divided into three sections; Glengarry, Dundas, and Lanark.

Tour Guide Pirahashini's Experience:

“First year in residence was one of the best experiences ever! Because I was a very sheltered kid I didn't think I would know how to do anything on my own, but I found myself thriving and I've been on that path ever since. The residence experience is like no other, because so many people are in the same boat and there are so many things put into place to help ease the transition into university life.”

The Athletics Centre opened in Fall 2016 after a $60 million expansion and renovation project and is home to a rock-climbing wall, fitness studios, basketball courts, squash courts, a suspended indoor running track, and much more! We have 26 athletic clubs and 17 different intramural sports that students can choose from. Students can also use a gym pass to access to the Fitness Centre and any drop-in fitness classes like Zumba, kickboxing, cycling, yoga, aquafit, and more.

Tour Guide Mackenzie's Experience:

“The intramural program has allowed me to check in on my friends every week and share some laughs. The best intramural sport is multi-sport where each week we try out a different sport! My personal favorites became bubble soccer, flag football and inner tube water polo!”

Located in the MacNaughton building, The Bookstore is where you can pick up your University of Guelph swag or you can order from them online! Whether you’re looking for that iconic University of Guelph sweater, a new water bottle, or even stationary for your first class, this is the place to go. The Bookstore also sells new and used textbooks to get you prepared for your new semester.

Fun fact:

Directly above The Bookstore you will find Pages Coffeehouse, which features one of the four Tim Horton's on campus! Coffee + Gryphon gear = the perfect combination!

Built in 1991, the complex houses both faculty as well as research facilities. In addition, the Bovey complex includes an expansive network of greenhouses and growth room facilities, found west of the main lab/administrative buildings. The tropical greenhouse houses a collection of plants, including: Tropicals; Cacti; and Orchid Collection.