Vaughan Mills Mall - A Shopping Adventure

With so many malls to choose from inside Toronto's city limits, it may seem like a strange idea to venture north into Vaughan just to shop. But going to Vaughan Mills can turn mall-shopping into a real event. So if you've never been, you should check it out at least once. Just make sure you've got a lot of time on your hands.

• Visit the Vaughan Mills Official Website

Part of what makes Vaughan Mills so big is the size of the stores themselves. Well-known names like Winners and Homesense, Toys R Us, Old Navy, and Urban Behaviour take up a good bit of real estate as is, then when you add the massive shopping/entertainment crossovers like Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World you've got a lot of browsing to do!

Outside big names and big square footage, Vaughan Mills has at least one of just about everything you'd expect from a mall, and sometimes a dozen or so. They're heavy on fashion and confections, and also have lots of home decor and tech stores to choose from.

Inside the mall you'll find a plenty of official entertainment spots, and additional areas that turn shopping into a real event. There's a Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley and restaurant that's open until 11pm most nights, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays (Call the alley to confirm at 905-760-9931).

Across from the bowling alley is the NASCAR Speedpark with an arcade, Laser Tag, NASCAR merchandise, and of course family-friendly racing, including seasonal outdoor tracks.

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is technically just a store, but the shooting arcade, giant aquarium and decorative plane make that debatable.

You can enjoy pan-Asian cuisine at Szechuan Szechuan or eat American at Johnny Rockets. There are also restaurants inside Lucky Strike Lanes and the NASCAR Speedpark.

In the center of the mall you'll find food court staples like KFC and Subway alongside more unusual mall fare such as Kelly's Cajun Grille, Cultures and OPA! Souvlaki. On your way into the food court, don't be so fixated on finding the perfect meal that you miss the "car seats" though, because they're a neat touch.

Around the mall there are also plenty of coffee, candy and other specialty shops to choose from. Who says lunch can't be a pretzel?

Vaughan is immediately north of Toronto if you head up the 400. The mall is located on Rutherford Road, immediately east of the highway (coming from the south you can use the Bass Pro Mills Drive exit). If you'd rather avoid the 400, you can head all the way up Jane and enter the mall by turning left on Riverock Gate, one street south of Rutherford.

Several York Region Transit routes go directly to Vaughan Mills, but this means you'll have to transfer off of TTC and pay another fare.

One option is to take the TTC to Downsview Station and get on the 107C, 107D, or 107F Keele Northbound. These buses go all the way up to Rutherford Road, but you'll have to pay an additional $3 York Region Transit fare to ride them that far. Be sure to get a transfer so you can get on York Region Transit's westbound 85 Rutherford bus, which will pull right into the Vaughan Mills loop before continuing on its route.

• TTC website
• YRT.ca - TTC in York Region

Vaughan Mills is wheelchair accessible, all built on one level with automatic doors and wide hallways.

Individuals who have trouble walking or standing for long periods should plan carefully where they park, as the distance between the ends of the mall is a long way to go. The mall website has a map in the directory section that can help you plan where to park (click on "Mall Directory", "Store Listing-Take Me There" then "See Store Map").

Alternatively, the guest services booth between the Lucky Strike and H&M has wheelchairs available.

Monday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm
Sundays: 11am to 7pm

Some of the large stores with their own entrances have extended hours:

• Bass Pro Shops is open 9am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and opens at 10am on Sundays.


• Pro Hockey Life opens at 9am on Saturdays.


• Toys 'R' Us/Babies 'R' Us opens at 9:30am Monday to Saturday and 10am on Sundays.


• The NASCAR SpeedPark retail store stays open until 8pm on Sundays.

Near Christmas most malls increase their hours. If it's that time of year, get details on Toronto's Holiday Shopping Hours.

For restaurant and entertainment hours, visit the Vaughan Mills website.

Need a Gift for an Outdoors Type or Sports Fan?
From the name, you might expect to only find fishing and hunting gear inside Pro Bass Shops Outdoor World. But there are all sorts of things for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, either in practice or just in principle. Clothing, food, furniture and decor all get their own large sections and if you can't make up your mind, gift cards are available. Similarly, Pro Choice Hockey has both equipment and memorabilia, while the Speedpark offers NASCAR merchandise along with their rides and games.

More than Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
Purdy's Chocolates, Laura Secord, The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Ben and Jerry's, Dairy Queen AND Mrs. Fields all under one roof = awesome.

...Then Walk Off the Calories
The mall has an early morning Walking Club that can access the mall from 7am to 10am. For more info visit the "What's Happening" section of the Vaughan Mills website, speak to someone at a guest services booth, or call 905-879-2100.