The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) is one of the largest university art museums in the U.S., blending Beaux‑Arts elegance with contemporary design to inspire discovery and connection for all visitors. It features diverse historical periods and media, while regular exhibitions and public programs foster creativity and civic engagement free of charge. FUN FACT: This is the main polling station for U-M. Michigan allows same-day election registration, and every election, new stations set up camps right outside in this swing state.
Open Skate in a quintessential American college town, verify schedule and hours before visiting. There might be an ice hockey game you can catch too!
This is an up and coming gay bar/club in town that's perfect for LGBTQ-friendly after parties as well as Sunday Drag Brunch before you head out! Brunch includes a Drag Show and a $6 mimosa special 😎
There are multiple boutiques featuring local artists and artisans like galleries and breweries.
The Kerrytown Market & Shops is a historic market district housed in restored brick buildings dating back to the 1870s, offering a unique mix of specialty food vendors, artisan boutiques, and local eateries all under one roof.
The Michigan Theater, a beautifully restored 1928 movie palace in downtown Ann Arbor, is a historic landmark that hosts independent films, concerts, and community events, blending vintage charm with modern cultural programming.
Nichols Arboretum, known by locals as “The Arb”, is a stunning 123‑acre natural landscape adjacent to the University of Michigan campus, featuring winding trails, over 400 tree and shrub species, thematic gardens including the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden, and scenic vistas designed in 1907 by famed landscape architect O.C. Simonds, all open to the public free from sunrise to sunset. (If you don't mind the cold)
In case you are here for an extended stay, Detroit is a perfect short drive or a bus ride away for a day trip! The Detroit Institute of Arts, located in Midtown Detroit, is one of the premier art museums in the United States, renowned for its encyclopedic collection spanning centuries and cultures, including but not limited to: Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh (1887) The Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1566) The Visitation by Rembrandt van Rijn (1640)
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation was originally part of the Ford Motor Company’s historic factory complex. Now it houses one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts celebrating over 300 years of American invention, industry, and social change.