Looking for fun family events, outdoor expeditions, University of Michigan sports, or just some of the local flair that makes Ann Arbor so unique? The Kensington staff has compiled a list of some of our favorite things to do in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas.
Ann Arbor Area:
★ 36 Hours of Ann Arbor
Your guide to living life like a local Ann Arbor resident, directly from the Kensington staff!
Argo Canoe Livery
The Argo Livery is located at the Argo Cascades and features canoes, one-person kayaks, two-person kayaks, five-person rafts, tubes, and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Also offered are concessions, river merchandise, and river themed programs. Dogs are welcome. Come paddle with us for a fun river trip enjoying outdoor adventures with friends and family!
The Ark (Preferred Partner)
The Ark is Michigan's nonprofit home for folk and roots music. Considered one of the top music clubs in the world, The Ark is renowned for the quality and breadth of its programming. The Ark is an intimate 400-seat club presenting performers ranging from young up-and-comers to classic figures of the folk genre. With live music over 300 nights each year in one of the best listening rooms anywhere, The Ark is a sure bet for a memorable evening of enriching entertainment, musical artistry, and personal warmth.
Cobblestone Farm and Museum
The Cobblestone Farm house, completed in 1845, was originally a two-family home. Benajah Ticknor, a U.S. Naval surgeon, and Heman Ticknor, whig politician and farmer, shared occupancy of this classic revival structure with their families. Being restored and interpreted to reflect its mid-nineteenth century appearance, the site provides a view of past rural life in Washtenaw County.
Fairy Doors Tour
The Fairy Doors are a series of small doors that are a type of installation art found in the city of Ann Arbor. The first one appeared in the baseboards of the home of Jonathan and Kathleen Wright in 1993. Subsequently, several others were discovered in their home: in the fireplace surround and two in the kitchen. On April 7, 2005, the first was seen in public on the exterior of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. Since then, ten more have shown up around Ann Arbor, and seven of the original "public" doors still exist. The fairy doors tour is great for children.
Farmers Markets
Ann Arbor Farmers Market: January through August, Weds 7am-3 pm, 4pm-8pm and Sat 7am-3pm. Located at 315 Detroit Street (Kerrytown).
Westside Farmers Market: June through September, Thurs 3pm-7pm. Located at 2501 Jackson Road (Zingerman's Roadhouse parking lot).
Cobblestone Farmers Market: Tues 4pm-7pm; 2781 Packard Street (Buhr Park).
Hands-On Museum
Ann Arbor Hands On Museum opened nearly 40 years ago in an historic firehouse in downtown Ann Arbor and quickly became the cornerstone of informal science education in the community. This was achieved by working with scientists, artists, designers, engineers, and innovators who transferred their extraordinary talents and knowledge into the creation of simple, effective science exhibits that can be understood by children, their families, and audiences of all ages.
High Five Pedal Tours
Sometimes, riding a sixteen person pedal trolley to tour Ann Arbor's local breweries, restaurants, bookstores, and attractions is necessary. High Five Pedal Tours is the bike you can use to do it. If you love being outdoors, seeing new things, and meeting new people, the pedal tour is for you.
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology supports teaching and research on Classical, Egyptian, and Near Eastern archaeology. The Kelsey houses a collection of more than 100,000 artifacts, of which approximately 1,500 are on permanent display; in addition, the Museum mounts 2-3 special exhibitions annually.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Matthaei Botanical Gardens offers activities and resources for all visitors, from families to gardening enthusiasts to hikers, birders, scientists, volunteers, and to University of Michigan faculty, staff, and students. The Gardens is dedicated to environmental stewardship and to enriching the understanding and enjoyment of the natural world through research, creative works, public outreach, and educational programs and workshops for adults and children. Most of all, it's just plain beautiful.
Michigan Theater
The Michigan Theater is a movie palace in Ann Arbor, that shows independent films, stage productions, and musical concerts. Designed by Detroit-based architect Maurice Finkel and built in 1928, the theater seats 1700 and features the theater's original 1927 Barton Theatre Pipe Organ, orchestra pit, stage, and elaborate architectural details.
Nichols Arboretum
As a designed landscape commission begun in 1907, the Arb contains specialty gardens, thematic areas, dispersed collections, culturally significant landscapes, natural areas, and active areas of ecosystem restoration research. Visit the Arboretum and see featured plants, gardens and points of interest; gardens and landscapes appropriate for Ann Arbor's climate and conditions; ecologically sound horticulture in practice; and historically important collections of plants.
Petting Farm at Domino's Farms
Ann Arbor's agricultural history is staying alive with the help of the Petting Farm at Domino's Farms. For decades, the Farm has been dedicated to educating children and adults alike about the contributions animals make on farms, as well as farm history. Today, there are 20 acres of farmland that are open to the public and remain dedicated to the farm. Animals are housed in the historic Zeeb Barn and in the pastures, and visitors can move along paved and gravel walking paths to pet the animals and see two old farm houses.
The University of Michigan Power Center
With a variable thrust or proscenium stage, the 1,300-seat Power Center provides a versatile and technically sophisticated facility for theatrical productions. Located on Central Campus, the Power Center was completed in 1971 in a modern classical style featuring soaring glass and concrete architectural features.
Revel and Roll Upscale Bowling
Revel and Roll isn't your typical bowling alley, they're Ann Arbor's entertainment hub. They have a little something for everyone… more TVs than anyone in the county and some of the largest screens in the Midwest, an arcade with close to 100 games, shuffleboard, pool tables and a menu that will leave you surprised and wanting more.
Stonebridge Golf Club
Stonebridge Golf Club is a public 18 hole championship golf course and driving range in the heart of Ann Arbor, This golf course was designed in 1991 by world famous golf course architect Arthur Hills. The well-groomed course sports lush green turf and a championship layout of water and woods. The natural beauty of the terrain is matched by the meticulous care and impeccable maintenance.
University of Michigan Football
Explore one of Ann Arbor's favorite traditions… Wolverine Football! Known as "The Big House," Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States and the second largest stadium in the world.
Also Nearby:
Detroit Institute of Arts Museum
The DIA collection is regarded as among the top six museums in the United States with an encyclopedic collection which spans the globe from ancient Egyptian and European works to contemporary art. Its art collection is valued in billions of dollars, up to $8.1 billion according to a 2014 appraisal. The DIA campus is located in Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center Historic District, about two miles north of the downtown area, across from the Detroit Public Library near Wayne State University.
DETROIT TIGERS
Who's your Tiger? Michigan's only Major League Baseball team has been bringing you summer since 1901. With four World Series titles and eleven AL pennants in their history, Detroit Tigers baseball is a long-standing tradition throughout the entire state.
Detroit Red Wings
Michigan's beloved NHL franchise has deep roots that go all the way back to 1932. Named in homage to Detroit's auto industry-and occasionally featuring an on-ice octopus or two-this hard-hitting Detroit team is a must see attraction.
Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Pop open the hood on game-changing technology, sustainable design and sheer American grit at America's greatest manufacturing experience. Get an inside look at the making of America's most iconic truck, the Ford F-150, and immerse yourself in modern manufacturing's most progressive concepts. Experience the awe-inspiring scale of a real factory floor as you rev up your inner engineer.
GREENFIELD VILLAGE
Experience firsthand the sights, sounds and sensations of America's fascinating formation, where over 80 acres brim with resourcefulness and ingenuity. Here, 300 years of American perseverance serve as a living reminder that anything is possible. Step foot in the lab where Thomas Edison had his light bulb moment or the workshop where the Wright brothers taught us to reach for the sky. Take a ride in a real Model T, or a walk through four working farms. Rub shoulders with world-class artisans, and explore the place where America's can-do spirit inspires you to go out and get it done.
The Henry Ford Museum
Step into a world where past innovations fuel the imagination of generations to come. A vibrant exploration of genius in all its forms, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation allows you to experience the strides of America's greatest minds while fully immersing yourself in their stories. Step inside the bus where Rosa Parks took a stand by taking a seat. Play pilot as you explore flight innovations, starting with the Wright brothers' achievements, or make yourself at home inside Buckminster Fuller's circular Dymaxion House. Put yourself in the place of the movers and shakers who blazed the trail to where we stand today. And in doing so, discover your own path.
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