Things to do in Ann Arbor

192 activities, venues and outings in Ann Arbor, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 192.

Photo: Jojobees ( talk ) ( Uploads ), Public domain

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Michigan Wolverines
Ann Arbor is a college town, and this fact is perhaps no more prevalent than on game day (particularly football where the stadium fills to the largest capacity in the entire nation). UM has one of the most accomplished and competitive athletic programs in the nation. No visit is complete without taking in at least one Michigan sporting event. The football program has won more games in its history than any other Division I FBS program, and sells out every game at "The Big House", capacity 109,901. The men's ice hockey program is a national powerhouse, winning an NCAA record 9 national championships, and packing a boisterous 6,377 sellout crowd into historic Yost Ice Arena. Michigan also has a strong tradition in men's basketball, swimming, baseball, softball, field hockey, gymnastics, cross country and track. Other teams include women's basketball, golf, men's and women's lacrosse, rowing, soccer, diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
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Ann Arbor Film Festival
Held during six days in late March at the Michigan Theater (603 E Liberty Street). The oldest festival of its kind in North America, showcasing over 100 independent and experimental films and videos annually, since 1963. Over 20 prizes are awarded to the best films. Passes are available for single screenings, single days, weekends or the entire week.
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University of Michigan Yost Ice Arena
Home to the university's collegiate ice hockey teams. Also specializes in hockey and figure skating programs for the general public.
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Ann Arbor Art Fairs
Held throughout downtown, four juried art fairs that display and sell art: the original Ann Arbor Street Art Fair along N University; the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair along Main, Liberty, William and State; the State Street Area Art Fair; and the South University Art Fair. In practical terms, it's all one great big fair that takes about a full day to explore if you move quickly and don't look at every booth. Prices are generally rather high, as befitting an art show of this calibre, but there are definitely bargains to be found, as well as some less expensive non-juried booths that tag along for the ride. Loads of concessions, live entertainment, and booths with great sales from local businesses are scattered throughout. During the Art Fair, hotels are generally booked up and parking can be difficult to find, so book a room early (by February or March) and find a spot at one of the park-and-ride stops to catch a bus into downtown.
One week in late July. Wed-Fri 10AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM
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Shakespeare in the Arb
Annual outdoor Shakespearean production since 2001, held on weekends in June. Roving performance requires the actors and audience to shift locations throughout the Arb from scene to scene. Previous productions have included A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Love's Labour's Lost.
Shows begin at 6:30PM$15
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Blue Karaoke
9 private, sound-proofed rooms for groups of 2-30. Over 10,000 song selections in seven different languages. Reservations encouraged, especially for larger parties and weekend nights.
Mon-Thu 6PM-4AM, Fri-Sat 5PM-5AM, Sun 5PM-4AM$35-100 per hour
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Contra dance
Ann Arbor is a regional center for contra dance, an easy-to-learn social folk dance with mixed European origins.
Lesson at 7PM, dance 7:30-10:30PM$10 suggested donation
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Planet Rock
Over 22,000 sq ft (2,000 m2) of climbing terrain, with 50-ft (15 m) walls, a motorized climbing wall, three bouldering areas and adventure racing including rappelling.
Mon-Wed Fri 3-10PM, Thu 3-11PM, Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun 10AM-6PMDay passes $15, climbing lessons $39-50
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Play the Bells in the Tower at Kerrytown
Play the charming melodies of the Kerrytown Chime — a seven ton, world class musical instrument made up of 17 bells in a tower. Choose from over 100 songs. Play by number. Kerrytown Market and Shops is one of the only places in the world where such an instrument is accessible to the public. It is easy and tons of fun for all ages.
Sat 10:30AM, Wed Fri noonFree
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Hash Bash
Held the first Saturday in April. The Hash Bash began when poet John Sinclair was jailed for marijuana possession, leading John Lennon and Yoko Ono to headline a protest rally in Ann Arbor in 1971. Beginning in 1972, it became an annual event to commemorate the occasion and support the reform of marijuana laws. The Hash Bash is a gathering point for thousands of cannabis aficionados from all around, with guest speakers in the Diag attracting large crowds. Given the nature of the event, you probably will see people smoking marijuana; those who do light up tend to take advantage of the difference in fines between the town ($25) and the university ($100 and possible jail time), which basically means that your punishment depends on which side of State Street you stand on. Vendors sell everything from hemp bracelets to "glass art" (actually pipes and bongs, but who's quibbling?), bongo drums are played, and people-watching can be an event in itself.
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Ann Arbor Ice Cube
With three permanent indoor ice rinks under one roof, this is the perfect place to practice your hockey or figure skating skills, or just go for recreational skating.
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Ann Arbor Summer Festival
Held from mid-June to mid-July. An annual event since 1983 with different nightly indoor cultural performances: singers, musical bands, dancers, comedians, plays, and other acts including acrobats and animal handlers.
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Ann Arbor Yoga and Meditation
Ema Stefanova, yoga therapist
Private yoga therapy by appointment for health and wellness. For full schedule of general classes, workshops, retreats and in-depth yoga studies visit the website.
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Ann Arbor Book Festival
Held in mid-May. First organized in 2004 to promote reading, heighten awareness of literacy challenges, and showcase the rich culture of the written word in Michigan and beyond. The festival features a bookstore crawl, antiquarian book fair, author readings, symposiums and panels on literacy and writing, tours of the U-M library conservation and preservation lab, and a street festival.
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Ann Arbor Bicycle Club
Ann Arbor Bicycle Club is a weekly bike cruise that happens from the early spring until the late fall. It is made up of many 'Townies' and U of M students. Enjoy the fresh night air and see the town from a different angle. On this pleasantly paced ride you will visit local parks and other public hangouts that most overlook. Bring your bike, bring your beer, and bring your friends. But don't bring yo' kids!
9PM-4AMFree
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African American Downtown Festival
Held the first Saturday in June since 1995. Crafts, merchandise, food, live music.
10AM-8:30PM
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TEDxUofM
Held annually since 2008, the student run satellite TED conference is an awesome showcase of what people associated with the University of Michigan have accomplished. Ticket prices vary and location changes every year. At TEDxUofM you'll be inspired, meet interesting people, and have great discussions. The event is generally held sometime in Spring.
Free
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Taste of Ann Arbor
Kiosks along Main Street offer people the chance to sample menu items from over 35 local restaurants. Also includes three stages of live music, dancing and more.
Held the first Sun in June 11AM-5PMAdmission free, although tickets to trade goodies ($0.50 per ticket, or $10 for a sheet of 20, with most items ranging between 3-11 tickets apiece)
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Top of the Park
Held from mid-June to early July. Nightly local and regional live bands, outdoor film screenings at 10PM, and concession booths from eight local eateries. Traditionally this event was held on the upper level of the Fletcher parking structure, next to the Power Center — hence the name — but it has been temporarily moved outside the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. In inclement weather, performances and films may be cancelled.
Free
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University Musical Society
The University Musical Society annually presents a series of concerts by world-renowned artists at Hill Auditorium, the Power Center, the Michigan Theater, or Rackham Auditorium.
Price varies according to performance
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Naked Mile
Once held in mid-April at midnight on the last day of classes. A tradition at the University of Michigan which began in 1986, in which hundreds of students — traditionally graduating seniors, although in practice there's a broader spread — ran across campus naked, while spectators cheered them on, to celebrate the end of the school year. Although it is illegal, it was tolerated by local police until 1998, when they began attempting to strongly discourage continuation of the Naked Mile, fueled in part by concerns over outsiders videotaping the event and selling the recordings online. To avoid being arrested, students often run the Mile in body paint, underwear, or a day earlier than usual.
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Canoeing
Popular in the area through the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
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Kensington Beach
20 minutes north of Ann Arbor.
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Nelson Meade County Farm Park
Nelson Meade County Farm Park is a 141-acre public park in eastern Ann Arbor, Michigan owned by Washtenaw County and operated by the county's Parks and Recreation Commission. Consisting of a mix of woodlands, fields, and gardens, the park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and is a popular local destination for gardening, hiking, jogging, and biking. The park has been county land since 1836, although for the majority of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was used as the county's poorhouse (complete with a working farm) and then as its infirmary.
Open now · closes 9 pm
DoConcert hall
Hill Auditorium
Concert hall for classical music with original acoustical design by Hugh Tallant. Major restoration completed 2004.
Built 1913
DoTheatre
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
This theatre is used for smaller dramatic productions, lectures, and conferences.
Wheelchair accessible
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Baxter Park
3299 Baxter Road
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Frisinger Park
1200 Woodbury Drive
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Hunt Park
1035 Daniel Street
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Miller Nature Area
1705 Miller Avenue
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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West Park
215 Chapin Street
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Wurster Park
525 West Madison Street
Open now · closes 10 pm
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Bandemer Park
1300 Lake Shore Drive
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Island Park
1420 Island Drive
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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South Maple Park
2655 West Liberty Street
Open now · closes 10 pm
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Allmendinger Park
655 Pauline Boulevard
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Black Pond Woods Nature Area
1905 Traver Road
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Bromley Park
2785 Briarcliff Street
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Cedar Bend Nature Area
1495 Cedar Bend Drive
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow
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Hollywood Park
2900 Sequoia Parkway
Open now · closes midnight tomorrow

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Ann Arbor (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps. Some descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).