The useful thing to know about Ann Arbor is how much of it costs nothing. The University of Michigan runs an art museum, a natural history museum with separately ticketed planetarium shows, an archaeology museum, a botanical garden and an arboretum, and every one of them states plainly that admission is free. Add a city farmers market that has run for over a century and a river with a paddling course through the middle of it, and a good two days here can be had for the price of parking.
The top 15, ranked
Ranked from official sources: the University of Michigan, the City of Ann Arbor and each operator's own visit page, with the published adult price beside every pick and the free ones quoted directly.
- Top pick
#1Best for art · #1 of 15University of Michigan Museum of Art
Art MuseumCentral Campusopen Tuesday through Sunday year round, with later evening hours from Thursday to Sunday, closed Mondays and major holidaysFreeThe university's art museum sits on State Street and states outright that admission is always free for everyone. It runs late into the evening from Thursday through Sunday, which very few American art museums do.
Local tipStreet parking around the museum is free after 6pm on weekdays and all day Sunday, which pairs neatly with the late Thursday to Sunday hours.
- Top pick
2Best for a walk · #2 of 15
Nichols Arboretum
ArboretumHuron River, campus edgeopen daily from sunrise to sunset, all yearFreeA free arboretum running down to the Huron River from the edge of campus, open sunrise to sunset every day of the year. Its peony garden is one of the largest historic collections in North America and its bloom is the thing locals plan around.
Local tipThe peony window is short and moves with the weather, so use the live bloom status the operator publishes rather than a calendar date.
- Top pick
3Best for first time visitors · #3 of 15
Michigan Stadium tours
Stadium TourSouth Athletic Campusbooked through an online tour calendar rather than published as standing daily hours$10 to $25The Big House holds more people than any other stadium in the country, and the tour takes you through the club level, the private suites, the locker room, the tunnel and onto the field itself. It runs rain or shine.
Local tipArrive ten to fifteen minutes early. Tickets are non refundable and the operator states plainly that latecomers forfeit their place.
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4Best for gardens · #4 of 15
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Botanical GardenNorth Dixboro Roadopen daily with long hours into the evening, with the indoor conservatory closed on MondaysFreeFree admission to nearly three miles of outdoor trails and to an indoor conservatory that runs several climates under one roof. It is the wet weather half of the same operation that runs Nichols Arboretum.
Local tipDespite the shared operator these are two separate addresses on opposite sides of town, so treat them as two trips rather than one.
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5Best for a Saturday morning · #5 of 15
Ann Arbor Farmers Market
Farmers MarketKerrytownSaturdays all year, with a second Wednesday market from May to December and shorter Saturday hours through the winterFreeA producer only market that has run for more than a century, with around 130 Michigan vendors. Producer only means the person selling is the person who grew it, which is rarer than it sounds.
Local tipThe Wednesday market from May to December is the same market without the Saturday crowds. Winter drops to Saturday only on shorter hours.
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6Best for families · #6 of 15
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
Natural History MuseumCentral Campusopen daily through the summer, then Tuesday to Sunday with shorter hours for the rest of the yearFreeGeneral admission to the dinosaur halls inside the Biological Sciences Building is free; the digital planetarium costs $9 per person for ages 3 and up. It is the most reliable rainy afternoon on this list, with an extra charge for a planetarium show.
Local tipLeave extra time for parking. The museum itself warns that campus construction regularly disrupts the nearby lots.
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7Best for children · #7 of 15
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Science MuseumDowntownopen daily except Monday, on standard museum daytime hours$10 to $25Ten galleries of things children are allowed to touch, a block from Kerrytown. It is the one museum here that charges, and it charges the same for adults and children.
Local tipA reduced admission is available on presentation of an assistance card, but it has to be asked for rather than applied automatically online.
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8Best for paddlers · #8 of 15
Argo Cascades
Paddling CourseHuron River, north sideseasonal from late spring into early autumn, daily at the height of summer and weekends only at either end of the seasonTicketedNine small rapids and rock chutes bypass Argo Pond, built as a paddling course through the middle of the city. Kayaks, canoes, rafts and paddleboats all come from the livery on site.
Local tipCome on a weekday between late May and mid August for daily long hours. Either side of that the livery drops to weekends only.
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9Best for history · #9 of 15
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
Archaeology MuseumCentral Campusopen Tuesday to Sunday with shorter weekend hours, closed Mondays and university holidaysFreeMore than 100,000 artefacts from the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East, with about 1,500 on permanent display, free to all visitors. It is a serious research collection that happens to be open to the public.
Local tipUse the university's own page rather than the museum's separate domain, which was unreachable throughout the research for this guide.
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10Best for a riverside walk · #10 of 15
Gallup Park
City ParkHuron River, east sideopen daily year round from early morning to midnightFreeThe city calls this its most popular recreation area, and it is 69 acres of riverside with more than three miles of paved trail and a boat rental of its own. Open from six in the morning to midnight, every day.
Local tipIf the main lot is full there is overflow parking at the nearby high school, and a bus stop at Geddes and Huron Parkway.
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11Best for lunch · #11 of 15
Zingerman's Delicatessen
DelicatessenKerrytownopen daily, with the grocery counter opening earlier on Saturdays and the cafe next door opening earlier than the deli itselfVariesOpen since 1982 in a historic building beside the farmers market, and the reason a lot of people know the name of this town at all. There is a grocery counter, a sandwich counter and a separate cafe next door that opens earlier.
Local tipIt sits next to the farmers market by design, so the two work as one Kerrytown morning rather than two separate stops.
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12Best for an evening · #12 of 15
Michigan Theater
Historic CinemaDowntown, Liberty Streetno standing daily hours; the venue opens around individual showtimesTicketedA 1928 movie palace its architects called a shrine to art, still running as a nonprofit cinema and performing arts house rather than a preserved shell. The organ and the auditorium are the reason to go even when the film is ordinary.
Local tipUse the michtheater.org address. The bare michigantheater.org domain now redirects away from the theater entirely.
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13Best for children · #13 of 15
Leslie Science and Nature Center
Nature CenterNorth sideoutdoor trails open dawn to dusk daily all year, while the indoor Critter House opens one afternoon a weekFree with paid optionsTrails, a raptor loop with resident birds of prey and a nature playscape, all free and open dawn to dusk every day. The indoor Critter House opens for one afternoon a week and asks a small suggested donation.
Local tipThe animal encounters in the Critter House run on Sunday afternoons only, so plan around that if they are the reason for the trip.
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14Best for live music · #14 of 15
The Blind Pig
Live Music VenueDowntown, First Streetno standing daily hours; doors open in the early evening depending on the individual showTicketedA small downtown room that books concerts, comedy and storytelling nights, with ticket prices running from a couple of dollars to the high twenties depending on who is on. It is the most consistent live music in town.
Local tipCheck the age policy on the specific show before buying, because it ranges from all ages to 21 and over depending on the night.
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15Best for concerts · #15 of 15
Hill Auditorium and the University Musical Society
Concert HallCentral Campusfollows the university performance season from autumn through spring, with no standing daily hoursTicketedThe University Musical Society has been presenting here since 1879 and is the only university presenter to have received the National Medal of Arts. Hill Auditorium is its main hall and the acoustics are the reason touring orchestras keep coming back.
Local tipA separate student ticket discount runs alongside general pricing, worth asking about if anyone in the party is at university.
Where things cluster
Almost everything sits inside a triangle of campus, downtown and the river, with only the botanical gardens far enough out to need a car.
- Kerrytown and downtownThe farmers market, Zingerman's and the Hands-On Museum sit within a few blocks, one street over from the Michigan Theater and the Blind Pig.
- Central Campus and State StreetThe university museums and concert halls cluster here, and most of the museums state outright that admission is free.
- The Huron River corridorGallup Park and Argo Cascades run along the river with trails and paddling, with the livery seasonal from late spring to early autumn.
- North Campus and Dixboro RoadMatthaei Botanical Gardens sits out on the city's edge, a separate address from Nichols Arboretum despite the shared operator.
Make it a day
Campus, market, river
Start at the farmers market in Kerrytown if it is a Saturday or a Wednesday in season, and get lunch at Zingerman's next door. Walk down to Central Campus for the art museum and the natural history museum, both free, then cut across to Nichols Arboretum and follow it down to the river. If the weather turns, swap the arboretum for the Kelsey Museum, which is also free and two minutes from the other two.
The free half, then the paid half
Give the first day to the things that cost nothing, which is most of the good ones: the art museum, the natural history museum, the Kelsey, Nichols Arboretum and Gallup Park. On the second day pay for the two that are worth it, a Michigan Stadium tour in the morning and a run down Argo Cascades in the afternoon if it is between May and October. Drive out to Matthaei Botanical Gardens on the way if there is time, and finish with a film at the Michigan Theater.
Map
Best time to visit
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Late spring and early autumn are the best windows. The peony garden at Nichols peaks for a short spell in late spring, the Argo livery runs from roughly May to October, and the farmers market adds its Wednesday session from May to December. Winter narrows things but does not close them: the university museums, the Michigan Theater and the Saturday market all run year round. The one thing to watch is the academic calendar, which drives both the crowds and the concert season.
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Ann Arbor things to do FAQ
What is free, what the stadium tour costs and when the peonies bloom, answered before you go.
What is Ann Arbor known for?
The University of Michigan, and specifically what the university opens to the public. It runs an art museum, a natural history museum with separately ticketed planetarium shows, an archaeology museum, a botanical garden and an arboretum, and each of them states that admission is free. Michigan Stadium, the largest stadium in the country, is also here and runs public tours.
What can you do in Ann Arbor for free?
A surprising amount. The University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology all state that admission is free, as do Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. The Ann Arbor Farmers Market and Gallup Park are free too, and the trails and raptor loop at the Leslie Science and Nature Center cost nothing.
Can you tour Michigan Stadium?
Yes. Public tours run about an hour and a half and take in the club level, the private suites, the locker room, the tunnel and the field itself, at $20 per person for ages four and up. They run rain or shine, they book through an online calendar, and the tickets are non refundable if you turn up late.
When is the peony garden in bloom at Nichols Arboretum?
A short window in late spring, but the exact timing moves with the weather each year. Rather than publishing fixed dates, the operator posts live bloom status updates alongside bed maps and walking guides, which is the thing to check before planning a trip around it.
How long do you need in Ann Arbor?
One full day covers the campus museums, Kerrytown and the market. Two days is better, because it leaves room for a Michigan Stadium tour, a run down Argo Cascades and the drive out to Matthaei Botanical Gardens without cutting the free museums short.
Is Ann Arbor walkable?
Mostly. The campus museums, Kerrytown, downtown and the Michigan Theater are all within a compact triangle you can cross on foot. Gallup Park and Argo Cascades are a short ride out along the river, and only Matthaei Botanical Gardens, on the city's edge, really needs a car.
Keep planning
Use these nearby guides to extend an Ann Arbor trip across Michigan and the lakes.
Image credits. Hero: w_lemay / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. 1 University of Michigan Museum of Art: w_lemay / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.