4/8/22 Detroit Observatory ReOpening event.
Have you ever wondered about the history of the buildings that sit in the middle of campus that many associate with the Renaissance, east coast Ivy Leagues, or even Hogwarts? This walking tour seeks to familiarize you not only with the illustrious, imposing architecture of the Law Quadrangle here at the University of Michigan but...
The Detroit Observatory was born in the prime of solar system discovery. The 19th century witnessed the discovery of Neptune, multiple moons around other planets, asteroids by the hundreds, dozens of brilliant comets, and more! Join us December 1st for a series of presentations by DO Staff on our favorite solar system objects! This program...
“Four Years of 'Making Michigan' and Four Decades at Michigan: Some Reflections” Gary Krenz, Director, Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory Thursday, December 7, 2023 7:00 pm What are some key moments in U-M history over the past four decades? How did they come about and what might they mean in a larger context? Gary Krenz has hosted Making Michigan the last...
Explore the heavens during one of our astronomy nights. Open houses involve presentations on a range of fascinating astronomical phenomena, instruction on the telescopes, and, when weather permits, observing with our beautiful historic Fitz telescope as well as modern supplemental telescopes. Please note: astronomy events at the Observatory take place even if the weather...
Observing the Heavens, Exploring the Past
Come see the sky with us.
Journey back in time with us.
Visitors have opportunities to observe the sky using Observatory telescopes. Inside the dome, the Fitz telescope provides wonderful views of the moon, planets, and stars. See Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s moons, and the light from stars that have traveled for hundreds of years or longer. And we now offer daytime observing of the Sun, using appropriate safety precautions.
Every look through the telescope is also a look into the past. And join us also to explore a human past — the past of the University of Michigan and its place in history. Lectures, cultural events, exhibits, and tours all have a home at the Observatory.
Observing experiences will be accompanied by explanatory presentations and exhibits and will be led by trained astronomers.
All events are free. Events that require a printed or digital ticket are listed in the calendar above.
Entry to the Observatory on Fridays, noon to 5:00 pm, is free and on a walk-in basis. Our docents and staff will be happy to guide you through the Observatory’s attractions.
Noon to 2:30 pm: we offer historical tours of the building and astronomical tours of the telescopes, with solar observing if weather permits.
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm: we offer historical walking tours of campus, as described below, and astronomical tours of the telescopes, with solar observing if weather permits.
Entry to the Observatory for other scheduled events — astronomical, historical, and cultural — requires a printed or digital ticket, which can be acquired through advance registration. All events are free.
The reasons for advance registration are our desire to ensure a continuing safe environment as we begin to emerge, we hope, from the pandemic; our wish to foster a more intimate, rich experience for visitors; and our need to gauge attendance to our current level of staffing and operations.
Openings are limited and will depend on the nature of the event, so please book your visit well in advance. The Observatory offers talks, presentations, observing — both nighttime and daytime — and tours. Check the calendar above for special events and registration.
Explore the heavens during one of our astronomy sessions. Sessions involve presentations on a range of fascinating astronomical phenomena, instruction on the telescopes, and, when weather permits, observing with our beautiful historic Fitz telescope as well as modern supplemental telescopes. We offer both nighttime observing and daytime observing of the Sun (with all necessary safety precautions). Please note: astronomy events at the Observatory take place even if the weather does not permit observing. We strive to always have interesting things for you to do.
This tour covers both the original building and the addition. Learn about the telescopes, see why the observatory was constructed the way it was, hear about the astronomers who walked its floors in the 19th century — and the discoveries they made — and understand what we hoped to gain by construction of the addition.
Our docents will be excited to lead you on one of the following walking tours of campus, Fridays beginning at 2:30 pm. We also offer group tours by request, for groups of 5 or more. Please make a request through the form on the Contact page.
Join us for a 1.5-hour walking tour covering highlights of the first 70 years of U-M history on the original 40-acre campus. This tour will explore questions such as: What do the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Badawademi have to do with the founding of the University? How did the Diag change from pasture to the tree-covered expanse it is today? What was life like for U-M’s original students in Ann Arbor? Before the President’s House was the President’s House, what was it? Why is a plaque commemorating the admission of women located in Angell Hall?
The Romantic Life at U of M Walking Tour takes you through some of the beautiful and notable portions of the Nichols Arboretum starting at the Peony Garden, as well as a few of the dorms surrounding the Detroit Observatory, where the tour ends. While you learn about the history surrounding these spots, you will also get to hear some stories of the romantic lives of some of our faculty, students, and alumni, as well as some other historical facts about events and lives here at the University of Michigan campus, with an accompanying slideshow filled with photos, scrapbook pages, and letters.
Getting to the Observatory
The U-M Detroit Observatory is located at 1398 E. Ann Street (at the corner of Ann and Observatory Streets) in Ann Arbor, MI. Please use the entrance to the addition on Observatory Street; the old entrance facing Ann Street is no longer used for entry.
Our Hours:
Fridays noon to 5:00 pm for walk-in visits. Need a special group tour? Use the form on the Contact Us page to get started.
Parking
Daytime weekdays: Parking is very limited around the Observatory during the daytime, Monday through Friday. There is metered parking along Ann Street and Observatory Street. The University’s Palmer Drive Parking Structure, off Washtenaw by Palmer Commons, offers paid visitor parking during the daytime ($1.80/hour; operating hours are 8:00am to 10:00pm, Mon-Sat). Visitors may also choose to use Ann Arbor city lots or other U-M visitor lots farther away and walk or bus to the Observatory.
Evenings and weekends: Some area lots and structures are open evenings and weekends, and permit parking is not enforced. The Ann Street Parking Structure (M86), the Catherine Street Structure (M5), the Glen Street Structure (M61), and the School of Public Health II Lot are usually open after 6:00 pm Mon-Fri and on weekends.
Parking InformationAccessibility
The Detroit Observatory addition and the main floor of the Detroit Observatory building are fully handicapped accessible, but the dome is not, meaning that visitors with mobility issues will not have direct access to the Fitz telescope. Many events will, however, give visitors indirect access to the telescope via video stream from the dome to the other levels of the Observatory. Visitors with accessibility concerns are advised to check the schedule for those events that will include video streaming.
By Bus
The Detroit Observatory is served by Ann Arbor Transit Authority routes 4A and 32B and by U-M Commuter North, Commuter South, and Northwood bus routes.
And please check here for things to take into account when visiting: safety protocols, do’s and don’ts, what to wear, what you can expect, including our COVID policy.
At this time, given the CDC rating of Washtenaw County as LOW community transmission, masks are optional at the Observatory. Please be advised that some locations, such as the dome, are tight spaces where social distancing is not possible.
