University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

One of the best-researched and presented museums I've been to. It's incredibly informative, and the explanations of everything are bite-sized and understandable for all ages. Every exhibit is interactive and engaging. Entry is free. The least you could do is donate a few dollars to help this esteemed research staff keep doing what they do best. Go blue!

loved visiting! super informative museum with so many interesting exhibits! great for any age. the museum is spread out in a large building with multiple floors (stairs and elevators available+one ramp) i loved being able to watch scientists work in real time, that was a unique feature, and i really liked that you could get the chance to talk to them as long as the light is on signaling availability. parking seemed confusing at first, but once you found the right parking garage there were signs that pointed you in the direction of the museum. my family was able to walk through this museum in about an hour and a half, but we definitely would have taken longer if we had gotten there earlier. free entry but donations accepted.

Outstanding!. Free Daily Entrance. There is a paid garage parking lot in the basement, and some other paid garage parking options nearby. The museum has an amazing collection of dinosaurs and fossils. There are plenty of hands-on activities for all ages. I was amazed by each exhibit.

Fun and free ($10 suggested donation) UM has a beautiful campus. Spent maybe an hour or so. Smaller museum but nice!

A free museum with alot of great displays and interactive activities for both the young and old. Please make sure to put some cash into the donation box so we can continue to enjoy this one of many free museums located on campus.

We needed to find something to do for a few hours while a loved one was having an outpatient procedure at the hospital. We visited this museum for the first time and had a nice experience. It was small enough that I didn’t have to use a stroller for my toddler. And it was free so I didn’t feel guilty that we didn’t see all the exhibits. Highly recommended for a short afternoon FREE thing to do. Kids loved how interactive everything was.

Pretty nice museum with a decent range of exhibits, including an area for a traveling exhibit. The planetarium is small, but the show we saw was well done. Before the show there was a short presentation on how the night sky would appear that night. Really great for visiting with kids, too! TONS of "please touch" items and exhibits, demos, and presentations. Best of all, there's no fee to the museum - the planetarium shows do have a cost, though. The gift shop is small but has a nice selection and doesn't seem too expensive compared to other museum gift shops.

Very impressive with the museum. I did not expect to spend so many hours and didn’t know university museum can be so much fun. There are a lot of fossils and deep dive for Michigan geography. And it’s free!

What could be better than a free Museum with free Air condition on a 94 degree weather and free parking?? Maybe parking was free because we went on a Sunday. This was a fun place to walk around and escape the heat! It is also great for kids as there are a lot of exhibitions and hands on experiments they can partake in. I enjoyed watching videos about the birds as I recently got into birding and seeing the various displays they had. There are 4 floors, a gift shop, plenty of bathrooms, plenty of places to sit and rest, and it's all free!

Great for kids who love dinosaurs. Lots of fossil skulls. Modest amount of other natural history. Actual specimens other than fossil bones are far outnumbered by educational signs, posters, and paintings. This is 99% aimed at education, mainly for k-8. I understand why they went down this road philosophically. But for educated adults, it's kind of a snooze with a whole lot of walking. The real purpose of this facility is the amazing research work that is done out of public view. I have had a tour of that part of it and it's extensive and first-class. For a better science experience, go to the Hands-On Museum, which works for both kids and adults.

Honestly, this place was incredible for free. Lots of info, multiple cool exhibits including a planetarium!, and some glimpses into college/grad school life as a scientist as well during a science fair that was happening today. 100% worth a visit. Park in Palmer for easy access.

Great museum!! I can't believe it's free to the public, and there was a decent amount of exhibits to see! We were able to go through the whole museum in about 2 hours. There was a coat room to put your coat in, and we started with the exhibits on the bottom floor before making our way up. My favorite exhibit was the evolution through time one! It was super interesting to see which organisms were present at what time period, and also to learn about the five great mass extinctions. All of the exhibits were super well prepared and educational though. There was plenty to see and I had a great time!

This is a great little science museum located on the University of Michigan campus. It's free to the public although donations are suggested. I really enjoyed the biology and life sciences exhibits with their interesting displays and explanations. But the other displays throughout the museum are heavy on dinosaurs right now, perhaps later they will have more exhibits on other topics of natural history. Next time I come back I would like to go to the planetarium!

So much to enjoy here- Free. Loved the wall size Michigan map- you can learn the cities and what they are known for- with pictures. Loads of extra exhibits and exhibitions- maybe we just got lucky on this weekend- but I think they do this often, Students showing their research and favorite subjects. The displays are fun, thoughtful and interesting. Couldn't pry my husband away from the mastodons, I only wish we had our grandkids here to enjoy them as well. I really enjoyed the displays of baskets, fibers and dying with natural dyes. Fantastic exhibitions, great variety and many opportunities to learn. Note: Get tickets for the planetarium, as soon as you get there, the have limited seating, several show times. Hours on Saturday-close at 4pm.

One of the best things to do for free around Ann Arbor. I loved the exhibits featuring the mass extinction events and rock formations with crystals. It's found right in central campus, a short walk or drive from around campus. The planetarium was closed when I went but I'm sure it would have been a worthwhile experience.

This was my first time being in this née building. I had visited the previous one on a field trip in undergrad. This is a wonderful free opportunity! Great exhibits , modern aesthetics and excellent facilities. We also purchased tickets to see a movie about Darwin in the planetarium, I highly recommended it. I plan to return to view the exhibits in more detail.

** The following review reflects my experience prior to the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** Ann Arbor is such a prototypical college town that when I visit, it makes me nostalgic for my own undergrad days lo these many years ago. I was there well before the current pandemic and I'm presuming it must be quiet there based on that I've seen at the similarly bucolic UC Berkeley campus. In fact, I just read this museum is closed while COVID-19 remains out of control. That's understandable given how tactile and kid-friendly the space is. The exhibits focus on dinosaurs, minerals, and the history of this fragile planet, and because it's housed in the Biological Sciences building, much of it felt a bit crowded-in as grad students and visitors were milling about rather closely. When the world opens up again, this will be a worthwhile stop again. RELATED - Exploring this part of Michigan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2Jt7MiE

Mastodons!!! There they are right as you walk in - HUGE -- and every guy that's ever been four years old LOVES these, they have the largest feet and tusks.... Way Bigger than an elephant. They were discovered in Michigan! They have many Michigan Native species displayed -- of all types, like the pesky Fox Squirrels that are trying to break into the house at 2am for the last few weeks!! Another favorite is the Wolverines- of course - Go Blue!! Kids and adults will love this museum. Gotta park in the medical facility parking garage, that's $1 for 30 minutes. Next time we will try to walk.

While a few of the exhibit rooms will not be finished until November 2019, what is there is a feast for the eyes and brain. Fossils will draw the kids and adults who also love them in, the stories told in the displays will education them with both and where they were found and how they fit into the story of life. You are even encouraged to touch some of the displays. While the story of how life on Earth, both animal and plants get the largest space, you still learn about the geographic history of the earth. Planetarium handles the space stuff, you do have to buy extra ticket for it. Short films on Michigan's science history of, plants, animals, glaziers, and human activities explain how all interacted on the state. Gift shop have the normal stuff but also have cute little stuff microbes like zika virus. Perfect size for those school field trips that requires a 45 minute bus ride one way . Not over whelming, but facts presented in fun, short bites. The only trouble could come from the fact that some Michigan schools still have as policy that evolution can't be taught (yes, even in the 21st century!!!!!). But if the school you child goes to does that, you have a way to do it yourself.

Loved the exhibits here! Really well explained and has great interactive exhibits and reading material. Great for parents, students, and children alike! We especially loved the coral reef tour -- a member of the staff here actually took the time out of his day to show us his coral reef tanks -- a hobby he actually invests his own time and money into separate from the work he does at the university. The tanks were so cool, and he fed the fish in front of us. He even has an octopus mom protecting some eggs! Very kind and knowledgeable. A unique experience I'd recommend -- all the museum staff takes a great experience to an amazing one!! Thank you Jim!

Michigan's Museum of Natural History is a joy to explore. Located right on central campus, you mustn't miss stopping by for at least a short visit. If you manage to get on an available slot for a tour, I highly recommend visiting Dr. Bardwell's coral reef tank. His collection of various coral and fish is quite impressive and he is very knowledgeable of reef ecology.

There are tons of dinosaurs, evolution displays, minerals, mastodons, and Michigan wildlife areas. We got about 2 hours out of the kids and finished almost the whole building. A few areas were closed though and we did not make it to the lower floor. The gift shop has the freeze dried ice cream we all love. Everything is clear to read and is geared a bit towards kids. Parking is free on Sunday if you park in the blue zone areas.

I remember the old exhibits museum from student days. For its era, it was mighty fine. But, wow, what a fantastic upgrade to see here in the new Museum of Natural History, opened in 2019. There's plenty of kid-friendly areas. If you're an old guy like me, I think you'll enjoy it, too.

It was great to learn more about the recently born Octopi by having a firsthand opportunity to view their first days of life. Dr. Jim opened up his office to the general public to learn more about recently born Octopi. He provided thorough knowledge about them and their life cycle. Very informative and a 'must-see' attraction to stop by when you visit the U-M Museum of Natural History. We recently checked out books from the library about Octopi so it was a nice surprise to see them in-person. A wonderful learning opportunity for my preschooler. Thanks!

We went to the U of M Museum of Natural History while visiting family in Ann Arbor and were very impressed with the museum and its offerings. Since my spouse and I are university professors with considerable expertise in biological sciences, we have significant knowledge of the museum's topics, but we still learned a lot. The highlight of our visit was the Coral Reef Tour with Dr. James Bardwell. We had read the excellent reviews online about the tour and made sure to get to the museum in time to sign up. The coral reef tour was everything we expected and more. Dr. Bardwell is a superb teacher! His passion and enthusiasm about life on the coral reef was immediately apparent. The tour consisted of people of all ages, yet everyone was riveted by his discussion of the sea life in the aquariums in his office. Also, because the number of people on the tour was limited, we were able to ask whatever questions that we had. Some of the coral reef life forms that we saw included the angler fish, the archer fish, and the peacock mantis shrimp. For each, Dr. Bardwell described its unique (and, often, surprising) features that helped it survive, such as ways of processing information or adapting their visual systems to underwater conditions. Seeing coral reef life "in action" gave us a much broader view of sea life behavior and the importance of the coral reef ecosystem. For these reasons (and more), our experience at the Museum of Natural History was excellent and we especially recommend Dr. Bardwell's Coral Reef Tour!

They replaced the grand and charming old museum with what? An inferior building and lessor displays that seem unfinished. The cafe is mediocre and the planayerium show seems to be the same one I saw in first grade (50 years ago) ouch the truth hurts.

My family and I stopped by to check out the museum of natural history while in town visiting family. Our favorite part was watching Jim feed his octopus. We were lucky enough to run into him in the cafe on his way to feed him! Highly recommend!

The Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor is amazing and captivated both our pre-school and kindergarten aged children. The exhibits have a wonderful mix of things marked in green which are safe to touch and eyes only curiosities. We highly recommend this experience to any families with young children as well as adults. Pandemic Note: We were impressed at the number of people wearing masks and how many hand sanitation stations were available. Specific highlights of our visit included: being able to go "inside" a cell, playing with magnetic DNA, seeing dinosaur bones like in the "Little Critter" book, talking about "Al the Allosaurus" from "Pete the Cat", enjoying the walls of windows overlooking various buildings, discussing where the scientists work, and walking under the skeleton of a Pterodactyl.

We went to three University of Michigan museums on our last visit in Ann Arbor and this was our favorite, partially because we are science fans but it was also the largest and most professionally prepared. It was heavily endowed and affiliated with the biological sciences division. Wonderful science displays from dinosaurs, both paleontology specimens and recreations to fossils of all sorts, plant, fish, small animals. They did a good job of explaining evolutionary history, even for children. There is even a window into research lab space, though on a Sunday, it was completely deserted. A cafe is inside, near the main entrance. Parking is nearby in an easily accessed garage near the University Dental Center and free on a Sunday. The museum was busy on a rainy fall Sunday but not annoyingly crowded either.

The U of M Museum of Natural History recently reopened and is modern and updated. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person. One of my favorite parts of the museum is the fossil lab where you can watch students preparing fossil specimens and reproductions and even talk to them through a speaker! There are two mastodon skeletons on display -- one male and one female. Those were really cool to see! Two large prehistoric whale skeletons and a life-size replica of a Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur round out their collection of awesome huge things to check out. The Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur is particularly fascinating! The Evolution: Life Through Time exhibit is really cool, with tons of examples of early organisms and mind-blowing facts. We didn't have a ton of time to spend reading at the museum as we were with three kids 10 and under, but I would love to come back again and browse more. During our visit we also checked out the planetarium show. Tickets are required ($8 currently) and shows are about 45 minutes. The one we saw was different than other planetarium shows I've been to. Instead of a movie like projection on the dome, a student showed us different constellations in the sky and talked about how the night sky changes based on the time of year and gave us a different perspective on some familiar constellations. It was more of a lecture than an entertainment program, so be aware of that if you have small kids. There is a show geared more towards younger kids too.

First time visiting the UM Natural History Museum and Dr.Bardwell's fish tank tour was awesome!!

On a rainy Sunday, it's never a bad idea to check out some of the free museums in Ann Arbor. The U of M Museum of Natural History was one I had still never visited, so I took the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. Located right on campus, it has recently moved from it's smaller and older home to a large building next door. The advantage of more space is evident when you first walk in, as a pair of mastodons greets you as you arrive in the foyer! I learned that this is the only place in the world where you can see a pair of mastodons side by side like that. I walked up to the main gallery on the second floor and took my time perusing the exhibits. One of the most intriguing to me was a timeline of the world's history condensed into a year. To give some perspective, if we are currently at the very end of the year, humans arrived on the scene sometime around 11:25 PM -- humbling thought! I meandered on through, touching exhibits where encouraged (like one with different types of rocks), and reading as much as I could. I passed by a working laboratory that was empty that day (Sunday), but if you visit while scientists are there, you can buzz in and ask them a question about their work or the museum. I know that they only recently moved and are still adding to the exhibits, but I wish that even more than the main gallery had been open, as I was eager to see even more on my visit. If nothing else, that gives me a great excuse to go back and see what else is new soon!

This is a fantastic natural history museum with a really well-thought layout. While it's slightly geared towards younger scholars, there are plenty of displays that everyone can appreciate. This place does a great job with several hands-on displays and labs that allow children to garner a better understanding of the exhibits. One of my favorite areas was one showcasing native Michigan plants and animals. They also have a planetarium show for an additional charge. Museum designers struck a good balance between amount of content and visual appeal. This is a perfect rainy-day place especially if you have the kids on a day off school. It is also budget-friendly as admission is on a donation basis.

Great museum! Loved the private octopus feeding!!!! We learned a lot and had a great time.

I love this place, the new building is amazing. So much more room to display and hang things up for dramatic effect. I like the natural light in the building also. The signs that say what kids can touch on the displays is great especially for the younger set. Don't miss the planterium shows, they are worth the money. The amount of information presented and the reclining seats for better observation is great. I also like the cafe in the museum although a lot of people probably eat elsewhere,it is a good option. The museum is free but donations are accepted according to the website. The palmer garage is a safe nonmetered covered place to park and was a good deal. We were there a few hrs and paid $5.

Place was great, grand kids loved it. Got personal tour of Aquarium in Jim's office, the Octopus was a star....thanks Jim

This was such a great experience! Came here with my 9-year old and we had a blast. The museum is located in a cool new building across from the old one. This new building has lots of natural light and open spaces. The installations are big, well crafted and eye catching. You need about 2 hours to visit the museum at a leisurely pace. Every wing of this museum is rich with things to see and even touch. The people that work at the museum store are so friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated. It is truly great to have such a great institution as part of our community!

During a visit back to Ann Arbor this summer, Dr. James Bardwell's coral reef tour was the star of the show. His passion for science is incredibly clear as he explains each of the organisms in his care. Highly recommend making this a priority on your next trip to Ann Arbor!

You must go to the coral reef tour! Jim shared his personal collection of tanks and gave us an in-depth tour of the organisms living in them. He is so knowledgeable and engaging! Definitely a must when you visit the Museum of Natural History.

This museum is great for kids of all ages. Lots to see, explore and interact with. Everything from prehistoric creatures to animals currently living in Michigan. On our recent visit we were lucky enough to be invited by an employee that works upstairs to view a huge coral reef tank and an octopus! Not on display for the public. Mr James Baldwell provided an extra amazing addition to our visit at the museum! He was great. Very informative and answered all the questions my kids threw at him. Thank you for adding more excitement to our adventure!

The University of Michigan Natural History museum is wonderful. And if you possibly can, try to sign up for one of the Coral Reefs talks with Professor James Bardwell. He meets with small groups in his office, where he has large fish tanks with corals, baby octopuses, shrimp, anemones, and many kinds of reef fish. He points out the various sea creatures and tells you fun facts about them. The children in the group, and the adults as well, were enthralled with his presentation. Definitely worth a trip. The museum also has a nice cafe where you can get sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, and coffee.

Both me and the 5 year old kid I was babysitting really enjoyed our time here watched the Sea Monsters movie, checked out some bones, and did the aquarium tour with James (who was an excellent tour guide!). We've been to the muesuem multiple times together and there's a lot enjoy for both adults and kids. Would definitely recommend.

This museum is packed full of fun for all ages! We were lucky enough to be there on a day they offered a coral reef tour by Mr. James Bardwell. The reef and unique species were fascinating to see up close and I learned right along with the kids things I would never have learned scrolling through random books or the internet. We really enjoyed that! We plan on visiting again and bringing some friends with us because there were things we missed such as the planetarium!

Dr. Bardwell's tour of the coral reef tank was fascinating (and educational)! Well worth a visit.

SC and I came by today for the grand opening of the museum (now at the new UM Biological Sciences Building). We've gone to the museum when it was still located at the Ruthven building so this review will be colored by that previous experience. Parking: the Palmer parking structure is the closest ($1.70/hour). On Sundays, there's free parking in unmarked University staff spots (make sure not to park in Gold, Business Vehicle, or other marked spots). We ended up parking at the M34 parking lot behind the School of Kinesiology and walking over via the Washtenaw bridge. Overall impressions: this space is gorgeous.The building also houses classrooms and labs for the University in addition to the museum. There's a ton of interactive pieces, which I loved. There's fossils and rocks you can touch, touchscreen monitors, and a motion sensored exhibit. I think one of the coolest parts was the open laboratories you can see into and even talk to the scientists working there through a speaker. There's also a planetarium show that we didn't end up checking out. It was $5 today (they were playing a shortened piece about stars in the sky tonight) but I think is normally $8. On the lower level there's community rooms; today they had an interactive session for kids about streams. I also enjoyed the student showcase which displayed projects that students were working on. If you get hungry, there's a cafe on the first floor. Overall, I think the museum is beautiful and really fun for kids. There's significantly less exhibits compared to previously, which was a bummer for us. They are opening up more exhibits this November though so we'll definitely be back for that.

As a student here I came to check out the natural history museum and learned about Dr. James Bardwell's coral reef tanks. As a fellow reef tank owner I was excited and scheduled a tour with him. Dr. Bardwell is by far one of the nicest people I have met on campus. The tour he gave about how everything works and why it does was fascinating. He took me around to see the angler fish, sponges, mantis shrimp, and ribbon eel he had at the time, as well as a brackish water tank! Come the end of the tour he was generous enough to offer me fragged pieces of his coral to grow in my own tank which I could not be more thankful for. This was definitely the best part of the Museum for me. Even after the tour I still email Dr. Bardwell with questions about my own tank which he happily answers and provides great feedback. I am so glad that I could have this experience and highly recommend to everyone else!

The tour of Dr. Bardwell's personal aquariums is a must... his knowledge and engagement are recognized and much appreciated.

A group of us came to the Natural History Museum as a school group to see the many amazing exhibits. During our time at the museum our group was able to see the baby octopi on the coral reef tour with Dr.Bardwell. We had the best time learning about all the animals and seeing the tanks! Dr.Bardwell was so informative, kind, and passionate. We hope to come back again soon!!

The museum on its own was amazing but the exhibits that included sea life were extremely lacking and left me and my group of 6 uninterested in the sea life and made it feel boring compared to the amazing exhibits of the local wildlife. All of this changed however when Jim Bardwell approached us and invited us to his office. Inside we got to see what some of us considered one of the nicest and most detailed aquariums we had ever seen. that was when he had given us a personal tour and taught us about ocean life. It felt a million times more interesting and we learned so much! Thanks to Jim we will have a lot to talk about with our AP classes from are trip in Ann Arbor. Jim also showed Us an octopus and it was many of our first time seeing one. She was very cute and Jim showed us her eating, it was super interesting and made the overall experience ten times better.

Loved Professor Bardwell's tour!

The new museum has no soul. The idea that it is fabulous to mix exhibits with Real Scientists Actually Doing Real Science is just -- stupid. You're putting Real Scientists on display? Really? Why? Maybe I will bring twinkies next time and try to feed the scientists. It feels like I am walking into a shopping mall instead of a museum. I will always miss the old place.

As other reviewer's have said, heading to this museum is a great way to kill 2 to 3 hours with kids. Fancy? Nope. But it's free, there is plenty to see , and everyone there is really nice. Lots of fossils, dinosaurs and a whole floor of stuffed animals which are a little bit creepy but cool all the same. The starTalk (40 minutes for $5) is a great value given by a student who really knows what she's doing. my five-year-old was able to pay attention for the entire time as were all the other kids in the talk with us. There is no a/c so yes, be prepared. Gift shop is small, but adequate. Parking! Our visit was attempt #2. The first time we went it was around 1030 and there was absolutely no parking to be found anywhere. So plan ahead and get there early for parking on Fletcher or Washington. 4 stars because the displays almost all feel very dated. The good news is they're moving to a new spot in a couple years.

Amazing experience! Guests are greeted by two giant mastodon skeletons and it only gets better from there! The exhibits of fossils include a variety of species and displays, walking the guests through the earth's major extinction events. My 7 y/o twins loved it; all very kid friendly. And the best part was when an actual U of M scientist invited us to see an octopus feeding!

Brought a large group of students here on a field trip. We did a stream table interactive activity, the planetarium show, and a prehistoric life guided tour. All were well organized & engaging for the kids and adults. The only downfall for bringing kids all day is that there is no indoor location to have lunch. It was late October & pretty chilly and we had to eat outside. Not ideal, but for a warmer day, would have been no problem. Might be better to do a half day trip and be back before lunch!

Jim Bardwell's aquarium exhibit was more scrumptious compared to all the other marine exhibits. The fish exhibits seemed boring compared to his.

Brother and niece were extremely disappointed by the $8 planetarium show: novice presenter with shaky technical skills and a trivially simple program. They were also unhappy about the $8 charge for a baby-in-arms. Either there is a bottom age limit, or don't charge when a seat is not being used. I used to give planetarium shows at the Natural History Museum, for free, in the 70s/80s. It should be free now.

This is a fun and FREE museum in Ann Arbor, although they do "suggest" a donation of $6 for admission. Is it the greatest museum ever? No. It is definitely worth checking out though, especially for families. It is very educational and provides a fun learning experience for adults and children. I especially enjoyed the Hall of Evolution and Michigan Wildlife galleries. The Hall of Evolution had really neat cases filled with depictions of what the world looked like at various points in history in regards to geography, plant, and wildlife. The Michigan Wildlife gallery showcased plants and animals that are native to Michigan, as well as education on the impact of pollution, climate change, and hunting on endangered and extinct species. I would recommend this museum to anyone visiting Ann Arbor and looking for a fun learning experience!