University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

This museum is pretty small and the exhibits are underwhelming. The interactive stations were closed when we visited on the weekend. I appreciate that it's free/donation based entry. The building and entrance are hard to find once you've found parking, which takes a few circles around the block even if you're familiar to the area. It's a maze of zigzaging roundabout sidewalks to find the front door. The crystals were our favorite part.

This is a very fun place that is free to check out if you are a Dino lover or enjoy minerals !! The exploring Michigan exhibit was really fascinating there was a lot I did not know we really loved to read everything they had to offer !! The gems and minerals my goodness gracious I could’ve spent a day just reading all of those labels !!! I truly thought I’d seen quite a few gems already but they had some that I’ve never seen anywhere that was 100% my favorite part I was literally speechless 😶 I did love all the things that said please touch like the petrified wood !! I put my head inside the Dino’s mouth because they said I could touch it sooooo that was fun really let me understand how a Dino would gobble me right up lol!! I walked inside a cell like on magic school bus we also did a fingerprint lab 🥼 Definitely recommend checking this out it’s good for all ages !!!

Im conflicted writing this review, love the museum. Frustrated with the planetarium side of it. Watched the video in the planetarium, sea of monsters; video seems a little dated like a old 80's video. At the beginning we were told once you leave you cant return. Didn't realize it was the wrong film, kept waiting for the Trex to come into play never happened. Atmosphere was nice, but we were suppose to watch the TRex video and we're shown the wrong video, addressed this where they sold tickets. They called the manager, which is basically a college kid; told they were sorry but nothing they could do. No offer of refund or tickets for future showing. We did drive over a hour to get here. Museum is 5 stars, amazing and free. Planetarium is 1 star due to wrong show, horrible customer service, grainy quality, although entertaining. When I put them together, 3 stars.

What a great find! We had a few hours to burn and 3 kiddos (ages 2-6) who loved it here. It’s free- which is really shocking because it is incredibly immersive, hands on, and has a ton of different themes. The gift shop is the best I’ve seen.

This was a really fun experience for my girlfriend and I The fossils on display are really interesting and I even learned about a dinosaur I didn't know existed, and im kind of a nut about it The Majungasaurus on display is in great shape and the journey through evolution is well done The free admission is well worth the trip but if you're traveling an hour or more I would recommend planning something else to do afterwards, the public space is not as big as you'd expect but it is a school and its free so I cant complain at all

The museum is well-organized and easy to navigate, with clear explanations and engaging presentations for visitors of all ages. The interactive sections and multimedia guides made the learning experience both fun and educational. Another great advantage is that admission is free, which makes it even more accessible to everyone. The building itself is beautiful and spacious, creating a welcoming atmosphere for exploration. The staff was friendly and always ready to answer questions, which added to the overall positive experience.

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!

Great displays, & it is not an enormous museum so able to not be completely overwhelmed by information. Great for children of all ages.

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!

This place is great to visit. I was there close to closing so it wasn't too busy. You could take your time and look at all the cool stuff. They recommend donations but it's free. You can even see into the lab.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

We were lucky to get a private octopus tour by Jim Bardwell. I learned a lot about octopi from that experience!

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.

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.

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.

I came upon the Museum of Natural History while exploring the University of Michigan campus for an assignment given to me by an AP class I am taking this year in my High school. I was there with a five of my friends who are also taking the same AP class. It interested us that there would be a museum as part of the campus and it would be so open to the public, so we went in. After opening the doors the inside of the building was very inviting. I didn't have enough time to go to all the exhibits before it closed but from what I saw there were exhibits that were well though out and exciting and some that seemed to have less effort put into them which is the only reason this isn't a 5 star review (although I wish I could put 4.5 stars). The most exciting part, though, was something that wasn't technically part of the exhibit. While near the main entrance a man named Jim Bardwell came up to us and offered to show us a fish tank. He then brought us up to his office where he had multiple large tanks. In one he had an octopus and in another he had a majority of the fish and coral and other marine wildlife. It was clear a lot of thought and effort went into the setup and upkeep of the tanks and fish. There was such a large variety of fish and coral that I was surprised they could all in the same habitat. We spent at least an hour there as he showed us how he feeds the fish and octopus. We asked him question after question about the organisms and he answered each of them in a meaningful way. Overall the Museum was a good experience and my trip to the University of Michigan was a success.

Free admission w/ several floors worth of exhibits. There's a planetarium but it's mostly on weekends. Top floor has the most current projects they're working on which is the uncovering of mammoths. Pretty neat.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Driving up to the place I said 'Looks pretty tiny.' And it is. But it sure packs a punch for the value! A recommended $6 donation and you got access to the 'largest dinosaur collection' in Michigan, an awesome collection of birds and bugs from our local lands, and some great interactive exhibits (we actually got to see our DNA!). The also have this really cool Planetarium (an extra $5) with one of the coolest programs I've ever seen. Very educational and in-depth tour by a great student who taught us about the Navajo star navigation. Spent a good 3 hours and didn't quite see it all but just about. Great place for kids or for a lazy Sunday afternoon.