Ann Arbor Things to Do

You're at the U, so why not act like a student and sit in on one of the athletic contests? The football games always sell out, but you can find hungry students looking to make a quick buck by selling their tickets (as well as more mature folks who will undoubtedly charge you a premium if they can get away with it) outside the Big House. If you're around during basketball season, it's great fun (and much cheaper - top ticket is $22) to see the hoopsters in action at Crisler Arena. Our hockey team, playing in the Yost Ice Arena, is usually in the Frozen Four. And the University fields a myriad of other sports teams at venues across the campus. Michael Phelps swam in our pool, and you can catch a meet and see the rising stars of the future, free of charge.

This is the latest information from the University's athletics website on tickets:

Tickets for volleyball, men's and women's gymnastics, and wrestling are $5 for adults and $3 for children and senior citizens. Tickets for baseball, softball, men's and women's soccer are $7 for reserved chairback seats and $5 for adults and $3 for children and senior citizens in the general admission bleachers. Children 5 and under are admitted free of charge. University students with a valid student ID will be admitted free of charge. Doors/gates open 1 hour prior to the event.

Admission is not regularly charged for regular-season competition in the following sports unless otherwise noted on the team's schedule: field hockey, rowing, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's water polo.

This museum offers displays concerning dinosaurs, fossils, minerals, local wildlife and such. It also has a planetarium. Museum is open Mon-Sat 9-5; Sun noon-5. The Planetarium is only open Sat 10:30-3:30 and Sun 1:30-3:30. The museum is free. The planetarium is $3.

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When people want to have a great time in Southeast Michigan while supporting a great cause, they head for the annual Dawn Farm Jamboree. The Jamboree is a family event held on the second Sunday of September every year. Admission and activities for all ages are FREE, including great live music all day by a popular local band, hayrides, animals to pet, pony rides, lots of games and activities for children, a rock climbing wall, tours of the 74 acre farm, and live and silent auctions and a gift table with a variety of donated goods and services, many at bargain prices! Dawn Farm welcomes all to join us and share in celebrating the tremendous power of hope, recovery and community in the lives of individuals, families, and our entire community - and have great fun and find terrific bargains in the process! Funds raised from teh auctions help defray treatment costs for individuals who have no other resources.
There's ample free parking, and the site is easily accessible from major highways.

Ann Arbor has three Episcopal congregations, and depending upon where you are staying or the style of worship which you prefer, one of the others may be more appropriate. But I'm a big fan of St. Andrew's Church, which is the oldest of the trio -- indeed, it was the second Episcopal parish in Michigan -- and which features really excellent music. (I once attended an 8:00 AM Easter service and was delighted to find that it included full choir, brass and bells. What a treat!) St. Andrew's has also recently undergone a major renovation, including re-installation of some marvelous Victorian stained glass. It's a friendly place, too -- the church has been feeding a Sunday breakfast to those who need one for more than thirty years.

Services are at 8:00 (generally no music), 9:15 (zippy 25-minute family-friendly Eucharist), and 10:00 (main choral mass); compline is sung on Sunday evenings at 8:00 PM. There are also weekday services on Wednesday (Eucharist at 7:00 AM, Evensong at 6:00 PM), Thursday (Eucharist with healing at 5:30 PM), and Friday (Eucharist at 12:15 PM).

The best in acoustical bluegrass music. The Greencards will be at The Ark on Saturday, July 14th, 8:00pm. Great music!! I have seen them 3 times before and they never fail to entertain the fans. Don't miss this great show!

If you are in Ann Arbor during football season, you must attend a football game at Michigan Stadium which is commonly known as "The Big House". It is the largest American football stadium in the world. Built in 1927, it has an official capacity of 107,501, though football game attendance often exceeds 111,000 when bands, stadium staff, and other people are added. They are working on expanding the bleachers and adding luxury boxes to fit even more people (there is much debate over whether or not this renovation should take place).

During home games, the town of Ann Arbor is like a ghost town. Everyone will be at the game. The student section is a mass of blue and maize and it’s not unusual to see people being tossed in the air after every touchdown.

The University of Michigan's sports teams are called the Wolverines, after the state's nickname. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan's football program is among the most storied and successful in college football history. Michigan won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902, has won an NCAA-record 849 games through the 2005 season, and has an all-time winning percentage of .745, also an NCAA record. The Wolverine football program claims 11 national titles: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948 and 1997. Most recently, Uof M football has produced three Heisman Trophy winners including Charles Woodson, the only primarily defensive player to win the award.

The Michigan Theater is a beautiful old movie theater that also occasionally holds concerts and other events. I usually like to watch a flick from the balcony. They also use real butter on their popcorn. Yum!

If interested in the college's sports and teams past and present, be sure to visit the University of Michigan Margaret Dow Towsley Sports Museum. It has a lot of exhibits and will leave you knowing more than you (or at least I) ever wanted to know about the Univeristy's athletes.