Free & Cheap Things to Do in Ann Arbor

Parks & Nature

A free 123-acre living landscape on the eastern edge of the University of Michigan campus, with 3.5 miles of trails winding through native trees, meadows, river bluffs, and specialty gardens — including the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden, home to the largest heirloom peony collection in North America (peak bloom late May–early June). Open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.

Address: 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Tip: Limited free street parking on Washington Heights and Geddes Road; metered lots nearby. The James D. Reader Jr. Urban Environmental Education Center (visitor center) is open 10 AM–4 PM April–October. Best time for peonies: late May to early June. Trails connect to Gallup Park along the Huron River.

Parks & Gardens

A free 350-acre U-M botanical complex with eleven outdoor gardens (bonsai, herbs, perennials, children's, Great Lakes), a three-climate indoor conservatory (tropical, temperate, and arid houses), and walking trails through prairie, woods, and the Fleming Creek wetlands. About a 15-minute drive from central campus on Ann Arbor's east side.

Address: 1800 N Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Tip: Open Tue–Sun 10 AM–4:30 PM, Wednesday until 8:30 PM; closed Mondays. Metered parking on-site (small fee). The conservatory is best in winter when outdoor gardens are dormant. Pair with the Nichols Arboretum — both are managed by U-M and free to visit.

Arts & Culture

A free 94,000-square-foot art museum at the corner of State Street and South University, with a permanent collection of more than 20,000 works spanning 150+ years across cultures, eras, and media. Major rotating exhibitions, a free Bloomberg Connects-style audio guide, sensory kits for accessible visits, and a cafe on-site. No tickets, no reservations — walk in.

Address: 525 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Tip: Open Tue–Wed 10 AM–5 PM, Thu–Fri 10 AM–8 PM, Sat 11 AM–8 PM, Sun 11 AM–8 PM; closed Mondays. Free street parking is sparse on weekdays — try the Maynard or Forest Avenue parking structures. Photography is OK without flash; backpacks and snacks allowed on most of the first floor.

History & Museums

A 45,000-square-foot free natural history museum on Central Campus, with exhibits covering Michigan mastodons ("On the Trail of Mastodons"), evolution, microbiology, geology, and a Planetarium & Dome Theater that screens science and astronomy programs. The current building replaced the historic 1928 Exhibit Museum and houses the Research Museums Center collections.

Address: 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Tip: Open Tue–Sun 10 AM–4 PM during the school year; 7 days 10 AM–5 PM in summer; closed Mondays. Planetarium and dome theater shows have a modest separate fee (~$8). Park in the Palmer Drive structure or use metered street parking on North University.

Walking Tours

The Diag is the diagonal crossroad and grassy heart of U-M Central Campus, bordered by Hatcher Graduate Library, the Undergraduate Library, Angell Hall, and the Chemistry Building. A free self-guided walking tour from the U-M tour site covers the Diag, Ingalls Mall, the Burton Memorial Tower (with its 53-bell Baird Carillon that chimes every quarter hour), Hill Auditorium, and the Michigan League — all free to walk through.

Address: Central Campus, East University Avenue & North University, Ann Arbor

Tip: The Burton Memorial Tower carillon plays Westminster Quarters every quarter hour, 9:15 AM–9 PM weekdays in session. Avoid the Diag's central brass "M" — campus legend says students who walk on it will fail their first blue-book exam. Park in any of the structures on Maynard, Forest, or Liberty.

Shopping & Strolling

A historic two-story brick complex three blocks north of downtown housing 20+ independent shops, the original Zingerman's Delicatessen across the street, and the Ann Arbor Farmers Market alongside on Saturdays. Free to wander; pay-as-you-eat or pay-as-you-shop. Sweetwaters Coffee, Spun yarn shop, Mudpuddles toys, and Found vintage/art gallery are local anchors.

Address: 407 N 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Tip: Hours Mon–Wed 10 AM–6 PM, Thu–Fri 10 AM–7 PM, Saturday 9 AM–6 PM, Sunday 11 AM–5 PM (individual shops may vary). The original Zingerman's Deli is across N 5th Avenue from the market — open 7 AM–9 PM daily. Saturday Farmers Market runs May–December.

Shopping & Strolling

Downtown Ann Arbor's two main districts are a 10-minute walk apart and together cover most of the city's restaurants, indie bookshops, theaters, and street life. Main Street has the historic Michigan Theater (1928) and a four-block stretch of restaurants and cocktail bars; the State Street District anchors the U-M campus edge and houses both the Michigan and State theaters.

Address: Main Street & State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Tip: Look for the Fairy Doors of Ann Arbor — about a dozen tiny ornate doorways tucked into building facades downtown, started by a local artist in 2005. Best free downtown parking is after 6 PM. The Ann Arbor Art Fair (third week of July) is one of the country's largest free outdoor art fairs.

Outdoors

A 22-acre city park on the Huron River with the Argo Cascades — a free, nine-drop bypass channel of gentle Class I rapids that lets you tube, kayak, or canoe a 1.5-hour run from Argo to Gallup Park (the city's most popular paddle). Walking trails connect to the Border-to-Border (B2B) trail and downtown via the Allen Creek Berm Tunnel.

Address: 1055 Longshore Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Tip: Park open 6 AM–10 PM. Argo Canoe Livery rents tubes, kayaks, and rafts May–October. Free air compressor near the restrooms to inflate personal tubes. Note: a state PFAS "Do Not Eat Fish" advisory applies to the Huron River — don't eat what you catch and avoid foam on the water.

History & Museums

A free U-M gem packed with antiquities, the Kelsey Museum holds more than 100,000 artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean and Near East — Egyptian mummies, Roman glass, Greek pottery, and finds from the university's own excavations at Karanis in Egypt — across two floors of a historic State Street building.

Address: 434 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Tip: Free and open to all, Tuesday–Friday 10 AM–4 PM and weekends 11 AM–4 PM; closed Mondays. Public entrance on Maynard Street. Free public tours run throughout the year. Compact enough for an hour between other campus stops.

Family Fun

Spread over four floors of a historic downtown firehouse, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is a beloved interactive science-and-discovery center with 250-plus exhibits — light and sound labs, a water-play area, a climbing structure, and STEM stations that keep curious kids busy for hours.

Address: 220 E Ann St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Tip: EBT/WIC/SNAP cardholders pay $3 (kids under 2 free). A combined membership covers the Leslie Science & Nature Center too. Right downtown near the Kerrytown and Main Street districts. Best for kids 2–10.

Outdoors

Ann Arbor's most popular park, Gallup stretches 69 acres along the Huron River and Geddes Pond, laced with more than three miles of paved trails that loop over little islands on pedestrian bridges. It's a favorite for walking, biking, birdwatching, and renting a kayak or paddleboat in summer.

Address: 3000 Fuller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Tip: Free to enter, open year-round; part of the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail. The Gallup Park Livery rents canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats in season. Three playgrounds and picnic shelters make it easy with kids.

Iconic Landmarks

The University of Michigan's William W. Cook Law Quadrangle is a breathtaking Tudor Gothic complex of 1920s–30s buildings that look lifted straight from Oxford — spires, gargoyles, and leaded glass around green courtyards. The cathedral-like Reading Room inside is one of the most beautiful library spaces in the country.

Address: 625 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Tip: The courtyards are free and open dawn to dusk; step inside the Legal Research Building to see the soaring Reading Room (keep quiet — it's a working library). Free student-led walking tours cover the architecture. Central campus, near State Street.