Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor — Attraction in Ann Arbor

The Detroit Observatory is the second oldest building on the University of Michigan Campus. Built in the mid 19th century it was a big early investment in world class science research at the new U.S. higher education institution. The newly completed (2022) classroom and addition makes the space suitable for all sorts of events and classes. The original telescope hardware and infrastructure provide excellent insights to the tools that brought astronomy into a predictive field. Critical to the early history of the University of Michigan this is a great way to get a sense of the institution’s...

Just opened after years of renovations and the addition of a new annexe. Tours are going to start soon, but until then there's the Open night on Fridays. The students there are passionate and very knowledgeable and you get a fine sense of the history and use of the Observatory at the university. Scheduled time slots are assigned at entry for a look through the Fitz Telescope and depending on the various planetary and starry alignments in the season and ofcourse dependent on the light pollution from the nearby hospitals and residences, you can get to see the moon or other objects....

Very historic place. This is one of the oldest telescopes in North America. There's a free tour every Friday evening where you get to see celestial objects through the telescope. Staff/Volunteers are very friendly. If you are near Ann Arbor this is a must visit place if you are interested in history...