Great place to have a wedding or a big family get toghter. Plenty of space and very pretty landscaperead more

A few minor downsides first: The museum's website isn't terribly informative about when the museum…read moreor the general complex of buildings is open. I spoke to a park employee when I was there and still wasn't able to get a straight answer. I did find out that if you want to set up a program for kids where they learn about pioneer life, including churning their own butter, then you have to make arrangements ahead of time, and that makes sense. It seems you can wander the grounds and look at the barn and the gardens and the outside of the various buildings from dawn to dusk in good weather. I'm still not clear on whether the museum has regular hours or if you have to call ahead to arrange a tour, though. The nice park employee I spoke to, though, did give me a full tour of one of the auxiliary buildings, between the museum and the barn. They have a really nice hall here that's often rented for weddings and wedding receptions, and they have a whole album of photos you can look at to see people who have used it before. The reception hall is up a flight of stairs, but they have an elevator for handicapped access. I loved this place and plan to go back to explore some more. I may have to borrow a friend's kid for a day and take him or her to one of the programs because they sound like a lot of fun.

The summer festival is back! A three week community celebration with evening performances on two…read moreoutdoor stages, and a ticketed indoor venue. Kids activities, a family tent with cornhole, demonstrations, and free bike tune-ups on Weds. Held on UM campus by the clock tower. Drinks and food for purchase available on site.

As free summer festivals go, Ann Arbor has one of the best. With events nearly every evening all…read morethroughout June and into early July, it's one festival that you won't want to miss! I was able to visit several times with friends, and we always ended up wandering to the "Top of the Park" where we would away to upbeat music and enjoy some delicious food. Everyone seems to congregate here, so it's not uncommon to bump into other friends and see your party grow as the night wears on. We would find ourselves talking, eating, dancing, and laughing late into the night and after the stars had already appeared on more than one occasion. I was sad that the festival wasn't longer but am already looking forward to next year and more summer nights under the stars at the top of the park!

I enjoyed Taste of Ann Arbor but there are legitimate criticisms of it having really long lines. I…read moreavoided the crowds by getting there early. I bought tickets when the festival started at 11:00 AM and hardly anyone was there. I walked through the entire festival and ordered what I wanted between 11:00 AM and 11:45 AM. It starts to get very crowded by noon. By that time it looked like you'd have to wait an hour in each line to get anything to eat. I left soon after it got busy. At $1.00 per ticket, the festival is an excellent deal to get a sampling of all the restaurants along Main Street. I spent $40 on tickets and was able to order quite a lot including main dishes, dessert, an alcoholic beverage, and pastries to go. Despite its flaws Taste of Ann Arbor is worth attending. Just get there in the morning and your experience will be better than those having to wait in long lines in the afternoon.

My friend and I had a wonderful evening here! The live music added a great vibe to the event,…read morethough it was a little loud if you had to stand by the speakers when waiting for food. There is a huge variety of food, from ice cream to pretzels to Mediterranean food to tacos to Indian food to Jamaican food to fried chicken and waffles. There was something for literally everyone. The crowd was in great spirits, and the lines were fairly evenly-dispersed, so there was never too long of a wait. There isn't a ton of seating, but it was just enough and no one had to wait to sit and eat. It was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to go back next year!

My boyfriend and I sold our football tickets this past weekend and decided to go on a tour of all…read morethings fall in Michigan this weekend! We wanted to do a hayride, pumpkin patch, and corn maze (peak fall activities!) and this place had all 3 things! I was very impressed with the prices- $16 per adult. That included the corn maize, hay ride, and small farm. I will say, make sure to have cash because this place (along with the Dexter Cider Mill which is just down the road from here) is cash only. They do have an ATM machine on the property, but you do have to pay a convenience fee. The corn maze is a lot of fun and there are options to exit in 3 different places if you don't want to go through the whole thing. I wasn't sure how hard it would be, but it proved to be pretty challenging! We got stuck in a loop for probably 10 minutes lol and the whole thing took a little over an hour. There are 8 number signs that you follow throughout the maze which are clearly posted and even have the QR code to a map if you get lost. Me and my boyfriend kept commenting how fun (but scary) a haunted corn maze here would be! We asked the staff if they ever hosted any haunted events and they told us not right now, but maybe in the future. I think that would be awesome and for what it's worth, I would be the FIRST one to come if they made a haunted hayride or corn maze! The hayride was ~20 minutes and took us on the side of the corn maze and pumpkin patch and through a small loop in the woods. It was a great ride to relax after going through the maze for over an hour. Lastly, the pre-picked pumpkin patch towards the entrance of the space was so cute! The prices were amazing- $1 for 2 small pumpkins/gourds and $3-$5 for pumpkins depending on their size. We paid $4 for 5 pumpkins (3 small pumpkins, 1 small gourd, and a larger one to paint). These days, pumpkins at the grocery store are SO expensive so this was so nice, especially for small families and kids who want their own pumpkin. As I had mentioned above, it is also a 4 minute drive from the Dexter Cider Mill as well so make a stop there on your way home! They do sell concessions- donuts, cider, and lots of food here at Blast, but I'd recommend taking the short drive to a classic cider mill well-known in Michigan for their cider and donuts! I appreciated that this place wasn't as commercialized as other places in Michgan (Wiards, etc.). It was fun to be surrounded by a variety of people- young families, kids, other couples, and even other college students. There was something for everyone to do and all the staff were so friendly and helpful! Easily lots to do here and can be a whole day activity! We were here for ~2 hours but could've spent longer if we had walked around more. We will be coming back and think this place would be a fun tradition to come to each fall, especially since they change their maze every year so it will always be a challenge!

We have been coming for years. Definitely one of our favorite places. The kids love the activities…read moreand the prices for picking up pumpkins is decent. Would highly recommend.

I love it here! 1920s movie palace with an original Barton pipe organ that is still played prior to…read moresome showings and events. There is still the vintage exterior box office, a large marquee, and a traditional concession stand layout with modern offerings. The main auditorium has so much character and wonderful, sumptuous design details! The secondary screening room is larger than I expected, has comfortable seating and decent sound. The Michigan hosts a mix of first run, repertory, independent, and experimental programming, including service as the main theater for the annual Ann Arbor Film Festival.

The Michigan Theater is genuinely one of my favorite places in Ann Arbor. Watching movies here…read morefeels special every single time. Whether it's a new release or seeing classics like Star Wars, LOTR, or The Big Lebowski on the big screen, the experience is incredible. The theater itself is breathtaking too. Around 1600 seats, the balcony, the chandelier, and the nearly 100-year-old organ that rises up before the movie starts while someone plays it live. It honestly feels magical in a way that no modern theater does anymore. Even just seeing the marquee glowing outside at night feels iconic. The whole place has this timeless energy to it that makes going to the movies feel important again. Whenever someone asks me my favorite place in Ann Arbor, this is my answer.

What a cool experience! I like these small yet interesting museums and the Michigan Firehouse…read moreMuseum fit in my wheelhouse. This one was recommended by a firemen in the City I work and I'm glad he suggested it. If you are intrigued by loud and screaming mostly red but sometimes yellow fire trucks like I am coming here was pretty good. The building is a mix of new and old. The new part of the building is a modern looking building and contains most of the apparatus. The older portion is an old fire house that has everything from the pole the firemen came down on to the horse drawn carriages used in the beginning. There are quite a few apparatuses to look at as well as badges and patches of Michigan fire departments. Back in the corner there is a portion of the wall dedicated to the manufacturers of fire trucks (name plates) that I thought took some time and effort. Definitely worth a visit, cost was cheap.

Can I gush, just a little bit, about how well my adopted hometown does with its historical museums?…read moreIn the last few weeks, I have been bowled over by first the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection, followed by the Ypsilanti Historical Museum in the Asa Dow house, and now the Firehouse Museum. All three are fan-freaking-tastic, at least if you're geeky in that way, which I am. The Michigan Firehouse Museum is housed partially in what was once an Ypsilanti Firehouse, though there's a larger expansion attached to it now. The main showroom contains fire trucks from a variety of eras from all over Michigan. Most of the examples are from southeast Michigan, but I was also enchanted to find an example of a 1950s or 1960s-era firetruck that was originally used in the Upper Peninsula town of Escanaba where I was born and raised. In addition to the firetrucks, there are displays of fire men's caps, badges, and other paraphernalia. The main room also contains a collection of firehouse bells, both full sized and smaller salesmen models. You or your kids can ring them with a wooden mallet so you can hear the different tones. This brings me to the coolest aspect of the museum- there are a variety of hands-on displays. Most museums have a "Look but don't touch" policy, and while that's understandable, it's really fun to be able to touch at least some of the exhibits. The Firehouse Museum has at least four exhibits that I noticed with a hands-on component. In addition to the bells, there are a couple of places where adults or kids can try on firemen's gear, and in the basement, there's an area where kids are invited to learn to tie knots. In addition, the basement also houses one firetruck that's available for touching. You can climb right into the driver's seat if you like. Upstairs in the larger building, there are several auxiliary displays featuring firefighter kitsch, a tribute to firehouse dogs, and a small Smokey the Bear display. There's also a video on a loop and chairs if you want to see a guy explaining the various parts of the fire engines and how they work. The part of the museum that was once an old firehouse holds really old gear, including horse-drawn hose carts. Upstairs, you can see how the firefighters of old lived. There's a restored kitchen and a sleeping quarters, in addition to the firepole. Almost the entire museum is handicapped accessible. The sleeping quarters at the very top of the museum is up a short flight of stairs, but the rest of the building is accessible by elevator. As if all that wasn't enough, there's an extensive collection of firefighter and Dalmatian merchandise that can be purchased, and there's even a Brave Fireman videogame and a firefighter-themed pinball machine in the lobby. This place would be absolutely fabulous for kids. The next time I have my nieces and nephews for a day, I plan to suggest an outing here.

I love this apple orchard. It is a hidden gem tucked away on a side road near saline. A lot of…read moreapple orchards are overly commercial, overly crowded and overly manicured (paved roads, neat signs, orderly rows etc). If you want a silly theme park feeling (hay rides and cider and all that) this will not be the orchard for you. If you prefer something a little closer to what a Michigan Orchard is and was, you will love it here. This place is a little older, a little wilder and far less crowded than most UPick Orchards, giving is a "secret garden" kind of feel. I love that you can wander through the orchard without tripping over people and that you can experiment with an assortment of apples of all shapes sizes and flavors (who cares what it is called, take a bite, find out and if you are curious ask Bill and he will tell you all about it). This orchard has more varieties of apples than I have ever seen before including rare heritage breeds (Wolf River, and Snow Apple for example) and some of the newer apples that we are all familiar with (no Gala yet, but I think they are coming), he also has a few Quince and Asian Pear trees. Upick apples are $8 a half peck. They keep the spray to a minimum, so these apples look a little less pretty than normal, but are probably better for you. He also has honey and will sell apples by the tree - you buy the rights to an entire apple tree at the beginning of the year and reap the rewards come fall (great for gifts!). Also, for people interested in picking apples this year - they have arrived early this year all across MI and Ontario, so you better get out there soon, or there may be none left!

When we first arrived at the barn on Macon Road, I stepped out of the car to ask for instructions…read more The woman tending the barn was engaged in a personal conversation, and I politely interrupted to ask if this is the location where we would be picking. She seemed slightly annoyed, and said yes, and that she would be with us "shortly." After another two minutes had passed and we had already gotten my 18 month old daughter out of her car seat, we were eventually told that we needed to drive another mile down the road to pick. Not off to a great start... Upon arriving in the orchard, there were no employees or signs to guide us or explain any of the available apple varieties. I found it interesting that the few other customers we saw already had standard orchard bags, which apparently had not been offered to us at the barn. The actual picking was not good either, as many of the apples were very high up and out of reach. After some time we were able to accumulate a fair amount of apples, however, and drove back to the barn to pay. The woman who had so pleasantly greeted us earlier then seemed confused as to why we did not have one of the proprietary half-bushel bags, When I calmly said I didn't think a bag had been offered, she not only criticized me for not listening, but raised her voice and demanded that we pay $20 for an entire bushel. When I suggested we transfer the apples from my bag to one of her standard bags, she was resistant and outright disrespectful. I have never witnessed such poor customer service at another apple orchard, or any self-respecting business for that matter. All of these problems could likely have been avoided with a few simple signs to provide direction, which would be much more efficient than relying on verbal communication. That being said, my family will never return to this orchard due to the blatant lack of respect with which we were treated.

****They moved locations to 3261 Lohr Road, Ann Arbor, MI. ****…read more Yesterday, we visited The African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County (AACHM). My husband found it and what a gem it is! They are currently showcasing art by sophomores in a local high school (Huron HS). Their project was to showcase African American history and they did it through art themes of Unity, Peace amidst Chaos, Community, Adversity, Music, Adinkra symbols, Struggle, and Honor. I was amazed at their artistic skills and depth of interpretation of their feelings. The most exciting part is this Museum offers a tour of part of the Ann Arbor Underground Railroad Sites and Black History! We can't wait to do this! I love and am always so encouraged to see the resilience African Americans have shown in calamity and the hope they showcase that can only be found in God's strength. The employee was very nice and helpful! I highly recommend coming here to learn!!

Excuse me, but how is it that no one has reviewed this yet??? It is one of AA's gems…read more The foundational exhibit of this organization is actually not a place, or a thing, but an experince. They do a Journey to Freedom bus tour where you visit undergroud railroad spots (complete with crawling into hidden rooms) includng the building where Michigan abolishionists oporated a hidden press to publish anti-slavery newspapers. The tour includes spots Yspi and Pittsfield Township where the stationmasters are buried as well. They have tours of the historic home where the musuem is located as well, though this is decidedly less dynamic. I heard from a student that when she was in high school the musuem did a whole program for them at the school for AA history month, this seems to the musuem's main baliwick, other than the bus tours. Recently the musuem has been hosting jazz dinners, I think as a fundraiser. I haven't been but a friend went and said it was "lovely."