Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum 220 E. Ann St., Ann Arbor

734-995-KIDS (5437). Admission Charged

The museum, housed in a century-old firehouse, features over 250 interactive science and technology exhibits that appeal to both children and parents.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm.

Artrain 1100 N. Main St.

Ann Arbor

734-747-8300 Artrain is the nation’s only traveling art museum on a train and brings enjoyment, understanding, and awareness of visual art and other cultural exhibitions to diverse audiences.

Dates vary so call to find out when Artrain is in town.

Bixby Marionette Exhibit 141 E. Michigan Ave. (Saline Culture and Commerce Center)

Saline

734-429-4494

Admission Charged Permanent exhibit of marionettes handcrafted by longtime Saline resident Mr. Meredith Bixby, whose company of puppeteers performed nationwide between the 1930s and 1980s.

Call for exact times

Cobblestone Farm 2781 Packard Rd.

Ann Arbor

734-994-2928

Admission Charged Being restored and interpreted to reflect its mid-19th-century appearance, the museum provides a view of past rural life in Washtenaw County.

Call for exact times

David R. Byrd Center 3261 Lohr Rd.

Ann Arbor

734-761-1746.

Admission Free A restoration expert, Mr. Byrd was a charter member of the faculty at Washtenaw Community College and a renowned entrepreneur.

Open by appointment only.

Dexter Area Historical Museum 3443 Inverness St.

Dexter

734-426-2519 Admission Charged The museum, located in the former St. Andrew's United Church of Christ, built in 1883, houses displays, a genealogical library, local history library, and gift shop.

Call for exact times

Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center 16345 McClure Rd.

Chelsea

734-475-3170

Admission Charged, park permit required Geological samples from Michigan and the Midwest. Demonstrations, classes. Part of the Waterloo Recreation Area.

Gerald R. Ford Library 1000 Beal Ave.

Ann Arbor

734-741-2218

Admission Required The public is welcome to examine the original files of President Ford, his White House staff, and other government officials from the 1970s.

Open Mon-Fri 8:45am-4:45pm.

Historic Hack House Museum 775 County St.

Milan

734-439-7522

Admission Charged 1888 Queen Anne-style Hack House Museum features artifacts of Milan and 19th- and early 20th-century America.

Hours by appointment.

Kempf House Center for Local History 312 S. Division St.

Ann Arbor

734-994-4898

Admission Charged

Kempf House is an 1853 Greek Revival House Museum interpreting Ann Arbor history and Victorian lifestyles from circa 1850 to 1910.

Weekend and group tours by arrangement.

Michigan Antique Equipment Preservation Group Museum 110 W. Cross St.

Ypsilanti

734-547-0663

Admission Charged

Mon-Thur 9am-noon, first & second Sun 2pm-5pm, and by appointment Located in Ypsilanti's former Fire Hall, this museum displays fire memorabilia and antique and restored fire engines.

Rentschler Farm Museum 1265 E. Michigan Ave., Saline

734-429-4494

Admission Charged

Open Sat, May to early Oct, 11am-3pm. Closed holiday weekends. Tour Emanuel Rentschler's farm, purchased in 1904 at auction. See everything from the house and outbuildings to machines and tools. Children can enjoy the animals and help with harvesting the garden vegetables.

RM Classic Cars 5 W. Forest St.,

Ypsilanti

734-547-2400

Admission Free North America's leading dealer in fine classic automobiles. Showroom display features 50s and 60s collectible autos, muscle cars, and true classics from the pre-World War II era. Inquiries about restoration services welcome.

Call for hours of operation

Saline Depot Museum 402 N. Ann Arbor St.,

Saline

734-429-4494

Admission Charged Railroads were fast and dependable. They carried produce, livestock, mail, and passengers, and they brought prosperity to towns along the tracks. This museum tells the story of the role the railroad played in allowing Saline to prosper.

Open Sat. except holiday weekends, 11am-3pm.

U of M Bentley Historical Library 1150 Beal Ave.

Ann Arbor

734-764-3482

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Sat, Sept-April, 9am-12:30pm.

Admission Free Research facility on U of M's North Campus contains the Michigan Historical Collections, as well as U of M's archives.

U of M Clements Library 909 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor

734-764-2347 Admission Free

Exhibits open weekdays 1-4:45pm, Reading Room open 9-11:45am, 1-4:45pm. Displays include manuscripts and many primary sources for early American history, dating from 1492 to the end of the 19th century.

U of M Exhibit Museum of Natural History and Planetarium 1109 Geddes Ave.

Ann Arbor

734-763-6085 Admission Charged.

Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm.

This museum on the U of M campus houses the state's largest collection of dinosaur skeletons. Displays explore our natural history with special attention to Michigan's prehistoric past. The planetarium has a 360-degree domed screen that surrounds the audience. Several stargazing shows on the weekends.

U of M Kelsey Museum of Archaeology 434 S. State St.

Ann Arbor

734-764-9304 Admission Charged

Open Tues-Fri 9am- 4pm, Sat and Sun 1-4pm.

This historic building houses nearly 100,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, and Rome.

U of M Museum of Art 525 S. State St.

Ann Arbor

734-764-0395 Admission Charged

Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Thur 10am-9pm, Sun noon-5pm.

Contains nearly 14,000 works of art from throughout the world. Highlights include paintings by Picasso, Whistler, and Monet; photography by Ansel Adams, and a world-class collection of Asian art and antiquities.

U of M Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry 1011 N. University Ave

Ann Arbor

734-763-0767 Admission Charged

Hours are 8am-6pm daily. Closed most major holidays.

Housed within the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, this is one of only a handful of museums throughout the world devoted to preserving the history of the dental profession. There are over 6,000 items in the collection representing the dental technology from the late 1700s through the 1960s.

U of M Stearns Musical Collection 1100 Baits Dr., Ann Arbor

734-763-4389 Admission Charged

Call for hours of operation More than 2,000 musical instruments have been acquired since Frederick Stearns donated the original collection in 1899, making this one of the largest, most distinctive collections from around the world.

U of M Towsley Sports Museum Schembechler Hall, 1000 S. State St., Ann Arbor

734-647-2583

Admission Charged

Mon-Fri 11am-4pm. Captures the tradition and spirit of over 100 years of athletic competition at the U of M with exhibits of Michigan athletes as part of the Rose Bowl, Big Ten Championship competitions, and U.S. Olympic teams.

Washtenaw County Historical Society Museum on Main Street 500 N. Main St., Ann Arbor

734-662-9092 Admission Charged

Wed, Sat, Sun, noon-4pm and by appointment. The Museum on Main Street (MOMS), in a restored 1839 house, tells the history of Washtenaw County from the Indians and first settlers to the present through changing exhibits from the vast collections of the Washtenaw County Historical Society.

Waterloo Historical Society Farm Museum 9998 Waterloo-Munith Rd.

Chelsea

517- 596-2254

Admission Charged

Wed-Sun 1-5pm. Depicting life in early settlement times, this museum transports you back to rural farm life.

Yankee Air Museum Willow Run Airport, I-94 Exit 190 N (Belleville Rd.)

Ypsilanti

Wed-Sun 1-5pm.

734-483-4030 Admission Charged

Southeastern Michigan aviation history is on display in a historic hangar that played a major role in producing the famous B-24 bombers during World War II.

Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection & Miller Motors Hudson 100 E. Cross St.

Ypsilanti

734-482-5200 Admission Charged

Mon-Fri 1:30-5:30pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm.

Features automobiles and parts suppliers that were Ypsilanti products. Learn about the role Ypsilanti and its pioneers played in the history of the automobile. See actual vehicles of a bygone era; study the signs and records of early area auto dealers.

Ypsilanti Historical Museum 220 N. Huron St.

Ypsilanti

734-482-4990

Admission Charged

Open Thur, Sat, Sun 2pm-4pm. Archives Mon, Wed, Fri 9am-noon. Elegant 1860 brick mansion with several exhibit rooms furnished in true Victorian style from 19th-century Ypsilanti.

Nearby Attractions:

Birch Run Outlet Shops Exit 136 off I-75

517- 624-9193

Admission Free Over 175 outlet shops; fast food and sit-down restaurants; wilderness animal park, mini golf, bumper boats, go carts, and much more!

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland 25 Christmas Ln., Frankenmuth

517- 652-9931. 1-800-ALL-YEAR (recorded information)

Admission Free World's largest Christmas store. A shopper's dream!

Open 361 days a year in Frankenmuth, "Michigan's Little Bavaria".

Sports and Recreation

College Sports

University of Michigan Ticket office 764-0247 Sports information 647-2583

Eastern Michigan University Ticket office 487-2282 Sports information 487-0317

Pro Sports

Enjoy professional sports just 45 minutes away. Tickets: Michigan Union Ticket Office, 503 S. State St., 763-8587;

Detroit Lions football (313) 262-2006 Detroit Pistons basketball (248) 377-0100 Detroit Tigers baseball (313) 962-4000 Detroit Red Wings hockey (313) 983-6606 Detroit Vipers hockey (248) 377-0100 Detroit Rockers soccer (734) 427-6017

Wilderness Archery 297 N. Maple Rd., Ann Arbor, 913-6283. Archery range and pro shop. Servicing the beginning to the advanced archer.

Auto Racing

Milan Dragway 10860 Plank Rd., Milan, 439-7368. Features sand drag races and bracket races. Variety of racing events, including junior racing, nostalgia days, RAM Chargers, Harley drags, and invitationals.

Automobile races Sat-Sun; motorcycle races Friday nights, April to October.

Bicycling and Jogging

The Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department has maps illustrating the paths available for bicyclers and joggers on the 6th floor of City Hall,

100 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor

994-2780.

Gallup Park 3000 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, 662-9319. Canoe, paddleboat, and bike rentals. Walking trails, snacks, fishing supplies, and live bait.

Spring Valley Trout Farm 12190 Island Lake Rd.,

Dexter, 426-4772. Family fishing in a 20-acre park setting. Rainbow trout or catfish. Equipment furnished, fish cleaned, catch guaranteed.

Arbor Dome Morgan Rd. between Carpenter Rd. and Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, 434-DOME. 33,600 sq.ft. indoor golf range offering putting green, pro shop, 34 individual tees, clinics and lessons, PGA staff, and climate-controlled conditions for year-round golfing.

Augusta Pines Golf Center 7171 Willis Rd., Ypsilanti, 485-7888. 18-hole, pitch and putt with driving range. 9-hole, par 3, 830 yds. 9-hole pitch-putt, par 3.

Hiking

Nichols Arboretum Entrances off of Geddes Ave., Washington Hgts., and Nichols Dr., 998-9540. James D. Reader Jr. Urban Environmental Education Center, 1610 Washington Hgts 123-acre natural area serves as an educational and research facility for the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor schools. Numerous trails allow visitors to investigate the plant collections.

Horseback Riding

Hell Creek Ranch 10866 Cedar Lake Rd., Pinckney, 734- 878-3632. Horseback riding, camping, canoeing, lessons, and horse boarding.

Maybury Riding Stable 20303 Beck Rd., Northville, 248-347-1088.

Ann Arbor Parks

Argo Park 1055 Longshore Dr., Ann Arbor, 668-7411. 32.8-acre park along the Huron River features canoes, rowboats, ice-cold drinks, and fishing; canoe packages also available.

Buhr Park 2751 Packard Rd., Ann Arbor, 971-3228. Swimming pool, Cobblestone Farm, ice skating, in-line skating facility, play area, tennis courts, softball diamonds, and restrooms.

Gallup Park 3000 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, 662-9319. Paddleboats, canoes, kayaks, bicycle rentals, fishing supplies, paved nature trails, picnic shelter, and restrooms.

Rock Climbing

Planet Rock 82 Aprill Dr., Ann Arbor, 827-2680.

Admission Charged Unique terrain caters to complete novices and seasoned pros alike. Ages 5-95 are challenged by the quick and easy routes as well as tough competition grades.

Mon-Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm.

Extreme Sports Palace 7275 Joy Rd., Dexter, 424-9705. This 24,000 sq. ft. facility features two extreme-skating areas, one for beginning skaters and one for more advanced skaters.

Phone for hours of operation.

Cross Country Skiing

Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department has a number of areas for cross-country skiing free of charge.

Call 994-2780 for more information.

Downhill Skiing

There are several downhill slopes within 30 minutes of Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor Ski Club 761-3419