Walking Tour: Creating Michigan: Key Moments in U-M’s Early History
Explore the first 70 years of U-M history, from the University’s Native American land accession and its origins in Detroit in 1817 to its...
Telescope Observing
Join us to observe the night sky with the 1857 Fitz telescope and our collection of modern instruments....
Saturday Open House
Make the Observatory part of your weekend! Tour the historic building, view our exhibits, participate in astronomy activities, and view the...
Walking Tour: Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism at the University of Michigan
U-M has long been home to activism, and this walking tour will visit historically significant locations where you will learn about protests...
Telescope Observing
Join us to observe the night sky with the 1857 Fitz telescope and our collection of modern instruments....
Walking Tour: Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies at Michigan
Dive into the stories that have shaped the African American experience at the University of Michigan. We’ll learn about the pioneering...
Telescope Observing
Every Friday night. All are invited to drop in to use the Observatory’s 1857 Fitz telescope and other modern instruments. Exhibits are...
Vintage Victors: Historic U-M Football Films at the Observatory
Kick off this year's season by going back in time with vintage U-M football films on the Observatory's 14-foot video screen and a...
Telescope Observing
Every Friday night. All are invited to drop in to use the Observatory’s 1857 Fitz telescope and other modern instruments. Exhibits are...
Cake and Ice Cream: Creating a Sense of Belonging at U-M Student Banquets in the Early 20th Century
Dr. Lisa Young
Dorm dinners and late night snacks with friends and roommates have been a major part of the college experience for generations of students....
Walking Tour: Forest Hill Cemetery
Join us on a trek through history at the Forest Hill Cemetery! This walking tour will take you through Ann Arbor’s past, covering local...
Telescope Observing
Every Friday night. All are invited to drop in to use the Observatory’s 1857 Fitz telescope and other modern instruments. Exhibits are...
Exhibit Opening: “Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan
Join us for the opening reception of “Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan, a new exhibit at the Judy &...
Telescope Observing
Every Friday night. All are invited to drop in to use the Observatory’s 1857 Fitz telescope and other modern instruments. Exhibits are...
Full Moon Festival
For many cultures across East Asia, family and friends come together for the mid-autumn Full Moon with festivities, delicious food, and good...
Walking Tour: Creating Michigan: Key Moments in U-M’s Early History
Explore the first 70 years of U-M history, from the University’s Native American land accession and its origins in Detroit in 1817 to its...
Walking Tour: Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies at Michigan
Dive into the stories that have shaped the African American experience at the University of Michigan. We’ll learn about the pioneering...
Michigan and the American Civil War: A Conversation with Historian Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
The American Civil War was a bloody four-year conflict that not only ended slavery in the United States, but fundamentally changed the...
Walking Tour: The Origins of the Law Quadrangle
Many associate the architecture of the University of Michigan Law Quadrangle with the Renaissance, the Ivy League, or even Hogwarts. While...
Walking Tour: Creating Michigan: Key Moments in U-M’s Early History
Explore the first 70 years of U-M history, from the University’s Native American land accession and its origins in Detroit in 1817 to its...
Walking Tour: Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism at the University of Michigan
U-M has long been home to activism, and this walking tour will visit historically significant locations where you will learn about protests...
Walking Tour: Forest Hill Cemetery
Join us on a trek through history at the Forest Hill Cemetery! This walking tour will take you through Ann Arbor’s past, covering local...
Walking Tour: Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies at Michigan
Dive into the stories that have shaped the African American experience at the University of Michigan. We’ll learn about the pioneering...
Walking Tour: Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies at Michigan
Dive into the stories that have shaped the African American experience at the University of Michigan. We’ll learn about the pioneering...
Walking Tour: Forest Hill Cemetery
Join us on a trek through history at the Forest Hill Cemetery! This walking tour will take you through Ann Arbor’s past, covering local...
Bio
Built in 1854, astronomers at the University of Michigan's Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory used its cutting-edge telescopes to help transform the university into a world-class research institution. Located on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, it's now open to the public, a museum where visitors can get their hands on history and view the night sky using the same instruments used to make major discoveries in the 1800s.
