For directions from the hotel, click here
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
MAY
19-20, 26-27
Planetarium Show: The Sky Tonight: Star Talk
19 & 26
Planetarium Show: Expanded View
19-20, 26-27
Free Dinosaur Tours!
19
Butterfly Festival
19 & 26
Planetarium Show: Larry Cat in Space
20, 26-27
Eye Dissection: A Hands-On Demonstration
20 & 27
Planetarium Show: Origins of Life
JUNE
01
Fun Friday Night at the Museum
02-03, 09-10, 16-17, 23-24 & 30
DNA: The Source Code: A Hands-On Demonstration
02, 09, 16, 23 & 30
Planetarium Show: Larry Cat in Space
02-03, 09-10, 16-17, 23-24 & 30
Planetarium Show: The Sky Tonight: Star Talk
02-03, 09-10, 16-17, 23-24 & 30
Free Dinosaur Tours!
02, 09, 16, 23 & 30
Planetarium Show: Expanded View
03, 10, 17 & 24
Planetarium Show: Origins of Life
12-13
Understanding Race Project June Community Meeting
ANNUAL EVENTS:
I.D. Day: Information tables with hands-on specimens and artifacts are staffed by experts from the U-M Paleontology, Anthropology and Zoology research museums and the surrounding community who answer questions and identify objects for the public.
- Check back for the October 2012 date
Discovery Days: Discover hands-on activities, special guests, demonstrations, craft activities and other opportunities to learn about a special topic at twice-annual Discovery Days.
- Dinosaur Discovery Day: Saturday, December 03, 2011
- Vital Signs: Health Discovery Day: Saturday, March 24, 2012
Behind the Scenes Day: Once a year we open the doors to the collections so visitors can see how the University of Michigan's world-class natural science collections are stored and studied. Meet curators, collection managers and University students in the Museum of Anthropology, Paleontology and Zoology. Recommended for children over 6 accompanied by an adult.
- Sunday, February 12, 2012
Butterfly Festival: See live butterflies and learn about the life cycle and lifestyles of butterflies at this enjoyable spring event. Help with planting in the Museum's Butterfly and Pollinator Garden, and make a craft to take home!
- Saturday, May 19, 2012
In the Rotunda Lobby:
The Invisible World of Mites
Through April 30, 2012
Does dust make you sneeze? You might not realize it, but many dust allergies are caused by dust mites. Mites are tiny insects that live all around us. There is plenty we don't know about mites because a microscope is usually needed to see them. Through April, you can learn more about mites at the Exhibit Museum in "The Invisible World of Mites." The exhibit features a large panel display and a video kiosk highlighting the research of U-M biologist Barry O'Connor. Professor O'Connor is Curator of Insects and Arachnids in the Insect Division of the U-M Museum of Zoology and Professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He has been studying the evolution and lifestyles of mites for several decades, and is particularly interested in how mites co-evolve with other organisms. Find out exactly how dust mites cause allergies in humans. Discover the whole sickening story!
Fourth Floor Rear Gallery:
Explore Evolution
Ongoing
- Charles Wood on the rapid evolution of HIV
- Edward Theriot and Sherilyn Fritz on the emergence of a new diatom species in the fossil record
- Cameron Currie on fungus-growing ants and their co-evolving partners
- Kenneth Kaneshiro on sexual selection among Hawaiian flies
- Rosemary and Peter Grant on Galapagos finches
- Svante Paabo on the genetic ties between humans and chimps
- Philip Gingerich on fossil discoveries of walking whales
Interactive exhibits give visitors an opportunity to experience aspects of the research conducted by the scientists.
Fourth Floor Temporary Gallery:
Archaeology! Current Research in the U-M Museum of Anthropology
Ongoing
Archaeological research by curators, research scientists and affiliated students of the U-M Museum of Anthropology encompasses the full scope of human cultural evolution from our earliest tool-making hominid ancestors to the more recent emergence of ancient states and historic empires. Today's archaeologist makes use of a wide variety of scientific methods and techniques to recover and study material remains in order to ask questions about how human societies developed, lived and changed over the last 2.5 million years. This exhibition features ongoing research by U-M archaeologists to examine the kinds of questions that contemporary archaeologists ask about the past and the techniques that they use to answer them. Among the many topics featured in this exhibition are: recent archaeological research under Lake Huron, studies of the remains of 19th century Ann Arbor, excavations of ancient village communities in northern Arizona, the analysis of ancient ceramics from Asia and Mesopotamia, and how archaeologists study the diets of ancient peoples.
At the U-M Shapiro Library:
Water and You
Through April 30, 2012
Water is in the news as increasing numbers of people around the globe face water scarcity, water-borne diseases and political conflicts over water. Here in the Great Lakes basin, water is abundant but threatened by pollution, invasive species and more. Learn some water basics and find out what you can do to help protect our most precious resource, water. Co-sponsored by the Winter 2011 LSA Theme Semester on WATER and Michigan Sea Grant
PERMANENT EXHIBITS:
The Hall of Evolution - on the Museum's second floor houses Michigan's largest display of prehistoric life. Over 600 million years of life on Earth are traced through fossils, models and dioramas. Here you can find dinosaur, prehistoric whales, mastodons and more.
The Michigan Wildlife Gallery - on the third floor has a large collection of native Great Lakes birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, with taxidermy mounts, habitat scenes, and the largest mastodon trackway on display in the world. There are also displays about some of the environmental problems we face in this region today.
The Anthropology Displays - on the fourth floor feature artifacts from human cultures aroudn the world
The Geology Displays - on the fourth floor offer a large selection of rocks, minerals and gems.
ONLINE EXHIBITS:
While nothing compares to seeing the size of our Mastodon skeletons in person, you can still explore the natural world through our on-line exhibits. These presentations highlight some of our most prominent displays and provide supplemental material to enhance a live visit to the Museum. New on-line exhibits will be added to this page in the future.
