[2024] Is Ann Arbor Worth Visiting? Yes! 5 Reasons You Should Visit.
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Is Ann Arbor worth visiting? Yes!
For my fellow city explorers coming to Michigan, I would strongly suggest coming to Ann Arbor-- and Detroit as well.
From Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, the largest international airport in Michigan, Ann Arbor is only about a 35 minute drive.
Ann Arbor has plenty for tourists to do. Definitely look for all the fairy doors in downtown. Check out Graffiti Alley. Explore Ann Arbor's exquisite and diverse food scene. Visit the esteemed University of Michigan campus. Go for a walk in The Arb.
I have a bit of a history with the city of Ann Arbor, having lived in downtown for two years while I was in college. Today, since I reside nearby, I still frequently visit the city.
As someone who has traveled to major cities all over the United States, I am delighted to provide you 5 compelling reasons as to why Ann Arbor is worth visiting in 2024!
[2024] Is Ann Arbor Worth Visiting? Yes! 5 Reasons You Should Visit...
The fairy doors
Whether you are traveling alone or with company, locating all the fairy doors in downtown Ann Arbor is a must-do activity!
The hunt for all the fairy doors is a DIY scavenger hunt-- and one of the most unique "things to do" I've ever recommended to do for any city in the United States!
Why are they called 'fairy' doors? It is because the doors are tiny-- around the size from the end of your thumb to your index finger. Thus, to someone who doesn't read my guide here, this incredibly fun activity is easy to miss!
As of September 2024, there are 14 fairy doors. Some of them are located outdoors and some are located indoors. The quantity and locations of all the fairy doors are subject to change, as businesses will sometimes shut down and new fairy doors will pop up in place of old ones.
The two fairy door images I shared earlier are both outdoors.
Below is a fairy door located indoors-- specifically the Youth Department inside the Ann Arbor District Library.
If you enjoy these free, no-tour-guide, DIY scavenger hunts, one other Michigan city you should definitely should check is Grand Rapids. The city has a few scavenger hunts just like the fairy doors in Ann Arbor!
Worked up an appetite after walking so much to find all the fairy doors? Well, you're in one of the best cities in the United States when it comes to diverse and amazing food, because...
Ann Arbor is a city for foodies
Just like Portland and New York-- Ann Arbor is a city for foodies.
Some nationalities for cuisine you'll find in Ann Arbor are Ethiopian, Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Middle Eastern. You'll find more common cuisine to American cities, such as Mexican and Italian, in Ann Arbor as well.
Two Ann Arbor restaurants have been featured on national television: Krazy Jim's Blimpie Burger and Tio's Mexican Cafe and Tequila Bar.
When it comes to the best restaurants in Ann Arbor, Krazy Jim's Blimpie Burger has been an Ann Arbor staple since the 1950s. The restaurant attracted the attention of chef and media personality Guy Fieri-- and there's even a photograph of him inside dining at the restaurant.
As for Tio's Mexican Cafe and Tequila Bar, their gigantic nacho dish named Mount Nacheesmo was featured on the Food Network television show Man V. Food.
Another notable Ann Arbor restaurant to check out is Zingerman's Deli in the Kerrytown district. The establishment is one of Ann Arbor's most famous restaurants-- one that even caught the attention of the New York Times. When you go there, I suggest you order their signature Zingerman's Reuben.
For a fun and engaging dining experience, go to the Blue Nile. It is an Ethiopian restaurant. Not only is the food great but what makes the dining experience so fun is that you are supposed to use your hands to eat the food. Customers use a spot spongey bread called injera to scoop up the food.
For my third point as to why Ann Arbor is worth visiting, we're checking out my favorite topic to write about...
Public art and murals in Ann Arbor
Similar to finding all the fairy doors, Ann Arbor has a self-guided mural tour you can embark on entitled A2AC Murals.
To start your journey locating the many murals throughout downtown Ann Arbor, you can either download the iPhone app CANVS Street Art or type A2AC Murals in Google Maps.
Here are two other murals I'm fond of that are part of the A2AC murals collection.
This next mural-- which is the tallest I've seen in downtown-- belongs to a separate collection called Treetown Murals.
It is located across the street from the Washtenaw County Courthouse. The mural is known by two names: 'Big Wall' and 'Challenge Everything. Create Anything'.
One can't bring up the subject of street art in Ann Arbor without mentioning Graffiti Alley. It's a free and visually stimulating attraction that every Ann Arbor visitor should totally check out!
Graffiti Alley sprung from rebellious origins. In 1999, the city of Ann Arbor commissioned an Ann Arbor artist to paint a mural in an effort to revitalize the formerly troubled city block. Reception to the mural was not positive and other artists spray painted over the mural.
In the years following, many other artists expanded on the defacing of the mural with their own graffiti. The area eventually become known as Graffiti Alley.
The entrance to Graffiti Alley is off E Liberty St, across the street from Necto nightclub.
My favorite sculpture in downtown Ann Arbor is on the University of Michigan campus. Colloquially known as 'The Cube', the sculpture's proper name is 'Endover', and is located nearby the Michigan Union.
As you can likely tell by the above image, The Cube rotates without stop on an edge. The speeds and direction of the rotations will vary throughout the day.
Speaking of the University of Michigan, exploring its campus is one of the most fun things to do in Ann Arbor...
Ann Arbor is home to one of the world's finest universities
The University of Michigan is often referred to as a "public Ivy". In 2023, the school had an acceptance rate as low as 20%. US News frequently ranks many of their undergraduate and graduate programs in the top 10.
As for famous commencement speakers, the University of Michigan has attracted some high profile names such as former U.S president Barack Obama, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Google co-founder Larry Page, and former First Lady and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
The football stadium, nicknamed 'The Big House', is the largest football stadium in the world.
There are two free museums for tourists to explore on the school's central campus: the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Some well-known landmarks to see on the central campus of Umich include Burton Memorial Tower and The Diag.
There is a large 'M' at the center of The Diag. Legend has it that if a student walks across the 'M' at the start of freshman year, they will fail their first exam.
A list of buildings that tourists will want to see on the University of Michigan campus are Angell Hall, the Law School, and the Ross School of Business.
The University of Michigan has one of the most charming college campuses in the United States.
By now, I hope you're convinced that Ann Arbor is worth visiting-- however, if you need one more point to persuade you, then you should know that...
Ann Arbor has things to do for nature lovers
Nichols Arboretum, or simply known as 'The Arb', is my personal favorite for outdoorsy attractions in Ann Arbor. Depending on the season you visit, you'll see different things in bloom. Summer and fall are the best seasons to visit. Winter-- not much of a point.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens has a collection of hiking trails adding up to about 4.3 miles long! Parks surrounding Huron River also have opportunities to hike.
The Huron River is a 130 mile long river which passes through Ann Arbor. Due to its length, the river provides residents and visitors to Ann Arbor some outdoors options-- the Huron River Water Trail being a hubspot for activities like canoeing and kayaking.
Being totally honest, I rarely come to Ann Arbor to do anything outdoorsy, but for those who are more fond of nature and want to temporarily escape the college town's youthful energy, Ann Arbor does have options!
Conclusion
So, of all the cities you can see in Michigan, is Ann Arbor worth visiting?
I certainly believe so! To recap, we covered locating all the fairy doors in downtown, the incredible food scene, the abundance of street art throughout downtown, things to see on the University of Michigan campus, and taking a walk through The Arb.
Have I convinced you that Ann Arbor is worth visiting this year? I sure hope so! If you ever end up visiting Ann Arbor, let me know what you thought of it!
Thank you for reading! Like... seriously. So many people just skim sh*t and don't read anything past the headline. You're one of the good ones!
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