A museum for all

Video by Marc-Grégor Campredon

The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History is a welcoming space for learning, serving both the campus and broader community. Docents help visitors engage with science through special hands-on demonstrations, making exploration interactive and accessible. Donor support plays a crucial role in ensuring the museum remains inclusive, providing opportunities for children like Pearl, who has cortical visual impairment, to experience science through touch and sound. By fostering accessibility and hands-on learning, the museum empowers all visitors to discover and connect with the wonders of science.​

Other year-round favorites include:

• High-tech planetarium and dome theater
• “Under the Microscope” interactive journey through life’s building blocks
• “Exploring Michigan” gallery with life-size dioramas and hands-on activities
• Twenty-five-foot pterosaur model suspended high in the building’s atrium
• “Tree of Life” interactive, multimedia display, illustrating connections among all living things
• Fossil Prep Lab, where visitors see real fossils prepared for study and display
• Research stations offering the latest findings from U‑M scientists
• “Investigate Labs,” where visitors take an active role in scientific inquiry

The museum also offers unique programming throughout the year and many educational opportunities for the greater Southeast Michigan community, from school group visits to in-school outreach.