Looking for something new to do? Here are new and tried and true destinations that have recently opened in metro Detroit.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens (Ann Arbor)
Matthaei Botanical Gardens display gardens and interior spaces are now open to the public. Explore the variety of garden spaces and let your kids have hands-on fun in the Gaffield Children’s Garden. Kids can build with natural materials in the builder’s garden, wend their way through a maze, discover magical creatures in a fairy and troll knoll, or just get their hands dirty in a digging pit or playing in the mud garden. Admission is FREE but pre-registration is required.
Museum of Natural History (Ann Arbor)
The Museum of Natural History at the University of Michigan offers three stories of breath-taking exhibits featuring life-size dinosaur fossils, natural life and a planetarium. The museum is open on Sundays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm and pre-registration is required.
Belle Isle Aquarium (Detroit)
The Belle Isle Aquarium is back! Take a trip to the timeless Michigan State Park to check out the oldest aquarium in the country. The aquarium is open Fridays – Sundays.
Outdoor Adventure Center (Detroit)
At the OAC, you’ll learn about how the DNR manages state parks, forests, wildlife and fish as you climb the roots and explore the canopy of a massive bur oak tree, hop aboard a real airplane, and see what’s swimming in the aquarium. The two-story interactive museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Ford House Visitor Center (Grosse Pointe Shores)
The new 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Visitor Center features a permanent interactive museum exhibit, indoor and outdoor class room space and a restaurant featuring a picnic to-go option. The Ford House and grounds are always beautiful to explore but the new museum feature is a must for families.
iFLY Detroit (Novi)
iFLY offers an indoor skydiving experience that is safe and fun for kids as young as three! There’s no jumping or no falling, just floating on a column of air. The new amusement center opens in Novi in July.
Normandy Oaks (Royal Oak)
Normandy Oaks is a new 40-acre park in Royal Oak that features a splash pad, pavilion, restrooms, soccer fields, sledding hill, paved and natural surface trails and a new playground. It’s the perfect place to play with easy parking and it’s all FREE!
River Bends Park (Shelby Township)
River Bends Park has an all-inclusive playground is designed with all kids in mind, including those with special needs. The rubberized surface allows for better accessibility to wheelchairs and walkers while providing a safe area for all ages to play.
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Trenton)
Explore nature at the only international wildlife refuge in North America. The newly finished John D. Dingell Visitor Center is now open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm! After you check out the inside, explore the Humbug Marsh trails and Detroit River fishing pier.
Michigan Firehouse Museum (Ypsilanti)
The Michigan Firehouse Museum in Ypsilanti is now open Thursdays through Sundays. Walk through the restored firehouse and check out 25 changing exhibits of antique fire trucks and early fire rigs, multiple displays of historic artifacts including tools, equipment, memorabilia, and the largest collection of fire truck bells in the country!
