5 Best Hands-On Museums For Kids and Families In Metro Detroit

Looking for indoor family fun that’s educational too? Here are the best hands-on museums for kids in metro Detroit.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum // 220 E. Ann St. Ann Arbor

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum has over 250+ interactive activities for kids. Kids can experiment with simple machines, water, lights and optics. You learn by playing, kids can use their imagination exploring miniaturized worlds of medicine, commerce and community – your littles will love the child-sized fire engine and real life ambulance. The brand new indoor STEM Park is another must-see.

Admission is $12.50 per person, kids under one are FREE.

Outdoor Adventure Center // 1801 Atwater St, Detroit

Experience exciting outdoor adventures with hands-on activities, exhibits and simulators – walk behind and touch a waterfall, step into a fishing boat and reel in a big fish, hit the trail on a mountain bike or snowmobile, and much more. 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 great for all ages.

Admission is $5 for guests 13 and older, guests between the ages of 2 and 12 are $3.

Detroit Historical Museum // 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit

The Detroit Historical Museum brings Detroit’s history to life in fun, innovative and interactive ways all ages will enjoy. Take a stroll through the streets of old Detroit and journeys through the city’s past: the Frontier, Underground Railroad, Arsenal of Democracy and the civil unrest of the 1960s. You’ll also find displays and interactive exhibits featuring the things (cars) and people (Temptations) you know and love in the Motor City and Motor City Music galleries. The Detroit Historical Society also operates The Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, it is also fun and interactive for kids – admission is FREE.

Admission is $10 for guests ages 7 and older. Kids 6 and under are FREE!

The Henry Ford Museum // 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn

The Henry Ford is a timeless favorite. From trains to tractors, Mathematica, airplanes and plenty of cars The Henry Ford offers hands-on fun for all ages. The newest addition to the museum, Driven to Win: Racing in America, is truly a must-see for all families. With nearly two dozen new cars, 24 interactive spaces and multiple racing simulators, kids and parents will have a blast.

Admission to the Henry Ford is $25 for adults and $19 for children ages 5 to 11. We highly recommend getting a membership because it pays for itself if you visit the Museum and Greenfield Village one in a year.

The Reptarium // 45559 Van Dyke Ave Utica, MI 48317

Meet some of the world’s rarest reptiles – including a two-headed snake! Look and HOLD snakes and lizards. Visit with alligators and a tortoise. Not only are there reptiles but you can also meet a variety of arachnids, amphibians and SLOTHS!