Arts and Culture Destinations

Below is a list of Arts and Culture Destinations in the state of Michigan. This list is to be used as a reference. If you are an arts and culture organization that can welcome school groups and are interested in being included in the database, CLICK HERE for the application.  

Cultural

Meadow Brook Hall

Rochester Oakland

TEDDY BEAR TEA: This is an introduction to The Hall, with a child-friendly tour of the main floor. We then go to Frances’ playroom for dress-up and tea.

MAKING GAMES: This is the next step of the journey, offering more information about the family and growing up in the 20s and 30s. We cover the whole house with a scavenger hunt and finish upstairs with the type of games both Frances and Danny would have loved.

PUPPETS & PLAYS ON THE FARM: Take a break from The Hall and learn about Meadow Brook Farm while you make an animal puppet.

PLAYING THE PAST: The kids are older so it’s time to learn more about The Hall, including the architecture and interior decorations that make it unique.

SECRET SPACES: This is a special behind-the-scenes tour intended for the older child who has been to Meadow Brook.

ESTATE WALKING TOUR: An exciting tour for older children! This tour involves a lot of walking on tough terrain with steep inclines. Tours continue rain or shine, so dress appropriately for the weather.

Cultural

Michigan Historical Museum

Lansing Ingham

History Education Programs at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing;

General Tours

Help for Field Trip Costs

Thematic Programs

The Governor's Decision Room

The BIG History Lesson

Cultural

Michigan Iron Industry Museum

Negaunee Marquette

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum has general walking tours of the museum but also has a wealth of programs to offer to a school group. One program is Michigan Iron Ore which takes students through the history and industry behind Iron. Another is Pioneer Life which discusses the pioneer settlers in Michigan. Iron Ore and Civil War helps students learn the history of civil war while showing how iron ore helped the Union victory. Another program is Great Lakes Lighthouses which is a slide program tour of lighthouses and their details. Tombstones Can Talk explains why tombstones and cemeteries are important historical places. Immigration and Ellis Island details immigrants journeys to Michigan. And lastly Every Artifact Tells a Story allows students be a hands on history detective with selected museum artifacts.

Cultural

Michigan Maritime Museum

South Haven Van Buren

Experience the rich maritime heritage of the Great Lakes by visiting Michigan's most distinguished institution of maritime research, preservation and education.

Five separate buildings offer a variety of engaging opportunities for the Museum visitor including permanent and changing exhibits on Michigan maritime history, a center for the teaching of boat building and related maritime skills, and a regionally renowned research library. Waterfront festivals and events are complemented by the hustle and bustle of a modern harbor and vast sandy beaches in one of west Michigan's most picturesque shoreline communities.

The sloop Friends Good Will promotes tourism in West Michigan by providing the public with a wide variety of cultural and educational experiences. The historic replica tall ship boasts an interactive, floating classroom that features science and history curriculum for students. Friends Good Will, fully U.S. Coast Guard approved for passengers, is available for day sails as well as private charters. Friends Good Will also makes several voyages to other ports during the sailing season.

Cultural

Michigan Military Technical and Historical Society

Eastpointe Macomb

The Michigan Military Technical and Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the stories of Michigan citizens who served and sacrificed, here and abroad , from WWI to the present. Our 11,000 square feet Museum exhibits the actual equipment, weapons, uniforms and other artifacts that bear witness to the high cost of freedom.

Michigan Military Technical and Historical Society

Cultural

Michigan State University Museum

East Lansing Ingham

The Michigan State University Museum offers a variety of self guided tours. The self-tour of Hall of Animal Diversity allows students to observe, compare and contrast the structures and behaviors of different animals which help them survive in a variety of environments.

The self- tour of Habitat Hall allows students to observe, compare and contrast the structures and behaviors of different animals which help them survive in a variety of environments. This Hall features a significant display of dinosaur fossils and casts.

The self-tour of Hall of Evolution allows students to observe, compare and contrast plants, animals and non-living features in the different geological periods. The MSU Museum also offers long-term exhibits that allow students to explore the nature of culture, Michigan history, current research in the study of evolution as well as temporary exhibits on a range of topics related to the museum collections and university research.

Cultural

Monroe County Historical Museum

Monroe Monroe

We have great educational opportunities for your class at the Monroe Historical Museums, with tours at our multiple sites. We cover a variety of historical topics for student to learn about, including Native American life, the Victorians, our veterans and military, the early French Canadians and the Fur Trade, several with hands-on activities - all in line with Michigan Standards & Benchmarks.

Visit one site or all - we adapt our schedule to yours, and give your students a positive, interesting experience at a professional museum, and not far from home! Call today for information, or to schedule a tour or presentation.

Cultural, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music

Motown Museum

Detroit Wayne

The Motown Museum group visits throughout the year.

Cultural

North Berrien Historical Society

Coloma Berrien

The North Berrien Historical Museum offers year-round opportunities to learn about local history and culture. At the museum, in the classroom, or out in the community, our programs bring the past to life. Contact the Director of Programs at (269) 468-3330 or [email protected] to learn more or to schedule an exciting and memorable program for your class or community group.

Cultural, History, Science, Visual Arts

ODC Network

Hamilton Allegan

More than 3,000 students annually come to the Outdoor Discovery Center to learn about Michigan history from its indigenous communities to the early European settlers. Their learning includes hands-on activities related to daily life and culture including traditional gardening, tool making and use, foraging, hunting and trapping traditions, trading of natural resources, and production of maple syrup and sugar. Using the center's live animals and taxidermy, students explore are as they create projects that incorporate both the physical characteristics of animals and also the habitat in which those animals live. Our team of Education Network ambassadors also works with local schools to incorporate art into their lessons. Their projects have included plein air painting, sculptures in the spirit of work by Andy Goldworthy, and pencil sketching. During summer camps, students are often engaged in art-related activities including simple drawing and coloring to media production. The camp "Lights, Cameras, Animals" has children between 8-12 years old create a script and act based upon a theme facilitated and produced by a staff person. Lastly, the ODC has an art trail that is enjoyed by more than 50,000 visitors annually which includes sculpture and tactile elements to activate the viewers senses.