My five children and I love visiting the many museums Michigan has to offer. Here are our favorite Michigan museums—and bonus, some even have free admission!
I often joke that there are two types of families you will see on vacation: the kind that stops to read all of the educational signs and the kind that prefers to keep moving. Our family is definitely the former. All five of my children, along with my husband and myself, will fully stop and read every single sign, display, or poster that we see. Needless to say, we love learning about history and absorbing any educational facts we can, which means visiting museums around Michigan is a favorite pastime of ours.
And while some of the museums offer free admission, as a proud, newly-employed library assistant here in our lovely state of Michigan, I would also like to take this time to remind everyone that you can check with your local Michigan library if they offer an Activity Pass. Activity Passes can be used at some Michigan museums for free admission, so they’re a wonderful way to explore the state on a budget.
While we are down to visit any Michigan museum, over the years, we have collected our favorites, including the free University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Here’s a closer look at some of the most beloved museums we have visited in Michigan.
1. Sloan Museum of Discovery
Location: 1221 E. Kearsley St., Flint
Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 am-5 pm; Sundays, Noon-5 pm
Highlights: All ages + kids’ section; one price admission
The Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint is a favorite in our family because it’s incredibly hands-on and interactive, and it includes a full regular museum that the adults can enjoy, plus a kid-friendly zone at the end. The dynamic duo means you can walk through the entire museum as a family and then either skip the kids’ section or let the kids burn off some energy before heading home. It’s the best of both worlds. But a warning: If you’re a millennial parent, like me, please be prepared for a full “historical” Y2K exhibit displaying the toys and pieces of our youth. It’s a painful yet fascinating reminder of how old we really are.
I recently encouraged my sister—a new mom of two—to visit this museum with her toddler and baby, and she had a wonderful experience. (The museum is currently running a massive dinosaur exhibit, and my niece is very much in her dinosaur era.) She enjoyed that one ticket admission price gives full admission to the full Sloan Museum as well as the Kids’ Discovery zone. The entire museum was renovated in 2022 and is a total of 107,000 square feet with four main gallery exhibits and one shifting travel exhibit, so it’s a full-day affair.
“It was so fun and had a lot of different options for the kids to play,” my sister reports.
2. Flint Children’s Museum
Location: 1602 W. University Ave., Flint
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am-4 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-4 pm
Highlights: Best for kids 0-8 years old
If you want a smaller, more intimate museum experience for babies and kids up to 8 years old, the Flint Children’s Museum is where it’s at. I would definitely recommend this museum for babies and toddlers as more of a play date experience than a museum that the whole family can enjoy, but during an endless Michigan snowy winter, it’s a great way to get the kids out of the house and have fun.
The museum is located on the campus of Kettering University and every second Sunday of the month, offers a special Sensory Sunday play day. There are 40 hands-on exhibits, and during the warm-weather months, kids can get outside and play in the outdoor areas as well. The museum includes kid-beloved play exhibits like a vet clinic, grocery store, and post office.
3. Henry Ford Museum
Location: 20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm; Sat, 9 am-3 pm; Sun, 9 am-1 pm
Highlights: Family-friendly; all-day excursion; U.S. history
You certainly can’t have an article on Michigan museums and not mention the Henry Ford Museum. It’s a bit of a staple here in the mitten, and honestly, it’s such an immersive and extensive experience that it’s worth a visit even for out-of-towners. It’s almost mind-boggling that you can see such impactful pieces of history, like the very theater rocking chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated (a blood stain is still visible), the limousine JFK was riding in during his assassination (it does look a little different these days), and even Rosa Parks’ bus.
The Henry Ford Museum is huge (altogether, it spans 250 acres!), so you’ll definitely want to plan for a full day or even two to visit. What I love about the museum is that it has a great mix of interactive and hands-on elements, so even if you’re primarily touring the adult exhibits, there’s plenty to keep kids busy and engaged. And of course, on warmer days starting April 11, 2026, you can also visit Greenfield Village to step back in time to a historic, “operating” village featuring iconic elements of the past like a steam locomotive and, naturally, the Ford Model T car.
4. Grand Rapids Public Museum
Location: 272 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids
Hours: Weekdays: 9 am-5 pm; Sunday: 10 am-5 pm
Highlights: Fun for the entire family; Egyptian exhibit, arcade
During the pandemic, our family took a staycation to Grand Rapids to visit the John Ball Zoo (side note: I highly recommend the zoo, especially in the summer, when it’s hot, because it’s heavily shaded) and some local museums. All five of my kids—who ranged in ages from toddler to teen at that time—found something to love about the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
The first thing you’ll notice is a giant whale bone display hanging from the ceiling that captivates all ages and our personal favorite exhibit was the in-depth Egyptian area that included real mummies. Our kids still talk about the tiny shoe on display from the unfortunate era of foot binding in ancient China. (Seeing how small the shoe is in real life is much different than reading about it!)
At the top floor of the museum, after you’ve visited all the displays, there is a fun retro arcade with nostalgic games like Sonic and Tetris that my husband especially enjoyed. It’s a great way to end your time at the museum before heading home. And before you go, be sure to stop and take a ride on the newly-renovated carousel! It’s recently reopened after restoration and is an authentic 1928 Spillman Carousel that’s a beauty to behold.
5. Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Location: 11 Sheldon Ave NE, Grand Rapids
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 am-4 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-4 pm
Highlights: Construction site, grocery store, bubble maker
After the “big” kids had fun at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, it was the little kids’ turn at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. While the museum is geared more towards the younger crowd, I will say that kids up to around age 10 can still have fun at the museum. My kids especially enjoyed the grocery store section and the vet clinic, as well as the “construction” site filled with soft bricks and building elements.
Upstairs, the bubble-making station was another huge hit. Kids can use giant wands and a lever-and-pulley system to hold up a giant hoop to create bubbles. I’d say for planning purposes, you can definitely spend a morning or afternoon with little kids at the museum. Also, a note: keep in mind that the museum does not have dedicated parking, but there is a paid lot right across the street.
6. University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
Location: Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am-4 pm
Highlights: Fossil and mineral dig; Mastodon display; Michigan-specific exhibits; free admission
We stumbled upon the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History by accident one day when our outdoor plans got rained out, but I’m so glad we did because this gem of a Michigan museum also happens to be totally free. (Donations are always welcome, of course.)
Beginning with the giant fossilized mastodon display and ending with the hands-on fossil dig and mineral exhibits, the museum kept us busy and engaged the entire time. All of the exhibits were the perfect mix of entertaining and interactive, while informative. We also really liked the Michigan-specific exhibit, which introduced the kids to Michigan-specific history and wildlife. Honestly, it’s one of the best museums we’ve been to, so we could not believe it was free.
7. Michigan History Center
Location: 702 W Kalamazoo St, Lansing
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am-4 pm; Sunday, 1 pm-5 pm
Highlights: Free admissions on Sundays; Michigan-focused
Technically speaking, the Michigan History Center consists of 12 museums and historic areas throughout the state, like the Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena or the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park (I was today years old when I learned about these Michigan petroglyphs, and I immediately added them to our summer bucket list!).
However, for the purposes of discussing Michigan museums, we’re focusing on the Michigan History Center in Lansing. We have a visit to this museum, which is housed in the Michigan Library and Historical Center building in Lansing, in our calendar not only because it provides five full floors dedicated to Michigan history, but because of another key reason: It offers free admission to all visitors every Sunday. As much as I adore museums, admission costs for a large family can add up, so I appreciate the access to learn more about our home state, even while on a budget.
8. Michigan Iron Industry Museum
Location: 73 Forge Rd, Negaunee
Hours: Wednesday-Sat, 10 am-4 pm
Highlights: Family-friendly; free admission; connects to Iron Ore Trail
Speaking of free museums, admission to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum is also completely free. My family and I stopped by this museum during our trip to the U.P., primarily as a way to kill some time before our long drive home, so we had zero expectations about it, only to find we thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s not a huge museum, and because we arrived shortly before closing time, we sped through it in less than an hour. But for a free museum, it packed a ton of information and had some engaging exhibits, like a walk-through iron ore “tunnel” and a gate my kids loved. The museum also connects to the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, so if you visit on a nice day, plan some additional time for more educational fun outside.
9. Thomas Edison Depot Museum
Location: 510 Edison Parkway, Port Huron
Hours: Every day from 10 am-5 pm after May 25; Weekends only in early May
Highlights: Interactive scavenger hunt for kids; walking trail and restaurant nearby
The Thomas Edison Depot Museum in Port Huron, Mich., is very small, but it was such an interesting and entertaining experience that I had to include it. Like some of the other museums on our list, we visited on a whim because of bad weather that changed our plans (welcome to Michigan!), but we were pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.
The museum focuses on the life and inventions of Thomas Edison, but you don’t need to be an Edison aficionado to appreciate the museum. My kids primarily loved the hands-on experience to create electricity (of course), and the scavenger hunt the museum attendant provided. The museum staff and volunteers are also very passionate and did a wonderful job walking us through the different exhibits and displays.
While the museum is definitely worth a visit on its own, the trip is made all the better because it’s located right outside one of my favorite-ever Michigan restaurants, Freighters Eatery and Taproom (be sure to try the fish tacos!) And when you’re done browsing and dining, you can take a stroll on the Bridge to Bay trail that extends along the riverside.
10. Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Experience
Location: 3101 E. Milham Rd., Kalamazoo
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 am-5 pm; Sunday, noon-5 pm
Highlights: Indoor rides, flight simulators, a full museum, and an airplane restoration center
There may not be a “museum” in its name, but the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Experience in Portage, Mich. is definitely a one-of-a-kind museum in Michigan. The name does dub this venue an “experience,” which is appropriate because visiting is an entire, immersive experience.
First of all, there is an entire indoor amusement park for kids, including a hot air balloon ride that the whole family can enjoy. Next, there’s a flight simulator that will have you pulling simulated Gs through the air as you flip upside down and pray to survive. (Spoiler: I have never survived.) The exhibits and displays are all interactive and engaging, even if you’re not into aviation, like me. I’ve never been passionate about planes, but our Air Zoo visits have always been some of my favorite Michigan stops.
There’s plenty to keep the whole family busy for a full day, and if you still want more of an experience, you can walk the short trail to the restoration center to tour and talk with experts restoring real aircraft.
11. Mackinaw Bridge Museum
Location: 231 E Central Ave, Mackinaw City
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 am-9 pm; Friday-Sunday, 7 am-10 pm
Highlights: Free, attached to a pizza shop
The Mackinaw Bridge Museum, perhaps like the Mackinaw Bridge itself, is small yet mighty. If you’ve ever tried to order pizza on a busy summer night in Mackinaw City, you know it can be a long wait, so our family jumped at the chance to check out this free museum while we waited for our food. The museum is upstairs, above Mama Mia’s pizzeria, but you don’t have to order or eat at the restaurant to enjoy the museum—it’s totally free for anyone to enjoy.
The museum contains some personal items from the restaurant owner, as well as some odds and ends and knick-knacks, but it also has a lot of interesting stories and memorabilia from real workers who built the Mackinaw Bridge. Our favorite display was seeing the underwater welder’s suit and tools—the thought of welding underwater still boggles my mind!
12. Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum
Location: 707 N. Huron Ave. #2, Mackinaw City
Hours: Seasonal, opens in May
Highlights: Hands-on, fun for kids
A decommissioned former icebreaker once dubbed the “Queen of the Great Lakes,” the United States Coast Guard WAGB-83 now serves as a museum just outside of Mackinaw City. The museum provides some interesting history and insight into the work that the Coast Guard performs in the Great Lakes, honors some of the lives lost, and lets kids (and adults) get very hands-on.
You probably won’t spend hours in the icebreaker museum, but the kids can don some of the Coast Guard gear, explore the ship, and imagine what life would be like “at sea.” Plus, when they’re decked out in their uniforms, it makes for a great photo op to remember your Mackinaw vacation, a classic Michigan experience.
