Detroit Observatory

Detroit Observatory Built in Ann Arbor in 1854, the Detroit Observatory is where Michigan’s history is written in the stars.

This was the first major research facility at the University of Michigan. At the time of it's installation, the Fitz refactor was the third largest telescope in the world. For many years, the Meridian Circle telescope was used to set the railroad time for SE Michigan. Today, both the Fitz and the Meridian Circle telescope are in working order. On viewing Nights, the Fitz is available to the public to take a look through.

Did you know that in 1965 anti-war activists at U-M organized the first teach-in? Inspired in part by Civil Rights era s...
05/28/2026

Did you know that in 1965 anti-war activists at U-M organized the first teach-in?

Inspired in part by Civil Rights era sit-ins, students and faculty convened in Angell Hall and held an all-night series of debates, discussions, and talks in opposition to US military intervention in Vietnam.

Learn more and explore the long history of student activism at U-M on Paths of Protest, a campus walking tour led by the Observatory's student docents. Spaces are still available for the Saturday (May 30) edition, which meets at 1 PM at the Michigan League's Ingalls Mall entrance (facing the fountain).

Register here: https://myumi.ch/WDRj7

🔭🔭🔭 We're open almost every Friday evening—including this one. But is it worth visiting when it's cloudy? ☁️☁️☁️Absolute...
05/22/2026

🔭🔭🔭 We're open almost every Friday evening—including this one. But is it worth visiting when it's cloudy? ☁️☁️☁️

Absolutely! We offer historic observatory tours, exhibits, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and workshops. Even if you can't look through the telescopes, there's always something interesting to do.

So don't let the weather discourage you!

After all, clouds didn't turn away the folks in this 1855 Jasper Cropsey painting of the Observatory.

There's hardly any empty land near the Observatory these days, but back in the 1920s, things were a little more rustic. ...
05/21/2026

There's hardly any empty land near the Observatory these days, but back in the 1920s, things were a little more rustic.

If it were possible to pan to the right, you'd see University Hospital, also known as "Old Main." It opened in 1925, which is probably close to when this picture was taken.

The Observatory has been hosting astronomy conferences for more than a century, but we haven't hosted one this size in a...
05/15/2026

The Observatory has been hosting astronomy conferences for more than a century, but we haven't hosted one this size in a long, long time.

We were honored to be the site of the May 14-15, 2026, workshop, "Gas Giant Planet Formation: Clues from Composition." Coordinated by U-M's Department of Astronomy and the Center for Habitable Planetary Systems, the sessions featured the latest in exoplanet research.

Attendees had the chance to tour the Observatory, traveling back in time to experience the cutting edge of astronomy research circa 1854.

Join us for a free upcoming talk about the University of Michigan's "lost campus!" Together we'll explore the history of...
05/14/2026

Join us for a free upcoming talk about the University of Michigan's "lost campus!" Together we'll explore the history of beloved places such as U-M’s former campus zoo, and Ann Arbor’s own “Sleepy Hollow.” Many of these locations are now gone, but not forgotten.

In this talk, Professor Jim Tobin will trace these vanished spaces, and examine how these campus changes reflect patterns in U-M history.

We’d love to see you there! Everyone is welcome, and this event can be attended in person at the Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory in Ann Arbor, or online, at 6:00 PM on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Please note: in person registration is almost full, but we're glad to welcome anyone who wants to attend online.

Thank you to the Alumni Association for co-sponsoring this talk!

Registration and details can be found here: https://myumi.ch/nV4Px

Do you ever wonder what the University looked like two centuries ago? Jasper Francis Cropsey painted this landscape of c...
05/13/2026

Do you ever wonder what the University looked like two centuries ago?

Jasper Francis Cropsey painted this landscape of campus in 1855, when enrollment totaled 390 students and Ann Arbor's population was around 3,500. Look closely—you'll see farm animals not far from the Diag!

In this era, President Henry Tappan set the University on a path that would make it one of the world's leading research institutions.

Curious about the University's early days in Ann Arbor? Join our Creating Michigan campus history walking tour to learn more! Coming Friday, May 15, at 4 pm. Register here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5q23nvs

Flashback to U-M's historic Detroit Observatory in its earliest years, vs. the Frankel Detroit Observatory as it looks t...
05/08/2026

Flashback to U-M's historic Detroit Observatory in its earliest years, vs. the Frankel Detroit Observatory as it looks today.

When the Detroit Observatory was first built, it put the University of Michigan on the map as a cutting edge research institution. Its first director, Franz Brünnow—pictured in front of the building in 1858—was U-M's first faculty member wth a PhD, and Brünnow started the University's first academic journal.

Today, the Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory is one of U-M's oldest buildings, a museum that's free to visit and open to all!

Did you know that we offer daytime observing, too? Join us 12-5 pm this Saturday and—weather permitting—we'll have our s...
05/07/2026

Did you know that we offer daytime observing, too?

Join us 12-5 pm this Saturday and—weather permitting—we'll have our solar telescope set up for safe viewing of the sun. Our docents will be on hand to talk about the sunspots, prominences, and other solar features that are often visible.

Did you know that U-M's historic Frankel Detroit Observatory was almost destroyed?When Peg and Nick Steneck first visite...
04/30/2026

Did you know that U-M's historic Frankel Detroit Observatory was almost destroyed?

When Peg and Nick Steneck first visited the Observatory in 1974, the floor of the dome room was piled with mattresses and Kentucky Fried Chicken wrappers. Someone had painted a desert-themed mural on the dome’s circular walls.

“We realized this building had to be saved. There wasn’t any question in our mind,” Peg recalls.

In the latest issue of the Bentley Historical Library's Collections magazine, learn how the tireless efforts of the Stenecks, and advocates like them, helped save the Observatory from the brink of destruction:

https://bentley.umich.edu/news-events/magazine/rescued-from-the-rubble/

Our docents were busy spreading the word about the Observatory at last Saturday's Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra season fi...
04/28/2026

Our docents were busy spreading the word about the Observatory at last Saturday's Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra season finale, featuring a performance of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst.

Check out the 3D-printed model of the 1857 Fitz telescope, now freshly painted!

Photos by Charlotte Smith.

Address

1398 E Ann Street
Ann Arbor, MI
48109

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 11pm

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