What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 11am - 4pm Wednesday 11am - 4pm Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm Sunday 11am - 4pm

Dennos Museum Center

Name: Dennos Museum Center
Address: 1410 College Drive, Traverse City, MI, 49686, US
Telephone: +12319951055
Price range: $
Rating: 4.8

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Traverse City, MI
Dennos Museum Center

The Museum includes temporary exhibition and permanent collection galleries, an elegant sculpture court, and a hands-on Discovery Gallery.
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Mission: The Dennos Museum Center builds community, sparks conversation, and inspires change for audiences of all ages through its exhibitions, programs, and the collection and preservation of art. Opened in 1991, the Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College is a premier cultural facility in northern Michigan offering a dynamic array of exhibitions and programs in the visual arts, sci

ences, and performing arts. The permanent collection features regional, national, and international art from the 19th-21st centuries. The Milliken Auditorium hosts events and concerts with performers from around the world. Visit the Museum Store for great shopping, including a fine selection of Inuit art for collectors. The Museum's signature collection is Inuit art of the Canadian Arctic, one of the largest and most historically complete collections of these distinctive sculptures and prints in the United States. A significant collection of outdoor sculptures by noted international and Michigan artists surrounds the Museum on the beautiful campus of Northwestern Michigan College. In 2000, the Dennos Museum Center was recognized by ArtServe Michigan with the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture. The Museum expanded its original building in 2018, adding new galleries and auditorium spaces with wide support from the community. In 2021, the Dennos joined a network of more than 200 other Smithsonian Affiliates in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Panama. Established in 1996, the affiliations program is designed to facilitate a two-way relationship among Smithsonian Affiliates and the Smithsonian to increase discovery and inspire lifelong learning in communities across America. Smithsonian Affiliates are collaborators on many of the Smithsonian’s strategic priorities, adding local content, context, and expertise to national initiatives to help tell a fuller story.

05/27/2026

We welcome you into the galleries this summer for a special performance from Viridian Strings on Friday, June 13 at 6PM.

Learn more about the program, performers, and get your tickets here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/viridian-strings-presents-freshwater-fanta-tickets-269131

This program will feature a 6PM Q+A with the performers followed by a 7PM performance of three beloved chamber works. Clara Schumann’s intimate "Romances" open the evening with warmth and elegance, followed by the expansive pastoral sweep of Vaughan Williams’ early piano quintet. After intermission, Schubert’s iconic “Trout” Quintet brings buoyant rhythms, radiant melodies, and virtuosic interplay—an ideal soundtrack for a Northern Michigan summer.

Performers in order of their appearance:
Nathan Meltzer, Violin
Umi Garret, Piano
Joe Skerik, Viola
Nina Baret, Double Bass
Kyle Stachnik, Cello

05/26/2026

Celebrate the museum’s 35th anniversary with recent acquisitions, discover regional high school talent, or explore the ancient seas with our current exhibitions. On view through May 31, plan your next visit during our open hours Tuesday - Sunday from 11AM to 4PM.

About the Exhibits

New Perspectives features a selection of recent acquisitions to the museum’s permanent art collection, many never before on view, in honor of the museum’s 35th anniversary.

The NMC Hosted High School Art Exhibition is juried by NMC Fine Art faculty and features artwork in a variety of media by juniors and seniors from regional high schools.

Trilobite Treasures provides a unique snapshot of life in the ancient seas from 250-500 million years ago using specimens and objects from the personal collection of Paleo Joe.

05/22/2026

The Dennos will be closed to the public on Saturday, May 23 for the Bay Shore Marathon. The campus of Northwestern Michigan college will be blocked to through traffic as well during the race.

Good luck to all the runners, and we wish you a safe race! 👟

We'll resume our normal business hours on Sunday, May 24 from 11AM - 4PM. Then, we'll be closed on Monday for the holiday and our regularly scheduled business hours.

Image: Hanna Stiebel, "Equilibrium." 1991, Polished aluminum. Located in front of the museum.

05/21/2026

Our Summer 2026 programs are live!

Enjoy performances, pop-in for free community days, listen at artist talks, or develop a new skill in one of our workshops.

See our full list of events at dennosmuseum.org/events/community-programs

05/19/2026

Get a look at our work behind-the-scenes!

Our art collection is getting a major upgrade as we work toward first time accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums ().

This reorganization project is twofold—saving us much needed space, and giving our sculptures custom, museum-grade mounts.

Images: various installation views of sculptures from our Inuit collection on compact shelving. The first showing sculptures laying down, the second in development of a custom mounted shelf, and the remaining of completed shelves and mounts.

05/13/2026

Congratulations to all the students who are in the NMC Hosted High School Art Exhibition. See the show at the Dennos through May 31.

Here, you can see our region's first, second, and third place award winners.
🥇First Place: Jessie P., "two sides to every story." Painting/Watercolor.
🥈Second Place: Olivia R., "Life from Death." Drawing/Illustration.
🥉Third Place: Rowan W., "Our Dog." Photography.

05/11/2026

Don’t miss the tastiest free screening of the year! Top Chef contender Chrissy Camba shops for ingredients and cooks a favorite family recipe, as they celebrate global food traditions, in The Grocery List Show this Wednesday at 4:00 PM!

Three episodes from the series will be screened during the pop-up followed by a community reception featuring food prepared by Chef Sam Anglin from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

Get your free ticket and learn more: https://www.simpletix.com/e/the-grocery-list-show-an-indie-lens-pop-up-tickets-247346

05/09/2026

Thank you everyone who came today to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend and support regional artists at the Spring Art Market.

It may be a cold spring, but this community really brings the warmth. We received an overwhelming amount of compliments this year regarding how much people loved the selection of artists and the programming throughout the day. A record 1,088 people came today. Nearly 300 more than our record breaking year last year.

We are so grateful for your continued support and for making this event so special. 🌿

Images: various images of people shopping, connecting, making cards, enjoying mimosas, and listening to piano in the galleries during the museum’s annual Spring Market.

05/08/2026

Set up is underway at the museum for tomorrow’s Spring Art Market! 🌿

Visit us Saturday, May 9 from 10 AM to 4 PM and shop 28 regional artists, make a Mother’s Day card, enjoy a mimosa in the galleries while listening to Dorothy Vogel on piano, and enjoy discounts on memberships, renewals, and in the museum store!

Full event details and participating artists can be found at shop.dennosmuseum.org.

05/07/2026

Join us this Sunday, May 10 from 1 - 3:00 PM for our next Second Sunday Art Project.

Explore the beauty of pattern and texture in this hands-on Second Sunday inspired by works in our New Perspectives exhibition. Create your own wearable or sculptural piece using Model Magic and air-dry clay—try a pendant or pinch pot shaped by repetition, rhythm, and touch. You can also transform old calendars into colorful recycled paper necklaces, turning everyday materials into bold, textural designs.

Address

1410 College Drive
Traverse City, MI
49686

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 4pm
Wednesday	11am - 4pm
Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm
Sunday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12319951055

Website

http://www.dennosmuseum.org/

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