 |
|
|
|
|
Happening Now
|
October 18 and 19:
Sciencepalooza
Slimy, yucky, gnarly, creepy-crawly things. Whatever you can get your hands on for Halloween, there’s a story behind it. More accurately, there’s usually science behind it. Take your grandchildren to this Museum and find out why. At the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Ann Arbor, Mich. (website) Hide details
University of Michigan football
The winning-est college football program in history also has the biggest stadium in the country, aptly nicknamed The Big House for its 111,000-plus seats. The Wolverines play Illinois on October 4, Toledo on October 11, and rival Michigan State on October 25. Take your grandchildren on a tour of the beautiful campus before the game, and yell "Go Blue!" to fit right in. At the Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich. (website) Hide details
Hobo Halloween Train
Suitable for all ages, this one-hour train ride features the return of the Wacky Witches – who are all bark and no bite (read: not scary for the younger grandchildren, so bring them along). There is also a Moonlight Ghost Train for older kids and adults. At the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train, Walled Lake, Mich. (website) Hide details |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Help With This Page
In the City Guides section, you'll find the best things to do with your grandchildren. To get started, choose a city below or select from among movies, home activities or things to do in the car. Whatever you do, have loads of fun with your grandchildren.
|
 |
 |
|
| | Drive-in movies, musical events, a world class zoo and tons of automotive history, Detroit is one cool place to explore with your younsters. From pizza to Pontiacs, our list of activities has you covered. —Compiled by Peter Stepek, edited by Kenda El-Ali | |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
map
| website
| comment
Detroit’s culinary gifts to the world may not be numerous, but every Detroiter is lost without an occasional Coney Island Dog, served with heaps of chili and diced onions. Open since 1917, American Coney Island has a retro diner feel to it that the grandchildren will love, as you all chomp down on some chili dogs and cheese fries. Located centrally in the downtown area, you can walk it off with a stroll to Hart Plaza a few blocks away. Not the healthiest meal on the planet, it’s an indulgence that nonetheless screams Detroit and can make for some of the most curious people-watching on the planet. Who needs Nathan’s when you have American (and its adjacent Lafayette)?
Info: Free
Hours: Daily 24 hours
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Kid Friendly Eats
map
| website
| comment
When it comes to fast and loud, the American Power Boat Association has got the bases covered; even with ear plugs, these boats really roar. July 13-15 marks the 99th running of the prestigious Gold Cup race, and you and the grandchildren can watch for free from the beach on Belle Isle or buy tickets for either a reserved or general admission grandstand on the Detroit side. Watching hydroplanes that top out around 200 mph racing on the Detroit River feeds any need for speed in a big way.
Info: Admission: $10-$200
Hours: late Spring-Summer, various events; July 13-15 APBA Gold Cup Race
Age: Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Outdoor Fun
map
| website
| comment
Finally, a museum where grandchildren are encouraged to put their hands to work figuring out the laws of physics, where math and chemistry are revealed to be fascinating subjects, and where blowing bubbles and making ice cream both count as science projects (if not homework). With many full contact workshops including a monthly Sciencepalooza, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum’s emphasis on interactive education makes learning fun and compelling for everybody.
Info: Admission: ages 2+ $7, under 2 free
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM, Sunday 12PM-5PM, holiday hours vary
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Museums & Exhibits
map
| website
| comment
The Detroit area has one of the largest Arab American populations in the US, and the Arab American National Museum is the first museum devoted to an examination of the vital roles this community plays. Permanent exhibits look at the long and rich history of Arab Americans, within and outside of America, while rotating special exhibitions highlight artists from the community. A visit here with your grandkids can teach your family why diversity is worth embracing.
Info: Admission: general $6, students 65+, 6-12 $3, 5 and under free and Sundays free
Hours: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10AM-6PM, Thursday 10AM-8PM, Sunday 12PM-5PM, closed Monday, Tuesday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Museums & Exhibits
map
| website
| comment
Over the crowded Labor Day weekend Pontiac, a northern suburb, vies for attention with the 10th annual Chrysler Arts, Beats, & Eats festival, which annually draws nearly one million visitors to enjoy food, music and the work of visual artists of every description; all with a focus on local talent. Athletic competitions for grandchildren aged five and up, a family area with multiple arts and crafts projects, a kids' stage with musicians and magicians and a talent contest for those between the ages of 4 and 13 insure that you won't run out of things to do or see.
Info: Admission: free
Hours: August 31-September 3 Labor Day Weekend; Friday 4PM-11PM, Saturday 11AM-11PM, Sunday 11AM-11PM, Monday 11AM-8PM
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Local Unique
map
| website
| comment
Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Olds - those are just the Americans, but they're all here. The Automotive Hall of Fame has the names you would expect to find in a museum dedicated to the history of the automobile, which is inextricable from the history of Detroit. This grandkid-friendly museum features interactive displays, classic and historic automobiles and plenty of information about how these automotive pioneers (and more than a handful of mavericks - like Carroll "Shelby Cobra" Shelby and Top Fuel dragster legend Shirley Muldowney) invented, changed and advanced the industry.
Info: Admission: ages 19-61 $6, 62+ $5, 5-18 $3, 4 and under free
Hours: daily 9AM-5PM, closed on major holidays
Age: Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Planes
map
| website
| comment
Louisiana native (and president of basketball operations for the Pistons) Joe Dumars has created an indoor theme park called Bayou Adventure, which offers loosely swamp-themed play areas, including a mini-golf course, a bungee trampoline, an elevated rope course and a climbing wall for you and your grandkids to wear yourselves out on. There's also a more traditional arcade and ticket redemption game area just in case. The park is attached to Joe Dumars' Fieldhouse, a large mixed-use sports facility (there's another basketball-only Fieldhouse on the State Fairgrounds in Detroit proper) providing a place for people to meet and play sports, with a wide variety of scheduled kids activities and innumerable teams and leagues for competitive play.
Info: Admission: varies by activity
Hours: vary by program
Age: Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Fun & Games
map
| website
| comment
Almost simpler than it sounds, Build-A-Bear Workshop allows you to design a new stuffed animal, choosing everything from its species (is your grandchild a rabbit person or a bear person?) to its color and how stuffed it should be (a lot? a little?). Even after the animal's heart is added and it's stitched up, there are some decisions remaining, including what the animal will wear, and what its name will be. An afternoon at the workshop spent creating a huggable friend for a loved one is time well spent. Parties are available.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 11am-6pm
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen
Shopping
map
| website
| comment
Sure, there's an extensive arcade, a mini-golf course and giant water balloon slingshots. But the real squeal-inducing attractions at C.J. Barrymore’s are the bumper boats with attached squirt guns, the go-karts in four varieties, not to mention the high-flying trampoline/bungy cord combination. Barrymore's a la carte approach means you only pay for what you and your grandkids actually do. Many activities are subject to age and/or height restrictions that you should check in advance.
Info: Admission: varies by activity
Hours: vary by activity
Age: Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Fun & Games
map
| website
| comment
Once the city's renovation and revitalization of Campus Martius Park (the heart of Detroit in the late 19th century) was completed in 2004, the bustle returned to what was recently an unfairly neglected spot. The fourth Friday of every month during summer features live music, there's ice skating (with skate rental) in the winter, and the requisite people-watching to be done with your grandkids all year round.
Info: Admission: ages 13-49 $7, 50+ $6, 12 and under $6; Skate Rentals: $3
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11AM-10PM, Friday 11AM-12AM, Saturday 10AM-12AM, Sunday 12PM-8PM; Rink: January 2-March 11 Monday-Thursday 11AM-9PM, Friday 11AM-11PM, Saturday 10AM-11PM, Sunday 12PM-8PM
Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen
Outdoor Fun
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
