Ann Arbor Scavenger Hunt

48 free finds on the Diag, in the Arb, on Main Street and in Kerrytown, and by the Huron River.

Ann Arbor Scavenger Hunt

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on public paths, lawns and sidewalks; keep out of campus buildings.
  2. Keep back from the river and well back from rail lines; cross streets only at marked crossings.
  3. Buy nothing, pick nothing and climb nothing.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team without asking.
  1. A clock tower that holds 53 bellsBurton Memorial Tower, built in 1936, holds the world's fourth-heaviest carillon, 43 tons of bells. Write the time on its clock.
  2. A big letter set into the Diag's pavementWrite the letter and its color.
  3. A concert hall that seats 3,500Hill Auditorium opened in 1913. Count the doors across its front.
  4. A squirrel on the DiagCount the squirrels you see in two minutes. Feed none.
  5. A 1909 war memorial that holds an art museumAlumni Memorial Hall was built for alumni who died in the Civil War; the art museum is inside. Count the columns at its door.
  6. Paths crossing a lawn on the diagonalThe Diag is the oldest part of the campus and is named for its diagonal sidewalks. Count the paths that meet in the middle.
  7. A black steel cube balanced on one cornerThe Cube is 15 feet on each side, weighs 2,400 pounds and spins. Push it gently as a team, fingers clear of the base.
  8. An 1854 observatory on a hillThe Detroit Observatory, at Ann and Observatory Streets, was the university's first science building. Write the shape of its roof.
  9. A student union from 1917The Michigan Union stands at State Street and South University Avenue. Copy the words carved over its door.
  10. The oldest building on campusThe President's House at 815 South University is one of the four original faculty houses. It is a home: tick it from the sidewalk.

Next step On a campus? The college huntTurn it into a photo hunt

How it works

A steel cube that spins when you push it, tiny fairy doors and 350 kinds of peonies: this Ann Arbor scavenger hunt holds 48 finds in four areas, each free to see.

Read the full guide

Start on the Diag

The Diag and campus opens first. Nichols Arboretum is a short walk east, Main Street and Kerrytown lie west and north, and The Huron River runs along the Arb to Gallup Park. Choose an area in the menu, then press Print this list.

Proof on paper

Most finds ask for a name, a count or a year, so teams prove a find by writing it. The note under each is the judging rule.

Tips
  • Come in late May or early June and the Arb's peony garden is in bloom: the best week of the year for this hunt.

Questions and answers

Can you do a free scavenger hunt in Ann Arbor?

Yes. Every find is seen from campus paths, the Arb, sidewalks and riverside trails. Museums and theaters are ticked from outside, canoes are watched, not rented, and nothing needs a ticket or a purchase.

Is this hunt good for a University of Michigan visit?

Yes. The Diag list covers the Cube, Burton Tower, Hill Auditorium and the oldest building on campus. Stay on paths and out of classrooms and dorms.

Is it good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. Fairy doors downtown and the playgrounds at Gallup Park suit young children best. Keep back from the river bank and well back from rail lines.

More tools

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All 48 finds

The Diag and campus 12

  • A 1909 war memorial that holds an art museum Alumni Memorial Hall was built for alumni who died in the Civil War; the art museum is inside. Count the columns at its door.
  • A big letter set into the Diag's pavement Write the letter and its color.
  • A black steel cube balanced on one corner The Cube is 15 feet on each side, weighs 2,400 pounds and spins. Push it gently as a team, fingers clear of the base.
  • A clock tower that holds 53 bells Burton Memorial Tower, built in 1936, holds the world's fourth-heaviest carillon, 43 tons of bells. Write the time on its clock.
  • A concert hall that seats 3,500 Hill Auditorium opened in 1913. Count the doors across its front.
  • A library door near the Diag The university's libraries hold more than 14 million volumes. Count the steps up to the door.
  • A museum of ancient objects on central campus The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology holds more than 100,000 ancient and medieval objects. Tick it from the sidewalk.
  • A squirrel on the Diag Count the squirrels you see in two minutes. Feed none.
  • A student union from 1917 The Michigan Union stands at State Street and South University Avenue. Copy the words carved over its door.
  • An 1854 observatory on a hill The Detroit Observatory, at Ann and Observatory Streets, was the university's first science building. Write the shape of its roof.
  • The oldest building on campus The President's House at 815 South University is one of the four original faculty houses. It is a home: tick it from the sidewalk.
  • Paths crossing a lawn on the diagonal The Diag is the oldest part of the campus and is named for its diagonal sidewalks. Count the paths that meet in the middle.
Show all 48 finds (36 more)

Nichols Arboretum 12

  • A bench looking over the Arb's valley Sit and write three sounds you hear.
  • A bird you can hear but not see Copy its call in letters.
  • A brick house from 1837 that was moved a mile The Burnham House was moved to the Arb in 1998 and is now its education center. Write its color.
  • A deep ravine running down to the river Part of it was once called Schoolgirls' Glen. Write whether water runs in it today.
  • A flowering dogwood It grows wild under the big trees. Sketch its flower or a leaf.
  • A garden of heirloom peonies The Upjohn Peony Garden holds about 350 kinds, the largest such collection in North America, blooming late May to early June. Out of season, count the beds.
  • A hawthorn with long thorns Many of the Arb's hawthorns date from the 1920s. Count the thorns on one twig without touching.
  • A long valley that ends in trees The Main Valley was laid out as a long view by designer O. C. Simonds. Stand at the top and write the farthest thing you see.
  • A patch of tall prairie grass Stand beside it and write how high it reaches on you.
  • A tree with a name label in the Arb The Arb grows 110 kinds of trees. Copy one label.
  • An oak that could be 100 years old The Arb's oldest oaks are 75 to 119 years old. Find a big one and count the lobes on one leaf.
  • The Huron River at the bottom of the Arb Keep back from the bank; write which way it flows.

Main Street and Kerrytown 12

  • A 1927 movie palace sign The Michigan Theater seats 1,610 and still has its 1927 pipe organ. Copy one word from its sign.
  • A bike rack shaped like something Write what shape it is.
  • A clock on a post over a Main Street sidewalk Write whether it shows the right time.
  • A farmers market that started in 1919 It moved to its Kerrytown site in 1921. Count the rows of stalls; buy nothing.
  • A firehouse from 1882 The old Central Fire Station served until 1978 and now holds the Hands-On Museum. Write the color of its bricks.
  • A maize-and-blue banner Count the ones on a single block.
  • A painted wall down a side alley Write its biggest color. Stay in the open with your team.
  • A second old theater sign nearby The State Theater is run with the Michigan Theater. Write its colors.
  • A sidewalk chalk drawing Write what it shows. Add nothing.
  • A tiny fairy door in a shop wall Ann Arbor's small doors often copy the doors of the buildings they sit on. Write what is behind or beside yours; leave it as found.
  • A year near the top of a Main Street building Write the oldest one you find.
  • Brick streets in Kerrytown Kerrytown is known for its brick streets and sidewalks. Count the bricks across one step.

The Huron River 12

  • A boat launch ramp Write whether anything is launching.
  • A fishing sign by the water Copy one rule from it.
  • A footbridge over the Huron Stop in the middle and count the boats you can see.
  • A heron standing in shallow water Write how long it stayed still.
  • A marker for the Border-to-Border Trail The trail runs across Washtenaw County. Copy what the marker says.
  • A playground by the river Gallup Park's playgrounds are built for every ability. Find one thing your whole team can use.
  • A train crossing near the river Watch from well back and count its cars.
  • An old power dam on the Huron Argo Dam made electricity from 1920 to 1959. Write one thing people do on the water behind it today.
  • Canoes on the water at Gallup Park Gallup Park is the busiest in the city's park system. Count the canoes; this list does not rent one.
  • Ducks paddling near the bank Count them. Feed none.
  • Slow water between mud banks The Huron is a slow, low river with mud banks, 130 miles long. Write whether you can see the bottom.
  • Water pouring over a spillway Stay back; rate how loud it is from 1 to 5.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the University of Michigan's central campus, in Nichols Arboretum, on Main Street and in Kerrytown, and along the Huron River, sorted by area, all scored from public paths, lawns and sidewalks with nothing bought, no boat hired and no ticket. Nothing was copied from another list; no shop, restaurant or bar is named. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates, sizes and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Ann_Arbor,_Michigan, The_Diag, Endover, Burton_Memorial_Tower, Hill_Auditorium, President%27s_House,_University_of_Michigan, University_of_Michigan_Museum_of_Art, Michigan_Union, Detroit_Observatory, University_of_Michigan_Library, Kelsey_Museum_of_Archaeology, Nichols_Arboretum, Huron_River, Fairy_door, Michigan_Theater_(Ann_Arbor,_Michigan), Kerrytown,_Ann_Arbor, Ann_Arbor_Hands-On_Museum, Argo_Dam and Gallup_Park. Licence: own work