Things to Do Alone in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor is a university town where much of the good stuff costs nothing: several University of Michigan museums are free, so is the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and the public can play the Kerrytown Chime. This guide puts those together with a deli, an art centre and a few trails for one person.

Last checked 2026-11-01. Facts come from Destination Ann Arbor, the city's tourism board, and from each venue's own site.

Free rooms on the university side

Destination Ann Arbor's free-fun page lists the University of Michigan Museum of Art at 525 S State Street and the U-M Museum of Natural History and Planetarium at 1109 N University Avenue among museums with free admission (Destination Ann Arbor: free things to do). Opening hours are on each museum's own website, so check them before you set out.

A museum with free entry is a gentle way to practise: you can stay for ten minutes or three hours. See how to visit a museum alone.

Green space, with or without a bike

Matthaei Botanical Gardens. At 1800 N Dixboro Road, admission is always free. The listing describes indoor conservatories with tropical plants, themed outdoor gardens and miles of nature trails, and calls it a relaxing stop any time of year, especially when the weather does not cooperate.

Nichols Arboretum. Known as "The Arb", it is at 1610 Washington Heights, near the hospital and downtown. It has trails, a riverfront and a picnic area, and the tourism board mentions colourful fall foliage.

Border-to-Border Trail. The B2B is a 42-mile, 10-foot-wide, accessible paved path made of six corridors, with Huron River views and wooded stretches. It is a good place to choose a direction and keep going.

All three entries come from the same Destination Ann Arbor page.

The Kerrytown corner

Kerrytown Market and Shops. At 407 N 5th Avenue, the site lists Monday to Wednesday 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday and Friday 10 am to 7 pm, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. Individual shop and restaurant hours may vary (Kerrytown).

Kerrytown Chime. At the same address, the public is invited to play the Kerrytown Chime on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 12:30 pm and on Saturdays from 10:30 to 11 am (Kerrytown: about). Playing a public instrument is a bold first for a solo outing.

Zingerman's. Destination Ann Arbor describes Zingerman's Delicatessen at 422 Detroit Street (opened in 1982) and Miss Kim at 415 N 5th Avenue, a Korean restaurant that opened in 2016 (Zingerman's guide). A deli counter is the classic solo meal: order, take a seat, eat. For more, see how to eat alone in public.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market. The tourism board says it is open year-round, and that Argus Farm Stop has two locations (farms and farmers markets). Check the market's current hours before you go.

Make something, or walk the streets

Ann Arbor Art Center (A2AC). At 117 W Liberty Street, the centre lists Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. From 6 November to 24 December it extends hours to Monday to Thursday 10 am to 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm (page updated 8 October 2026). Its menu lists upcoming classes, a drop-in Figure Drawing session and Creative Pours (A2AC hours, A2AC). A class gives you a table, a teacher and a task, which makes it easier than an open-ended social event.

Murals and fairy doors. Destination Ann Arbor suggests a treasure hunt for murals and sculptures downtown, and another for the Urban Fairy Doors, found at places including Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea, the Ann Arbor District Library, The Ark, Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and the Michigan Theater.

Coffee. The tourism board names RoosRoast, Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea and Lab Cafe as local coffee shops (coffee shops).

Ann Arbor District Library. The AADL has downtown, Malletts Creek, Pittsfield, Traverwood and Westgate locations, and its home page links a November culture roundup of music, theatre and art (AADL).

Four districts to choose from

Destination Ann Arbor describes four downtown districts: Kerrytown, Main Street, South University and State Street. Kerrytown is best known for Zingerman's Deli; Main Street has restaurants, cocktail bars, music venues and galleries; State Street has historic architecture and theatre (downtown districts). Pick one district per outing.

Three first outings

1. Easy: coffee at a downtown shop, then a free museum.
2. Medium: Matthaei Botanical Gardens or a walk in the Arb.
3. Bolder: a class at the Art Center, or playing the Kerrytown Chime on a Saturday at 10:30 am.

Solo Era for iPhone

Take a walk in a park or forest

Solo Era has a movement mission at level 1: "Take a walk in a park or forest." Choose a maintained public path in daylight and take an easy solo walk. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Nichols Arboretum and the Border-to-Border Trail are free places on this page to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More cities are in the cities hub. For a nearby big city, see Detroit, and for planning a first outing in an unfamiliar place see things to do alone in a new city.

Details change; check the venue before you go.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

• Destination Ann Arbor: free things to do
• Destination Ann Arbor: Zingerman's
• Destination Ann Arbor: farms and farmers markets
• Destination Ann Arbor: coffee shops
• Destination Ann Arbor: downtown
• Kerrytown Market and Shops and Kerrytown: about (chime)
• Ann Arbor Art Center: location and hours
• Ann Arbor District Library

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.