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Museums and Educational Attractions in Detroit, MI
Explore›Detroit, MI›Museums and Educational Attractions

A day out that teaches something.

Museums and Educational Attractions in Detroit, MI

We list 22 museums and educational attractions across the Detroit area. Compare prices, hours and age ranges in one place, then pick the one that fits your day. Admission runs $2 to $26, based on the 8 here that publish a price.

22 museums and educational attractions in the Detroit area

Find a museum in Detroit

22 museums and educational attractions in the Detroit area.

Sorted by distance from Detroit, nearest first. Straight-line miles, so every drive is longer.

22 places

Cranbrook Institute of Science

Cranbrook Institute of Science

Museums · Ages 3–12
Today 10am–5pm · Admission $15
Accepts ASTC Passport ProgramAccepts NARM

Cranbrook Institute of Science is a science museum located in Bloomfield, Michigan, offering exhibits alongside the Acheson Planetarium and Cranbrook Observatory…

RestroomsFood availableParking
7.6 mi View place
Cranbrook Art Museum

Cranbrook Art Museum

Museums
Today 11am–5pm · Free admission
Accepts NARM

Cranbrook Art Museum presents changing exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and design within a landmark 319-acre campus of architecture, gardens, and…

8 mi View place
The J – Detroit

The J – Detroit

Museums · Ages 1–16
Today 7am–8pm · No price listed

The J is a vibrant community center in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, offering year-round activities and programming tailored to Jewish families in…

RestroomsFood availableChanging tables
8.1 mi View place
Arab American National Museum

Arab American National Museum

Museums
Today 10am–5pm · Admission from $5
Accepts NARM

Since opening its doors in 2005, the Arab American National Museum (AANM) remains the nation’s only cultural institution that documents, preserves and presents the…

11.3 mi View place
Live Coal

Live Coal

Museums · Ages 3–12
Today 11am–3pm · Admission from $2

Live Coal is an interactive children's art museum and gallery located in Detroit, Michigan, dedicated to the collection and exhibition of children's art. Families…

Wheelchair accessible
11.9 mi View place
Detroit Historical Society

Detroit Historical Society

Museums · Ages 6–16
Today 10am–5pm · Admission $8
Accepts Time TravelersAccepts ROAMAccepts NARM

The Detroit Historical Society runs the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown, where kids can walk through the recreated Streets of Old Detroit and explore hands-on…

13.4 mi View place
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Museums
Today 9am–5pm · Admission $12
Accepts NARM

A museum dedicated to African American history and culture, occupying a large building in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Families can explore dozens of permanent…

13.7 mi View place
Michigan Science Center

Michigan Science Center

Museums · Ages 1–16
Today 10am–4pm · No price listed
Accepts ASTC Passport Program

Michigan Science Center is a hands-on science museum located in Detroit, Michigan. Families can explore themed galleries such as Kids Town, Space Gallery, Health…

RestroomsFood availableParking
13.7 mi View place
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Museums
Today 11am–5pm · Admission $12
Accepts ROAMAccepts NARM

A contemporary art museum in Detroit showing exhibitions that connect local and international artists. The museum runs family days with art-making activities tied…

13.8 mi View place
Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD)

Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD)

Museums
Today 11am–4pm · No price listed
Accepts ROAM

A design museum in Detroit exploring how thoughtful design shapes everyday life and culture. Visitors encounter exhibitions about design's role in wellness, sports…

14.5 mi View place
Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions

Museums · Ages 6–16
Today 10am–9pm · Admission from $26

Museum of Illusions in Detroit, Michigan is an edutainment museum featuring fascinating illusions and visual experiences designed for all ages. Visitors can…

RestroomsFood availableParking
15 mi View place
Warbirds Of Glory Museum

Warbirds Of Glory Museum

Museums
Closed today · No price listed

Warbirds of Glory Museum is a nonprofit aviation museum focused on the restoration of World War II era aircraft, including a B-25J Mitchell bomber recovered from…

17.3 mi View place
Michigan Flight Museum & Air Adventures

Michigan Flight Museum & Air Adventures

Museums · Ages 3–16
Today 10am–4pm · No price listed
Accepts ASTC Passport Program

Michigan Flight Museum & Air Adventures is an aviation museum located at Willow Run Airport in Belleville, Michigan. Families can explore exhibits featuring an…

RestroomsFood availableParking
19 mi View place
The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum

The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum

Museums
Today 10am–8pm · No price listed
Accepts AHS Garden NetworkAccepts ROAM

The University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum bring together indoor and outdoor plant collections, gardens and natural areas…

21 mi View place
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

Museums
Today 9am–5pm · Admission $5
Accepts AHS Garden NetworkAccepts ROAM

A historic lakeside estate near Detroit where visitors can tour the house, explore galleries about the Ford family, dine at an on-site restaurant, and walk the…

21.2 mi View place
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

Museums · Ages 3–12
Today 10am–4pm · Free admission
Accepts ASTC Passport Program

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, located in the Biological Sciences Building on N University Ave in Ann Arbor, MI, offers families a…

RestroomsFood availableParking
26 mi View place
Selfridge Military Air Museum

Selfridge Military Air Museum

Museums
Closed today · Free admission

This museum sits on the active Selfridge Air National Guard Base and preserves the history of Michigan's Air National Guard through military aircraft and related…

26.1 mi View place
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan

Museums
Today 10am–4pm · Free admission
Accepts ROAM

A museum at the University of Michigan holding more than 100,000 artifacts from ancient Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern cultures. Around 1,500…

26.3 mi View place
University of Michigan Museum of Art

University of Michigan Museum of Art

Museums
Today 10am–5pm · Free admission
Accepts NARM

An art museum at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that welcomes visitors of all backgrounds. Families can explore changing exhibitions and view works from…

26.3 mi View place
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Museums
Today 10am–4pm · Free admission
Accepts NARM

A museum at the University of Michigan holding over 100,000 ancient artifacts, with roughly 1,500 on display at any time. The collections focus on the…

26.4 mi View place
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Museums · Ages 1–12
Today 10am–5pm · No price listed
Accepts ASTC Passport ProgramAccepts ACM Reciprocal Network

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is located in downtown Ann Arbor and features 10 different exhibit areas designed for interactive exploration and discovery. Families can…

Playground on siteRestroomsFood available
26.4 mi View place
African American Cultural & Historical Museum

African American Cultural & Historical Museum

Museums · Ages 6–16
Closed today · No price listed
Accepts ROAM

A museum in Ann Arbor dedicated to African American history and culture in Washtenaw County. Families can explore exhibits that feature local stories…

28.4 mi View place
Nothing here matches that combination. Clear a filter, or browse everything in Detroit.

5 of 22 museums and educational attractions

Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.

Before you go

Quick answers for busy parents.

Look for a free day or eveningMany museums run one. It is the busiest time, but it is free.
Ask for the children’s trailMost have a backpack, a trail sheet or a hunt, and most keep them behind the desk rather than advertising them.
Check which galleries suit your childA museum can be brilliant for a nine-year-old and a long hour for a three-year-old. The website usually says which rooms are hands-on.
Bags and coatsLarger museums require a cloakroom for anything big, which is worth knowing before you carry it round.
Other things to do in Detroit
Amusement Parks Arcades Bowling Alleys Family Entertainment Centers Historic Sites Ice Skating Rinks Indoor Playgrounds Mini Golf Outdoor Pools and Water Parks Roller Skating Rinks Science and Discovery Centers Trampoline Parks Zoos and Aquariums
Museums and Educational Attractions in nearby cities
Chicago, IL Washington DC Philadelphia, PA New Jersey New York, NY Westchester, NY Minneapolis, MN Long Island, NY

Common questions about museums and educational attractions in Detroit

How many museums and educational attractions are there in Detroit?

We list 22 museums and educational attractions within 42 miles of Detroit, MI. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.

Which museums and educational attractions in Detroit publish their prices?

14 of the 22 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.

Are any museums and educational attractions in Detroit free?

Yes. 5 places get you in free: Cranbrook Art Museum, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, Selfridge Military Air Museum, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan and University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Which museums and educational attractions in Detroit suit a toddler?

3 of them list an age range starting at two or under. Check the age line on each card, because a place that suits a six-year-old does not always suit a two-year-old.

How did Mini Navigators choose these museums and educational attractions?

We list every one we have within 42 miles of the center of Detroit. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.

Do adults have to pay?

It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. 14 of the 22 on this page publish a price at all, so call ahead about the adult rate before you rely on it.

Do I need to book ahead?

Free museums often still ask you to reserve a slot, and special exhibitions almost always do. Where a venue publishes a booking page, the listing links straight to it.

What should I bring?

Water and a snack for outside. Many museums do not allow food in the galleries. Whatever else you need is in the notes beside the listings above.

What else is there to do with kids in Detroit?

Detroit has 14 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The Detroit hub lists all of them.

Listings last checked 11/03/2026.

Explore related activities in Detroit

Amusement Parks 7 places Arcades 26 places Bowling Alleys 38 places

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