Taking day trips and/or field trips are a great way to see the sights without having to incur the expense of an overnight stay. We live in Southeast Michigan and these stops are approximately 1-2.5 hours from where we live. Any longer than 2.5 hours is a long time for us to be in the car for just a day long trip.
Some of our favorite Michigan spots:
1. Frankenmuth – Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” – A fun family day destination. Enjoy a chicken dinner, wander around the downtown, and take a horse drawn carriage ride. Bob and I both grew up with an annual trek to Frankenmuth.
2. Tiger Stadium – One of the best baseball stadiums around, not to mention the Tigers are a great baseball team.
3. Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum – We have been members for many years. Our kids never get tired of walking around the village, riding the train, and learning how life used to be.
One of the highlights of a recent trip was making candles. Another favorite is watching the old time baseball games. They play with the old time rules and the kids get to run bases after the games.
4. Potter Park Zoo – A small, friendly zoo. Especially good for younger children. Can easily be done in just a few hours.
5. Lionel Visitor Center – Any train aficionado will love this destination. It’s an all volunteer endeavor, with different train layouts to view.
6. Meijer Gardens and Sculptural Park– Paved pathways make this an easy place to spend a long day, or if time is limited a quick stop. Offering a Farm Garden and a Children’s Garden.
7. Michigan Science Center – formerly known as the Detroit Science Center, it closed briefly and reopened as Michigan Science Center. They offer Homeschool “HIP” Days for all grades. Also a Kids Town and a Planetarium.
8. Detroit Museum of Art – Detroit has had it’s share of bad luck and misfortune, but the downtown is slowly but surely attempting to turn around. We have visited the DIA on family nights and they will hand out large clipboards and chairs for the kids to practice their sketching.
9. University of Michigan Museum of Natural History – This has been a frequent stop for us. Jacob even had a birthday party at the museum when he turned 6. There is a planetarium, dinosaur exhibit and a wildlife exhibit featuring many native Michigan animals. It’s interesting enough for big kids, yet manageable enough in size for younger kids.
Ann Arbor is fun town to explore and one of our favorite pizza restaurants, Pizza House, is nearby.
10. Michigan Adventure – This is a must do for the thrill seekers in your family, especially the younger thrill seekers who aren’t yet tall enough to ride some of the bigger rides at larger amusement parks. One price for admission to the water park as well as the rides is also a bonus. We spent a majority of the day at the water park and then hit a bunch of rides on the way out.
Check out my favorite road trip tips and our 5 Favorite Michigan Family Weekend Getaways!
What is your favorite field trip and/or day trip?
Great post, Jen! As you know, I am a big fan of day trips, field trips, and weekend get aways. Wish I lived closer to Michigan, I know exactly what I’d be doing next 😉
Good stuff in Michigan! Love field trips…I am definitely a “go see it” homeschooling Mom. Hope the weather is warming up around there!
I want to come on a field trip near you! You know we are big “day trippers” around here. We don’t travel much at all, but we love exploring our little corner of the world. The thing that surprises me is how many people I run across who travel all over, yet never take time to see the sights near home. I also loved your travel tips post. So many good ideas!
I agree, it’s important to see the “close to home” sights too!