Ann Arbor was founded in 1827 by land speculators John Allen and Elisha Rumsey.The name came from both of their spouses’ first names (Ann) and the string of trees which aligned what was then a village (Arbor). In 1937 40 acres was accepted as the site of The University of Michigan, one of the more dominant public learning institutions in the world. A few years later in 1839 with the arrival of Michigan Central Railroad Ann Arbor became the regional transportation hub bringing people from all different cultures into the city.

U OF M SPORTS

For those who are only in it for the sports then this is the place to be. Ann Arbor has a major scene of college sports at the University of Michigan a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is the second largest American football stadium in the world with a seating capacity of 106,201 giving its deserved name of “The Big House.” Other sports arenas in Ann Arbor include the Crisler Arena hosting the school’s basketball teams and the Yost Ice Arena holding the school’s ice hockey teams.

SCHOOLS OF ANN ARBOR

Including the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is also known for their highly recommended grade schools. There are variouselementary, middle schools, and high schools to choose from averaging an 81.5% in reading proficiency and 77.5 in math proficiency.The most popular of the high schools are Pioneer High, Huron, and Skyline having the higher percentages in testing then other high schools in the surrounding area. If you want your children to have a great education in an urban setting then Ann Arbor is the place to be.

CULTURE IN ANN ARBOR

Many of the cultural attractions and events in Ann Arbor are sponsored by the University including several performing arts groups and facilities dedicated to natural history and sciences. For the regional and local performing arts groups the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theatre, and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra are all great places to see traditional and non traditional works of art. For those who are interested in the history or more interactive sites the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is the place to be. This museum is great for all ages child to adult everyone has a great time. The museum is located in the renovated and expanded historic downtown fire station and contains more than 250 exhibits to experiment with. The exhibits range from science to history and most popular the technology. If say someone is in a more literary interest in the city the first place to stop is the Ann Arbor District Library which maintains four branch outlets in addition to its main downtown location.

ANN ARBOR ART FAIR

Downtown is definitely the place to be in Ann Arbor with it’s many different shops, street performers, festivals, and great restaurants with a large variety or ethnic foods. One of the more popular festivals held in Ann Arbor is the yearly anticipated Ann Arbor Art Fair. This fair has been celebrated since 1960 and still holds its reputation centered on performing and visual arts. A set of four concurrent juried fairs is involved in the whole event all held on the downtown streets. The artsy festival is held annually during the third week of July Wednesday through Saturday drawing nearly half a million visitors. Not only does the art fair have tons of unique pieces of art but it has tons of great food everywhere you turn. Don’t think that you’ll be going hungry that week with all of the different varieties of food to taste from so many different cultures. The hardest part of that festival is choosing what you’re taste buds want to try next!

A WONDERFUL TOWN

With many more interesting facts, history, art, culture, environment, and great food gives Ann Arbor it’s wonderful and unique place to live and visit. There’s a little something for everybody in this glorious town. Once you visit Ann Arbor you won’t want to leave. It’s understood why they say “Ann Arbor is 25 square miles surrounded by reality.” Couldn’t describe this glorious city any better than that.