 |
| Welcome to the Big House! |
Rest easy my friends, we got you covered.
This is our humble visitors guide to the Ann Arbor area for college football visitors. Here you will find information on travel, hotels, restaurants, attractions, and of course any relevant game day info such as traffic, parking, and what you can expect to typically encounter on any given autumn Saturday at the University of Michigan.
~
How to get here |
| Click to make bigger |
Ann Arbor is located approx. 25 miles west of Detroit. From the south or east, US 23 will be how you get here from Ohio and all points directly south. You can also head north from Toledo on I-75. Take that to I-275 north and hop on I-94 west for about 15 minutes.
If you're coming in from Chicago and points west, I-94 is the way to go.
By plane
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) serves the Ann Arbor/Detroit and southeast Michigan region. Flights are plentiful and there are many car rental agencies to choose from. Taxi's are an option, or Metro Car if you prefer a Town Car to shuttle you around.
The AATA offers bus service to and from Ann Arbor and DTW for $12 each way.
By rail
Amtrak has a station conveniently located right in the heart of Ann Arbor. I've ridden the Wolverine Line that runs between Detroit and Chicago a couple times and I can attest that it's not a terrible way to go just as long as your schedule is flexible. The trains
Where to stay
 |
| Click to make bigger |
For most out-of-towners traveling by car, hotel options are plentiful in and especially around town. The beauty of the hotel locations around Ann Arbor is the Football Ride offered by the AATA that shuttles fans via city buses to and from hotel locations and the stadium on game-days for $3 roundtrip.
• The Briarwood Mall area, just off I-94, is home to many large chain hotels such as...
- Expended Stay America
- Holiday Inn Express
- Kensington Court
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Towne Place Suites
- Holiday Inn & Suites
- Residence Inn
- Hampton Inn
- Fairfield Inn
- Courtyard
- Comfort Inn & Suites
- Sheraton (where the team stays on Friday night)
- Red Roof Inn
• Other area hotels include...
- Weber's Inn and Clarion Hotel and Conference Center located on the west side of town.
- Victory Inn and Lamp Post Inn located on Washtenaw Ave on the east side of town.
If you need/want to stay closer to the Detroit area, there are many chain hotels, both expensive and cheap, located near Detroit Metro Airport.
Where to eat
For this section, we'll assume you're staying in and/or dining in Ann Arbor. Tastes vary wildly, so it's impossible to create a guide that will cover every one's particularities. But if this is your first trip to Ann Arbor and you're only going to be in town for one or two nights, then you certainly must experience many great restaurants in the downtown areas.
For a much more in-depth look at the Ann Arbor dining scene, I'll defer to the folks at visitannarbor.org. But a few of my favorite sports include...
Main Street Area
Here's where you'll find many higher-priced and moderately priced options. Main Street in Ann Arbor is among one of the best concentrations of fine dining options in the midwest. Many popular restaurants located on this street include Real Seafood Company, Palio, Gratzi, The Chop House and Conor O'Neill's.
Other spots that I can easily recommend are Rush Street, Jolly Pumpkin, Grizzly Peak Brewing Company, Cafe Zola, Arbor Brewing Company, The Arena and Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery.
Just north of the Main Street district is Kerrytown, home to more eclectic restaurants, and of course the world-famous Zingerman's Deli.
For your sweet tooth, I highly recommend Kilwin's Ice Cream on Liberty Street.
Campus Area
Closer to the State Street/South University area of downtown are some great campus-area restaurants and bars such as Scorekeepers, Brown Jug, Rick's, Ashley's, Good Time Charley's, Dominick's and the Blue Leprechaun.
And of course, my absolute favorite place to eat in Ann Arbor...Pizza House. Easily one of the best spots in town.
Not located anywhere near downtown, Cubs AC on South Industrial is closer to Michigan Stadium, and is a great place to grab a burger and a beer before or after the game.
Gameday Info: Parking, Festivities and Attractions
Alright, here we go...the good stuff.
Parking
Game day in Ann Arbor can be a hectic occasion. There are so many events that take place besides the game itself. For most, good ole' fashioned tailgating is where it's at. Thankfully, Ann Arbor boasts some great parking/tailgating locations.
Here's a handy chart of the major lots via mgoblue dot com. A PDF of the athletic campus, including lot designations, can be found here.
| PARKING LOT | FEE/PERMIT | LOCATION | ENTRY POINTS | TIME OPEN | RVs | DEPARTMENT |
| Blue Lot (+ Accessible Parking) | Permit Only | Crisler Center and off Green St. | Green St. and Stadium Blvd. | 6 a.m. | Yes | Athletic Dept. |
| Champions East | Permit Only | Within the Blue Lot | Green St. and Stadium Blvd | 6 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Champions North (+ Accessible Parking) | Permit Only | Keech & Main | Main Street | 6 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Grey Lot | Permit Only | Yost/Hartwig | Between Academic Center and Yost | 6 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Grey Lot | Permit Only | U-M Golf Course | Stadium Blvd. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Green Lot (+ Accessible Parking) | $50 (Gameday Cash Only) | U-M Golf Course | Stadium Blvd. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Pioneer High School - Car (General) | Permit or $50 | Pioneer High School | Main St. | -- | No | Ann Arbor Public Schools |
| Purple - Car (Reserved) | Permit Only | Pioneer High School | Main St. | -- | No | Ann Arbor Public Schools |
| Purple - RV | $250 | Pioneer High School | Main St. | 6 a.m. | Yes | Ann Arbor Public Schools |
| Purple - Bus (Day of game only) | $250 | Pioneer High School | Main St. | 6 a.m. | No | Ann Arbor Public Schools |
| Brown Lot - Car | Permit or $20 (Gameday Cash Only) | Varsity Tennis Center | State St. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Brown Lot - RV | $80 (Gameday Cash Only) | Varsity Tennis Center | State St. | 7 a.m. | Yes | Athletic Dept. |
| Maize Lot | $20 | Commuter Lot- South of Tennis | State St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Parking Services |
| U-M Driving Range | $25 | U-M Driving Range | Off S. Main St. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| U-M Golf Course (Stadium Blvd.) | $40 | U-M Golf Course | Stadium Blvd. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| U-M Golf Course (State St.) | $40 | U-M Golf Course | State St. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| U-M Golf Course (Main St.) | $40 | U-M Golf Course | Main St. | 7 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Ann Arbor Golf & Outing | $40/$50 | Ann Arbor Golf & Outing | Main St. & Stadium Blvd. | 8 a.m. | No | Athletic Dept. |
| Thompson St. Structure & Surface | $20 | West of West Quad | Thompson St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Parking Services |
| Coliseum | Permit Only | 5th & Hill St. | Hill St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Parking Services |
| Hill St. Parking Structure | $20 | Hill St. | Hill St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Parking Services |
| Division St. Surface Lot | Permit or $40 | Hill St. & Division | Hill St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Rec Sports |
| Hoover St. Gravel Lot | Permit Only | Hoover & Brown St. | Hoover St. | 8 a.m. | No | UM Parking Services |
From my personal experience, most, if not all of these lots are "tailgate friendly", which means you can safely consume adult beverages as long as you behave yourself. I've had the best experience parking at either Pioneer High School or the UofM Golf Course*. Both offer plenty of parking if you can show up a few hours before the game. Also, both are easy-in/easy-out via Main Street/Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, which will ONLY RUN ONE-WAY (AWAY FROM THE STADIUM TOWARD I-94) AFTER THE GAME.
The neighborhood west of Main and north of Stadium offers many folks who will offer up their yards to vehicles for about $20-$25. While this location is ideal, tailgating can sometimes be frowned upon by the local residents. This is a good option for park-and-walk.
A safe bet is to get to the stadium at least an hour before kickoff so you can assured to get to your seat in time. Lines going into each section can back up quickly in the pregame rush.
*Should it be raining or rain the night before, UofM Golf Course and Ann Arbor Golf and Outing will most likely be closed for gameday parking.
Festivities and Attractions
While the game is the focus of your trip, there's no reason not to enjoy yourself before and after the game as well. Gameday offers plenty of sights and sounds for any age group.
• The gates of the Big House will open 2 hours prior to kickoff. This is a great chance to get into the stadium early and make your way down towards the field or tunnel for photo ops as players warm up. You can make your way around the stadium concourse, pick up some merchandise, or just drink in the stadium atmosphere.
• For visiting fans with children, they might get a kick out of seeing the Michigan Marching Band/drumline warm up prior to the game. Approximately and hour and a half before kickoff, the Michigan Drumline will perform on the steps of Reveli Hall on Hoover Street. Get there early for a good spot.
Following the drumline's performance, the entire Michigan Band will then march up Hoover Street to Greene, through the parking lots towards the tunnel of Michigan Stadium.
The band does warm up early on gamedays (although I'm not sure exactly what time) at their practice field located across the street by Elbel Field.
• No matter how big the game is, there are always pregame festivities going on at the Pioneer High School parking lot. Live radio shows being recorded, fun events for kids, plenty of food vendors and more are located at the corner of Stadium and Main.
• If you're lucky enough to be in town when ESPN's College Gameday is taping their show, that's certainly worth showing up early for. Starting in 2013, the show will air live at 9AM and will run for 3 hours instead of 2 as in previous seasons. Locations vary depending on where they decide to set up.
• Aside from great restaurants around the Main Street area of downtown, you'll find many local shops and galleries that are certainly worth checking out. Make your way up to State Street and visit the Michigan Theater or State Theater. And the central campus area has many great sights such as the Diag, The Cube, the Bell Tower. There's also some very nice museums located around central campus as well.
~
Hopefully, this guide can at least give you a better idea of what to expect on game day at Michigan Stadium. Michigan fans have a reputation of being very hospitable to visiting fans (unless you're from that school in Ohio). Enjoy your visit!
If I missed anything (and I'm sure I did), shoot me an email at brad[at]maizenbluenation[dot]com.
