Ann Arbor, Michigan

The city of Ann Arbor is located in southeastern Michigan, 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of Detroit. It is the county seat of Washtenaw County, and home to 114,024 permanent residents, as well as an additional 42,000 college students.

The University of Michigan and other post-secondary institutions have played a large role in defining Ann Arbor's character, and also contributed many of the city's best attractions. The University of Michigan is responsible for the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Zoology, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, the Stearns Musical Collection, and the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry, which houses 10,000 artifacts from the 1700s to the 1960s, and is one of the only museums in the world dedicated to the preservation of dental history.

Kids will enjoy a visit to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, which offers more than 250 interactive exhibits. Want to brush up on your local history? Head to the Museum on Main Street, the living history museum at Cobblestone Farm, or the African American Cultural and Historical Museum.

Art buffs will be delighted by both the quality and sheer number of galleries found in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan Museum of Art houses one of the largest university art collections in the US, while the Gallery at Duderstadt Center highlights the work of University of Michigan students, including digital art and other new media. The Washington Street Gallery and Ann Arbor Art Center showcase the works of regional artists, and the Ave Maria Fine Art Gallery holds monthly exhibitions with more than 200 art pieces.

On the performing arts front, Ann Arbor is home to the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, Ballet Theater, and the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet. Local venues include the Michigan Theater, the Kerrytown Concert House, and the Performance Network, an award-winning theater that offers new and non-traditional plays.

Many exciting special events take place throughout the year, including the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the Taste of Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, which features three-and-a-half weeks of concerts, plays, and films. Music lovers will be delighted by the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the Blues and Jazz Festival, and Edgefest, a festival of avant-garde and progressive jazz. The city is also home to some unorthodox annual traditions, such as Hash Bash in support of reforming marijuana laws, the Naked Mile run, and the Shopping Cart Race.

Looking for a breath of fresh air? Gallup Park offers 69 acres (28 hectares) of recreational areas, including scenic walkways, running/cycling trails, playgrounds, and small islands scattered across Geddes Pond. Another beautiful outdoor destination is the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. This 350-acre (142-hectare) site has outdoor nature trails that lead through a variety of native habitats, along with an indoor conservatory that features exotic and rare plants from around the world.

Looking for an artistic, progressive, and vibrant city to call home? Then Ann Arbor may be the place for you!

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