With the extreme heat this week, indoor air-conditioned locations are definitely the best choice for family fun, especially if you don’t have air conditioning at home. We’ve got a nice mix of FREE activities (indoor and out) as well as some splurge activities with a modest cost.
Indoor Free Activities to Cool Off in Ann Arbor
Libraries are Perfect for Heat Waves
Most local libraries are designated cooling centers during a heat wave. They really are a perfect spot! Beyond the stacks of books, they have so much to offer. You can hunt for Summer Game codes inside the AADL branches. Attend fun craft, music, and story time events. Check out the kids activities. Find books to complete your summer reading challenges and then find a cozy corner to curl up and read.
Visit Museums for FREE!!
Most of our local museums are air conditioned. The UM Museums are free to visit. The Natural History Museum is always fun for kids of all ages. The Keslsey Museum of Archaeology and the UM Museum of Art are also good choices for older kids.
If you have a museum membership to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum or Firehouse Museum, that museum is free to visit. You can also use the Michigan Activity Pass with your library card to check out a free ticket to the Michgian Flight Museum (formerly Yankee Air Museum).
Indoor Activities with an Entrance Fee to Cool Off Near Ann Arbor
Indoor Play near Ann Arbor
There are several options for indoor play near Ann Arbor that will keep your kids cool.
Hide and Seek: A Play Boutique and Recess are great for young kids. Sadly Hide and Seek will be closing at the end of July – so its a great time to schedule a final visit or two.
For more active kids, consider Launch, Just Play, or We Rock the Spectrum.
Chill out at the Movie Theater
The movie theater is always a great way to chill out. It’s usually so cold, you may even need a sweatshirt or blanket
Check out the summer movie series at Cinemark or Emagine. Or, check out a new release -especially if you go on $5 Tuesdays at Emagine.
Now Playing
Moana opens this weekend.
- Moana – PG
- Minions & Monsters – PG
- Supergirl – PG-13
- Toy Story 5 – PG
- Disclosure Day – PG-13
- Young Washington – PG-13
- Masters of the Universe – PG-13
Emagine’s summer movie is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 through July 16. Then switches to The Bad Guys 2. The Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse has Dog Man next week (Wednesday & Thursday, July 15 & 16)
Upcoming Movies
Check out the list of movies coming soon for kids, teens, and families.
- July 17 – The Odyssey (We listed this before a rating was announced. It is rated R, so not recommended for children)
- July 31 – Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- August 14 – PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie
Bowling, Arcades, and More
A bowling alley is a great place to cool off – especially if you sing the kids up for Kids Bowl Free.
Head to a local arcade like Pinball Pete’s. Or go beyond the arcade with fun at BIG.
Museums with Admission Fees
Other museums in the area are an option like
Ice Skating
Take the cold to the extreme and cool off at a local ice rink. While Buhr Park, Veterans Memorail Park, and Yost are all closed for the season there are a few options open this summer.
Biggby Ice Cube (Ann Arbor & Chelsea) offer Family Open Skate on select afternoons in the summer. They don’t have a consistent schedule. Check their website for the Ann Arbor or Chelsea schedule and register in advance (or via the QR code when you arrive).
Later in the summer, check out Arctic Edge in Canton. Unfortunately, they have no public skate from June 28-July 16, so they aren’t an option for the June 30-July 2 heat wave.
Beat the Heat Wave Outdoor Options Near Ann Arbor
If you have to be outdoors, look for water options perferrably with shade near by!
It’s perfect timing that the Splash Pad at Bicentennial Park opened on June 24, just before the heatwave. You can also check out the LSNC Water Play Area. There are also free splash pads at Wilson Park in Milan and in Canton. Or splurge on an outing to a pool or water park.
You can also get out on the water by tubing or kayaking. Tubing will probably keep you cooler since you’ll be in the water- unless you flip the kayak in the cascades as I have a tendency to do.
We were just at the UM Museum of Natural History last week and I wanted to point out that it is not air-conditioned. It wasn’t too bad in there because they have large fans setup, but only the planetarium has A/C.
Thanks, I guess I just assumed it would be to protect the collections. I’m pretty sure the Kelsey & Art Museum are.
We are having a Story Time featuring an experienced teacher at Ten thousand Villages on August 22 at 10:30am featuring our unique recycled products with a story that relates to the product or country. We hope to make this a regular event in our store on Monday mornings beginning in September. We hope the Ann Arbor Kids followers will support our kick off event!