⇐ Return to MMA Homepage

Local Experiences

Join your colleagues and explore our host county by taking part in a variety of local experiences!

Offered on Monday, October 19th and Wednesday, October 21st, a variety of our conference host and partner institutions will be providing drop-in tours and/or ticketed experiences.

Experiences range from self-guided tours, guided tours, hands-on workshops, crafts, and more.

Unless otherwise noted, drop-in experiences are free with your conference badge. Experiences requiring pre-registration will indicate how to register in the description. 

Local Experiences may be added to the schedule until close of registration. 

Monday, October 19

Morning 


Monday, October 19

Afternoon


Wednesday, October 21

Afternoon


Self-Guided Tour of Troy Historic Village

Self-Guided Tour of Troy Historic Village 
60 W. Wattles Rd., Troy, MI 48098

Monday, October 19
9am-4pm

Wednesday, October 21

9am-4pm


Drop in for a self-guided tour of the Troy Historic Village! The Village includes ten historic buildings: Troy Township Hall (Main Building), Log Cabin, Caswell House, Poppleton School, General Store, Print Shop, Wagon Shop, Parsonage, Church, and Town Hall (Troy Union Schoolhouse). Try one of our scavenger hunts or just enjoy the history and the space. Staff will be happy to answer questions about buildings or programs as they are available. Show your conference nametag for entry.

Parking and Instructions: There is free parking onsite. 

Accessibility: The Village offers three accessible parking spaces in our west parking lot. All buildings have wheelchair-accessible entryways. Buildings are connected by a wide paved pathway. All public spaces in these buildings are wheelchair-accessible except for the second floor of the Parsonage. Some buildings have a bit of a bump over the threshold. Each building has its own scent. You might smell smoke when you are inside the Log Cabin or Wagon Shop because our staff sometimes build fires in those buildings during field trip programs and blacksmithing classes. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are available inside our General Store and Church; Gender-neutral/unisex restrooms are located inside the Church.

Visit the Cranbrook Institute of Science

Visit the Cranbrook Institute of Science

1 Institute Way, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304


Monday, October 19

8:30am-3:30pm

Drop in for a self-guided tour of the Cranbrook Institute of Science! This natural history museum features many interactive exhibits including a T-Rex skeleton cast, an astronomy gallery, a physics motion gallery, and a planetarium! Just show your conference badge for admission and see what discoveries await you. 

Parking & Instructions: Free parking is available onsite

Accessibility: 

Tours of the Cranbrook Educational Community

Tours of the Cranbrook Educational Community - Registration Required

39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304


Monday, October 19

1pm-4pm

Registration Instructions will be provided soon.

This afternoon experience will offer participants the opportunity to tour several areas of Cranbrook's campus in a circuit. Tour the campus by subject matter interest from collections management to historic homes and grounds. 

Tour options include: 

  • Cranbrook Institute of Science exhibitions and Collections/Planetarium Show  

  • Cranbrook House and Gardens  

  • Saarinen House Historic House Museum  

  • Collections Vaults & Archives Reading Room 

  • Cranbrook Art Museum Exhibitions  

  • Cranbrook Academy of Art & Schools Campus (Outdoor only), including sculptures 

Parking and Instructions: Free parking is available throughout the campus. 

Accessibility: This experience requires considerable walking and standing. Our best efforts will be made to ensure accessibility but there are several locations where stairs will be required.

The Basics of Blacksmithing

The Basics of Blacksmithing - Registration Required

Troy Historic Village

60 W. Wattles Rd., Troy, MI 48098

Monday, October 19
1pm-4pm

Registration instructions will be provided soon. 

Participants will get to work the forge and learn firsthand about this traditional trade. They will also learn about how the Village has developed this program over the years, developed a relationship with an artist in residence, and worked through everything from no-show students to shifting schedules. 


Our Blacksmith will go over basic safety, then lead the group through a project that they will be able to complete within the hour and take home with them. Participants can have conversations with our Adult Program Director about using our available spaces in the Village for artisan classes and promote traditional trades. 

Parking and Instructions: There is free parking onsite. 

Accessibility: The Village offers three accessible parking spaces in our west parking lot. All buildings have wheelchair-accessible entryways. Buildings are connected by a wide paved pathway. All public spaces in these buildings are wheelchair-accessible except for the second floor of the Parsonage. Some buildings have a bit of a bump over the threshold. Each building has its own scent. You might smell smoke when you are inside the Log Cabin or Wagon Shop because our staff sometimes build fires in those buildings during field trip programs and blacksmithing classes. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are available inside our General Store and Church; Gender-neutral/unisex restrooms are located inside the Church.

2026 Conference Partners


The Michigan Museums Association is supported in part by an award from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

MMA with conversation bubbles

313-334-7643

P.O. Box 5246

Cheboygan, MI 49721

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software