Detroit Observatory

The Old Detroit Observatory IS old, but it’s not in Detroit. It’s in Ann Arbor.
You can’t walk in at any time, so visit their website to find their open hours. Aim for an evening when the sky is clear, as they’ll open up the dome and point the telescope at something, often the moon. Sometimes this place is empty, sometimes packed, but every time I’ve gone observing here I’ve been awestruck. The moon through their main telescope, if nothing else, is the kind of thing you see and never forget. It will change you to see the moon up close. You will almost want to cry, it is that beautiful. Honestly.
You can also stroll around downstairs and look at the meridian circle, an astronomical tool that used to be the way we found the exact time. Ann Arbor’s train station, for example, hired the ODO to use its meridian circle to find the time – this way the trains wouldn’t crash because one clock said 10 and one said 10:02. Anyway, it’s something like the only one left in the country so it’s very special to be able to see it.
You can also look around at their collection of astronomical tools. Bonus, check out the old map of Ann Arbor.
This is special, sweet place. And no one seems to know about it. Take a date here. Bring your visiting friends or family members. Or just come by yourself and chat up other people who are getting to see something absolutely incredible.