What a very nice historical place to catch some Michigan history…read more Today seeing a presentation of how the Michigan Civil War were saved through restoration.

Huge museum with lots to do and see! It was a great experience and while we were there we got to…read morelearn extra bits of information from Dean. Would recommend to anybody with some spare time on their hands!

For a free museum, a great spot to learn about the beautiful peninsula and greater world about you…read more While most of the exhibit spaces were either closed or empty, the top floor had a litany of natural exhibits about native wildlife, current and now extinct, that roamed the wild. My favorite parts were the allosaurus skeleton and the giant globe that shared love data via an interactive touch screen. Definitely worth a visit, especially when school is in session and the exhibits are not in transition.

Deeply disappointing after the renovation. What happened to actual history and science? The idea…read morethat AI even deserves a full exhibit (predictably, centered on the African diaspora) is absurd. AI only does what you tell it to; who cares? Meanwhile, the actual nature and science is relegated to a room upstairs now. If this is the direction the university is going, I fear we may soon no longer even study science and history on university grounds at all. The globe with the projections on it for earthquakes and tsunamis is worth it, though.

So much history packed into this museum…read more They have their own parking lot so finding a spot was a breeze. We went on a Friday morning right when they opened and we had the place to ourselves for the majority of our visit. Having my brother-in-law, a retired automotive engineer, along made it even better. The history was fascinating. My favorite was the half scale working model and full scale side by side of Mama & Baby REO. The replica of the boardroom with the angled table to show who was in power gave a snapshot of board meetings of the past. We took our time walking through. Seeing the EV-1 was especially interesting. If you are a car buff, this would be a must do while in Lansing.

This museum is packed full of cars and vehicles, plus related memorabilia and some footage of some…read moreof the vehicles in action. There is also a lawnmower section. It is named for Ransom Eli Olds, who was a leader in both Olds Motor Works and REO Motor Car Company. The set up of the traffic lights provided quite a bit of entertainment for the family. They offer one car to get in and out of for a photo opportunity, a 1954 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible. The rest are for observation, and there are quite a few interesting ones. A "Mama" and "Baby" set is fun to see - the baby is a miniature replica of the full sized mama car. There's also an early EV to see. They have a small paved lot available (check signage, however, as some spots are reserved). Staff was friendly. If you are interested by the history of cars or are accompanied by car enthusiasts, this is well worth a stop!

This is a free and small art museum on the MSU campus. It's fine and a decent way to waste 45…read moreminutes. The design of the building, by Zaha Hadid, definitely provides for a good photo op and sticks out among the brick buildings nearby. The first floor exhibit, featuring Syrian-American artist, Diana Al-Hadid, was gorgeous and engaging. The basement was called the "CORE" and was a Hodge podge of random art. I wasn't fond of how this was set up at all. I love art but other than the featured exhibit, we weren't engaged. The upstairs Mekong art exhibit was pretty cool but small and scattered. I am used to museums having places for students to research and study in. There's not a lot here. Also, there's not really a cafe and the shop is small. Cute stuff in the store though. Overall, the museum was worth checking out in the area but there's no need to make a special trip.

When taking a day trip out to East Lansing, this is always a favorite place to stop and take in…read moresome fantastic art. While the museum is small, they pack several meaningful and amazing exhibits in the halls each time we visit. I am a fan of contemporary vision. This place typically has a lot of work to reflect on and I love the multimedia displays. The kids have grown up coming here to reflect on their own interpretations of the displays and what it means to them. The staff and volunteers are friendly. They also have a cute area for gifts. I love he building architecture. And, if you are a fan of Batman, they did film some scenes in front of the museum, and being a fan of pop culture, that is pretty cool too!

Nokomis is a hands on cultural museum that focuses on Michigan Native Americans of the Three Fires…read more- the Ottawa, the Chippewa (Ojibwe), and the Potawatami. These three tribes actually stretch beyond Michigan but are very important to the state's history. There are lots of different things to see at Nokomis - handmade baskets, quillwork, canoes, etc. and the tour guides are resourceful and nice. This is a great educational place to take your children. They give guided tours and have special programs throughout the month. I'm not sure if they offer it anymore, but they used to have Craft Night on Thursdays where you could bring in your quillwork, beadwork, or whatever and hang out. There are two rooms to the center, one educational room where lectures are given, then the art gallery that features traditional art and contemporary art from Native Americans. There's also a gift shoppe where you can buy literature, art, some foods, and other gifts.

I would highly recommend this educational tour. We took a class of young people. It was great fun…read moreto listen to their questions.

avolio is primarily a teaching facility. They do have a small shop with completed artworks for…read moresale, which was very nice. But I was very impressed with the teaching program they offer. I'm hoping I get back to Kalamazoo sometime in the next year so to take advantage of some refresher instruction and studio time.

These guys are the best! If you've joined a local mug club in which hand blown glasses are the…read moredrinking vessels, chances are its an Avolio masterpiece. They make the loveliest small, swirled glass cups for the art hops that they sell for only $10 including a wine or beer fill. We are building up a lovely collection. They also carry Christmas ornaments, vases, fishes, and more. Masters of their craft!

Lansing Art Gallery is small but enjoyable in my experience. It's not what I would call worth going…read moreout of your way for, so it's a good thing I worked it in as an hors d'ouevre to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in East Lansing. It served it that capacity well. The LAG is a basement gallery with a small ground level lobby and stairs leading down. They have good, but not great paintings and sculptures leading the way down. Most of the gallery was given over to photography on the day of my visit. There was photos from civil disturbances, a series about an old, eccentric looking gentleman a local fire department had "adopted" and some covering an incident of an elephant getting loose and being "put down" by authorities. The latter was very affecting. It makes me queasy just writing about it. That poor, magnificent creature. There were also some beautiful photos of Isle Royale, a place I've been fascinated with for about the past 15 years or so. I've never been there, but now I can at least say I watched a short DVD about it thanks to the LAG. The price is right to visit, too. There's a donation box for whatever you care to give. I made sure to put a little something in.

Our daughter has participated in several summer art programs at the Lansing Art Gallery & Education…read moreCenter. She looked forward to her camp each morning, which isn't always the case in the summer, and wasn't ready to stop with her artistic imagination when she left. She benefitted from the small group sizes, individual attention, and the freedom to express her own artistic vision in the camp. To close out the camp there was an art show which she looked forward to throughout the week and was an exciting way to culminate the experience.

I learned about the Moist Towelette Museum from a Michigan Facebook group I'm in and was so…read moreintrigued. Luckily we were passing through East Lansing recently so Nate and I decided to check it out. The "museum" is located in an office inside of Abrams Planetarium at MSU. It's a few shelves of moist towelettes from all over the word, and the curator (Planetarium Production Coordinator John French) was so kind and fun to chat with. He gave us an overview of the collection and some highlights, including some Star Trek moist towelettes and a news article from an Australian newspaper about odd museums. He honestly made my day, he was so welcoming and friendly. I loved that there's a sign in sheet that asks if you collect anything. I don't think this museum gets a ton of visitors, but if you're into quirky collections I highly recommend checking it out. The office next to John's is not a "museum" but it could be, as it houses a big collection of PEZ dispensers!

I contacted Saper back in December of 2025, to inquire about their framing process and to figure…read moreout a rough project timeline. I had several similar projects completed in the past in another state, but Saper was unknown to me then. Specifically, I had one large piece of film memorabilia which needed some minor restorative work, and three additional autographed photos which needed custom framing and matting. Four projects in total. I called first and spoke to Jennifer, who gave me some history about the business, which was established 47 years ago, and their philosophy as it pertains to preservation. Jennifer assured me that they use only archival-quality, non-destructive materials and processes to ensure the best possible results. Additionally, I wrote an e-mail and received a detailed, friendly response from Roy Saper almost immediately. I wasn't able to bring everything in until mid-January of 2026 because of some medical issues I'd been having, but once I was able to meet Jennifer in-person she was able to help me to make informed decisions about colors, framing materials, and types of glass. The price I was given was fair and reasonable, and I was told that the projects should take about six weeks to complete, because they were still backlogged after the holidays, which is understandable. I did have one minor thing about the size of the matting that needed to be changed a day later, so I wrote another e-mail and once again received a very prompt and professional acknowledgement. Then, sure enough, six weeks later, I received an email letting me know that the projects were completed! I had some concerns about physically transporting them, however, so I called in to ask about what types of packing materials I should bring. Roy answered, and kind soul that he is, he offered to personally deliver the completed projects, which I graciously accepted. He wrapped all four projects with such love and care, and brought them to my house that very evening. When I unwrapped them, I was delighted to find that everything looked amazing! Jennifer was the one who completed the restoration of the one larger item, and she did a fantastic job. Meanwhile, Nathalie was the one who crafted the three custom frames for my smaller 8x10 autographed photos, and likewise did a splendid job. Every detail was perfect, with an artisan's touch and a clear mind for historical preservation. I could not be any happier with the end results, and I will not only sing their praises forevermore, I will also continue to bring al of my future business there. Saper Galleries and Custom Framing is now my go-to spot for all of my bespoke framing needs. Thank you Roy, Jennifer, and Nathalie, for going above and beyond!

Can't believe I had no idea this was here -- I've walked or driven by this corner a zillion times…read more Both an art gallery and a framing shop, it's pretty palatial and a joy to peruse. Beautifully lit and full of comfy spots to sit and enjoy the art works. They've even got a couple small Picasso statues, and lots of lovely glass art, many of which seemed very fairly priced to me.