Not only does Eastern Michigan University have tons of resources and activities for students and faculty, but many of those are available for public view or exploration. Read on to learn more about what there is to see as a visitor to EMU:

1. Art Walk

Take a self-guided art walk throughout campus and see a collection of sculptures designed to make you reflect upon the intellectual setting of the university. The collection features 11 works of art, and more than half of them are created by students or instructors. Start at Darryl Miller's Diane, visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Garden featuring a bust by Nancy Sippel, and then head to Starkweather Hall to see three other works of art by students -  Onna, Crouching Figure, and Psychic Armour of Aphrodite. Next you can see Untitled - an abstract blue sculpture by Bill Barrett - and head to the Science Complex to view Mass: Space 1. In front of the natatorium, there is a statue called Diver representing the swimming and diving teams at EMU, and by the Quirk and Sponberg Theatres, you can see Icarus. Finish the walk by the Student Center and view Lineage and Eagles Rising.  

2. Brinkerhoff-Becker House

History and architecture fans alike can appreciate the beautiful Queen Anne style Brinkerhoff-Becker House (found at 601 W. Forest Avenue). Walk past and admire the remarkable home as you tour the campus. The house certainly stands out with a unique round tower with a helmet dome and wood-shingled roof. Listed as a Michigan State Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built as a private home between 1863-1869 for Hezekiah H. Brinkerhoff and later purchased by an early Principal of the Michigan State Normal School (now EMU). It was purchased in 1891 by Charles J. Becker, who added the tower, and it is now owned by EMU and split into apartments.

3. McKenny Gallery

Learn about Eagles past in the McKenny Gallery in historic McKenny Hall. McKenny Hall served as the hub of student life for 75 years, and now features a gallery which houses a rotating collection of artifacts and historical photos highlighting the history of Eastern Michigan University.

4. T.L. Hankinson Vertebrate Museum

Nearly everywhere on the planet, there is an unusual museum to be found (if you know where to look.) One of Ypsilanti's unique museums is the T.L. Hankinson Vertebrate Museum (located in room 224 of the Mark Jefferson Science Complex). It is named for Thomas Leroy Hankinson, a professor of zoology at the former Michigan State Normal College from 1921 until his death, and displays his collection of vertebrate specimens. The collection has an emphasis on fish specimens (over 50,000!) and also features amphibians, mammals, birds, and reptiles, with most specimens originating from Michigan and the Great Lakes area.

5. Sherzer Observatory

Space out in the Sherzer Observatory - on a clear Tuesday night during the academic year, you can join the Physics and Astronomy staff and student volunteers from the EMU Astronomy Club in enjoying mesmerizing views of the moon and stars above us. If you're not visiting on a Tuesday but the sky is clear, don't despair! A quick check of the observatory phone may verify if there is an unscheduled observation on any particular evening.

6. Geddes Town Hall School

View a piece of education history - the historic Geddes Town Hall School. The building was originally located on the Geddes farm at the corner of Morgan and Thomas roads, where William Geddes leased land for a school in the Pitt (now Pittsfield) district for six cents per year. The one-room building was a gathering place for the local community as well as a working school from the 1800s until 1957. As part of EMU's official Michigan sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) project, the building was moved to campus in 1987 to honor the university's ongoing commitment to teacher education.

7. Children’s Literature Collection - Halle Library

If you are visiting with children, this is a stop not to be missed. The Children's Literature program at EMU is one of the oldest in the country, and the Halle Library hosts a special Children's Literature collection featuring works for children in grades K-12. The collection includes nursery rhymes, short stories, novels, poetry, and more, and is open for browsing. Visitors may also be eligible for a library courtesy card which allows for guest borrowing from this and other collections.

8-10. Art Galleries

Haven't had enough art? In the Student Center, you will find two art gallery spaces, the University Gallery and the IGG Gallery. The University Gallery hosts larger events and exhibitions for the community at large. The IGG Gallery is student-run, features student work, and provides a learning experience for students in exhibiting their work and managing a gallery space. In Ford Hall there is also the Ford Gallery which focuses on outside artists and undergraduate and graduate student exhibitions, as well as graduate theses. The Ford Gallery also has an ongoing schedule of lectures and exhibitions for the artistically inclined. 

Specific locations of many of these experiences can be found on the campus map, available at the Visitor Information Center.