About Ann Arbor
Right next to the University of Michigan campus, Downtown Ann Arbor has dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops to enjoy. Multiple streets (Main, Liberty, and Washington) are closed to traffic during the summer, providing ample opportunities for outdoor dining. See some of our recommendations at the bottom of this page!
Ann Arbor also boasts over 150 parks, earning it the nickname “Tree Town”. You can take a walk at the nearby Nichols Arboretum or go a little further from campus to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens to enjoy longer trails. Gallup Park along the Huron River is another popular destination with picnic areas, trails, and a canoe livery.
In addition to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History where the Welcome Reception will be held, you can enjoy the University of Michigan’s museums for free, taking in art at the Museum of Art (UMMA) and culture at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. You can also take the D2A2 bus to Detroit to enjoy the art, live music, and food of the city.
About The Michigan League
Most oral presentations and posters will be held at the historic Michigan League on Central Campus in rooms outfitted with modern conference technologies. For lunch, Maizie’s Kitchen & Market provides a convenient option for entrees, sandwiches, and salads in the building, and many restaurants and cafes are located downtown a short walk away. Symposia talks will run at Mendelssohn Theater, adjacent to the Michigan League.
About the UMMZ
The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) is located at the Research Museums Center about 5 miles south of Central Campus. Its herpetology collection is home to nearly 500,000 specimens and is the second largest in the world, after the Smithsonian. Herpetology has a long and storied history at the University of Michigan. The first UMMZ director (and later president of the university), Alexander Grant Ruthven, was a herpetologist and one of the first PhDs awarded at U-M was to William Henry Smith for his thesis entitled “The Tailed Amphibians including the Caecilians”. The UMMZ Herp Division remains an active and lively division today, with ongoing research on morphology, color, systematics, population genetics, sensory biology, venom, ecology, and biodiversity. Tours of the collections will be run during a free dinner and tour event on Friday, June 28 called the Museums Extravaganza!
Dining Recommendations
| Name | Address | Description |
| Cafes | ||
| Bruegger’s Bagels | 709 N University Ave | national chain with breakfast and lunch bagels |
| Comet Coffee | 16 Nickels Arcade | coffee, pastries |
| Darwin’s | 1st floor Biological Sciences Building | on campus, cafe with plenty of breakfast and lunch options (closed Sat-Sun) |
| Lab | 505 E Liberty St # 300 | lots of flavored coffee drinks, pastries |
| Maizie’s Kitchen & Market | 1st floor Michigan League | on campus, cafe with plenty of breakfast and lunch options (closed Sat-Sun) |
| Roo’s Roast | 117 E Liberty Street | Fantastic coffee (a local favorite) with light breakfast fare |
| Vertex Coffee Roasters | 1335 S University Ave | coffee drinks and pastries |
| Meals | ||
| Aventura | 216 E Washington St | pricy but delicious Spanish tapas and drinks |
| Casa Dominick’s | 812 Monroe St | Italian eats with cocktails and outdoor patio, excellent for dinner or drinks |
| Chipotle | 235 S State St | national chain with burritos and bowls |
| Conor O’Neill’s | 318 S Main St | Irish pub, excellent food and large beer list |
| Detroit Street Filling Station | 300 Detroit St | vegan sandwiches, salads, etc. also has both coffee and alcoholic drinks |
| Fleetwood Diner | 300 S Ashley St | 24/7 diner, around whenever you need it |
| Hopcat | 311 Maynard St | brewpub, huge beer and food list |
| Jolly Pumpkin | 311 S Main St | brewery with pub fare and craft beer |
| Lan City Noodle Bar | 1235 S University Ave | casual Pan-Asian noodle place |
| Panera Bread | 777 N University Ave | national chain with soup, salad, sandwiches |
| Raven’s Club | 207 S Main St | excellent farm-to-table food and cocktails (also have cocktails to-go!) |
| Sava’s | 216 S State St | contemporary eclectic, locally-sourced fare and cocktails |
| Totoro | 215 S State St #2031 | sushi and other Japanese food |
| Zingerman’s | 422 Detroit St | multiple locations, deli, bakery, excellent house-made bread, an Ann Arbor institution |
| Bars/Drinks | ||
| Babs’ Underground | 213 S Ashley St | cocktail lounge with pool tables |
| Beer Grotto | 303 S Ashley St | one of the largest beer selections in town, also serves cocktails with lots of outdoor seating |
| Bill’s Beer Garden | 218 S Ashley St | outdoor beer courtyard with picnic table seating |
| Nightcap | 220 S Main St | fancy cocktails, offers to-go cocktails |
| Elsewhere in Ann Arbor | ||
| Cardamom | 1739 Plymouth Rd | Indian food |
| Gandy Dancer | 401 Depot St | nice seafood restaurant with good happy hour deals |
| Madras Masala | 2016 Packard St | South Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes |
| YORK | 1928 Packard St | excellent deli with sandwiches, salads, cheese, coffee, drinks |