Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, specializes in interactive exhibits.[1]
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum was founded in 1978, with approval from the city of Ann Arbor, as a touring collection of exhibits built by local specialists and volunteers. The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum opened in 1982 in the city's historic brick firehouse with 25 exhibits on two floors, one staff person and ten volunteers.[2]
During the Museum’s first year of operation, it welcomed 25,000 guests. The visitors’ interest and enthusiasm propelled the Museum to accelerate expansion plans. Four years later the museum opened the third and fourth floors of the firehouse with the help of a Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant. In 1993, the Museum purchased several adjoining buildings, which led to the introduction of expanded facilities and educational programs, in October 1999. Five separate grants received over several years from the National Science Foundation funded the creation of new exhibits, including How Things Work and Solve-It Central, which toured through many science museums throughout the United States and Canada[3]
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum now features over 250 interactive exhibits on subjects including physics, geology, math, music and technology.[4]