Cranbrook Institute of Science

About

The Cranbrook Institute of Science is the science museum of the Cranbrook Educational Community—one of the most remarkable educational campuses in America, designed in the 1920s and '30s by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and his son Eero Saarinen as an integrated complex of schools, museums, studios, and gardens. The campus is a National Historic Landmark, and the science museum sits within this extraordinary ensemble alongside the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Cranbrook Art Museum. The museum's collections are particularly strong in natural history and minerals. The Ellison Mineral Gallery holds one of the finest regional mineral collections in the Midwest, featuring exceptional specimens of Michigan copper (the state is the world's largest source of native copper), along with fluorite, tourmaline, and mineral specimens from around the globe. The natural history galleries cover Great Lakes ecology, Michigan's geological history from glacial formation to present, and regional wildlife specimens. The digital Acheson Planetarium presents daily shows using a state-of-the-art projection system, with programs ranging from beginner-friendly sky tours to advanced explorations of cosmology. The exploreLAB maker space provides hands-on engineering and building challenges where visitors can design and test their own inventions. Friday and first-Sunday nights feature special extended hours and adult science programs. Cranbrook's educational context means it operates in deep partnership with the schools on campus, and its programs are thoughtfully designed for learners of all ages. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and offers a Museums for All $2 admission through the EBT/Bridge/WIC program.

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