Michigan Marching Band
The band gives a performance outside Revelli about an hour and a half before kickoff. [Bryan Fuller]

Tailgater's Guide to Ann Arbor Comment Count

Seth October 11th, 2018 at 6:26 PM

What this is: This article is meant to be a living reference for anyone planning to tailgate for a Michigan football game. Please add your own suggestions in the comments and I will edit the main body at intervals.

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Sponsor Note: Tailgater Concierge has sponsored MGoEvents in the past and is still doing their thing. If you need to put together a tailgate for a reunion, a bachelor party, or a corporate event, you can have Tailgater Concierge do all that for you, including setup and takedown. They have several excellent locations near the stadium, and packages can include everything from Zingerman’s to Satellite TV . Hit the links, call 888-301-2190, or email [email protected].

They have also been sending Kyra Kirkwood around Ann Arbor this year to pick up tailgating tips for Ann Arbor. She submitted her findings and I edited/rewrote it and submitted my own to create this.

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According to the latest census, the City of Ann Arbor has a population just under 114,000. On Saturdays in the fall, Michigan Stadium can fit that many with room to spare. The city estimates its population more than doubles when Michigan has a home game, and until kickoff most of them are tailgating. That’s where I come in. I carry a fork.

1. Parking

You’re in car country so you’re most likely driving to the game. Michigan Stadium is part of a vast athletic campus cornered on Stadium and Main Street. The school keeps an inventory of official parking. Those lots open between 6-8 a.m. on game days, and close approximately two hours post-game. Many are permit-only, but some are available for cash on game day. Spaces are first-come-first-served.

If you’re not parking in the school’s lots—and this is important—make sure you plan which direction you want to come from. The Big House is aptly named, and when you consider it’s attached to the Crisler Center as well it can be quite an obstacle to walk around if you’re parked on the opposite site from the tailgate you’re trying to get to. The other giant walking obstruction is the train tracks that angle southeast (the red line on the map below):

image

The neighborhoods tend to fill up for two miles around the stadium, and many Michigan fans have their favorite streets. Which one depends mostly on how you want to get out: Stay out of Burns Park unless you live off US23 (onramps to M-14 and I-94 tend to back up), and don’t try the West Neighborhoods unless you want to get to West M-14 and I-94, etc. Street parking tends to fill up early because the locals will take them the night before to save their driveways and garages for guests. Unless you want to arrive early in the morning or walk a very long distance you should probably plan on paying for parking.

The key is to park in an area on the same side of the tailgate you want to attend, and preferably near the gate that’s closest to your seat. The direction you need to get to matters as well. If you’re coming from the Detroit suburbs, campus or the West neighborhoods might be best for you because your way in and out of town is M-14 and you can skip US-23. If you’re coming from the south, the Golf Course and Pioneer are excellent choices since you can get right back on State Street or sneak out on 7th street. West-siders can often park at the myriad bars down Stadium or Liberty and shuttle to and from the stadium.

Getting a Ride to the Game

If you’re tailgating near the stadium you can park in a lot near the highway and take a hired ride. There is a dedicated Uber/Lyft drop-off location on Hoover Street that’s well-located for getting to most tailgate locations.

You can also take the bus. Copy-pasting this from their writeup on MGoBlue:

The Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) also offers shuttle service between Michigan Stadium and Ann Arbor hotels and motels, U-M Parking Structures and lots, the Michigan Union, and downtown Ann Arbor. The Football Ride runs approximately every 20 minutes beginning two hours before game time and drops off passengers at Gate 2. Shuttles run for approximately 60 minutes after the game and pick up passengers at the assigned location on the south side of Michigan Stadium. During inclement weather, such as rain or heavy snow, the shuttle will run throughout the game. For more information on the Football Ride, call AATA at (734) 973-6500 or visit the AATA site.

[After the JUMP: the first draft of what I hope will become the definitive document on M tailgating.]

Tailgating at Pioneer

Even after generations, the most popular parking spot around The Big House remains the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School lot located diagonally southwest from the stadium at 601 W. Stadium Blvd (spots are $50). The secret’s been out since Bo, but the school is cognizant of its place in the Michigan tradition and well-organized. The lot often hosts live radio broadcasts, companies handing out tchotchkes and a host of colorful characters attracted by the density of fans. Part of the attraction is they only allow cars. Standard-sized sedans, SUVs and trucks (but not larger than an F-150) are permitted. RVs, trailers, passenger vans, limos and buses or anything oversized is not. You will be turned away sans refund if you arrive in one of the prohibited vehicles.

Tailgating on the Golf Courses

Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club, located at 400 E. Stadium Blvd., and the University of Michigan Golf Course are the preferred sites for the most serious tailgaters. They are, in a word, gorgeous. The natural scenery not only provides a beautiful backdrop but also blocks the noise of a city in the process of doubling its population by car. Since the recent renovations from many spots you can see Michigan Stadium over the rolling greens.

AAGO is a private course just across Stadium from the Stadium. The lot opens at 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays with games that begin at 3:30 p.m. or earlier. Portable toilets are available. No RVs or trailers are permitted, nor are glass bottles/containers, charcoal grills, fire pits, deep fryers or pets. Everyone must also stay off all playable golf surfaces, such as the tees and greens (but they don’t). The price is $50-$60 and can be done on game day as a first-come-first-served, or reserved ahead of time. Getting a good spot means getting there early. Many Michigan fans will tailgate all day—not even bothering going to the game.

The University of Michigan Golf Course is the other 75% of the golf course you can see from from the sky. It's a high quality course so they're never open when there's been recent rain, and they only let you park on the rough. However they're open to the public when they're open and you can enter from Stadium, State Street, or Main Street.

RV Tailgates/Fingerle

There are two main RV areas. The first is the athletic department’s huge parking lot behind Crisler that stretches from the train tracks to the lot’s entrance off of Stadium (just after the bridge over State Street). Getting in there may take a generation of donations and season tickets.

The other is Fingerle Lumber, the area on 4th Street that has somehow survived as an industrial zone between student housing and Elbel Field. RV spots are reservable and start at $250, though they can get a lot pricier (and sell out quickly) for bigger games. The most famous Fingerle tailgate is the B-School School Bus, which has a dance floor on top of it, and is always parked on the corner of 4th and Hill overlooking Elbel Field.

Fingerle is one of the only spots on campus you can also arrange for Friday night parking, since getting an RV into town on gameday is no fun. They also sell plenty of regular parking spots, and it’s secretly one of the best places for that since it’s just a few blocks from the stadium in one direction and the school in the other. And despite being literally in the center of town, it’s surprisingly easy to get out. You take Division Street (a one-way northbound corridor that cuts between campus and downtown) then cut over to Main in Depot Town.

Regardless of where you park to tailgate, the rules are pretty similar. Your tailgating paraphernalia must be contained within your paid-for parking spot. If you have an RV that essentially is four spots, then you have to keep everything, including awnings and tables, within that area. Nothing can block driveways or utilize a neighbor’s space.

Tailgating in a Neighborhood

Many locals, especially those close to the stadium, “tailgate” by hosting at home. The Old West Side and Almendinger Heights neighborhoods feel like an extension of campus, with adults out on their porches just like the students, albeit with far better beer. The fancier Burns Park neighborhood on the East side is a little trickier because of the train tracks, which means pedestrians either have to walk all the way over to Stadium to go over the bridge, go around the baseball stadium and circle all the way around to Hoover, or when it’s open, cut through the walkway between the football practice field and the field hockey field—that will dump you out in the RV lot behind Crisler.

The last quarter mile of block on these streets will sell parking on their driveways and lawns, but a few also rent out their homes for large tailgate spaces. Some houses close to the stadium were purchased explicitly to serve as tailgate rental spaces, including The “MGoTailgate” on Potter, Tailgater Concierge’s lots at 110 E. Hoover and 321 W. Stadium, and the North Endzone space on Main and Keech.

Some of these houses, especially further back in the neighborhood, are actually for rent overnight via AirBnB or from specialized companies like GameDay Housing. If you’re getting a group of friends together and it’s an earlier game this can often be a superior option. Prices fluctuate dramatically (getting one for an OSU home game is vastly more expensive than Rutgers or Indiana), but when you wake up on gameday after a night of reliving college and there’s no driving to do, no cars to park, and no rush to get out of bed, it can feel very worth it.

How the Students Tailgate

Much of Ann Arbor was built within 15 years of Michigan Stadium, and those 1900s-1930s houses—most of which came with raised front porches—today actually account for the majority of pre-game festivities among students. Since open tailgating areas are generally far away and on the opposite side of the stadium, the students do most of their tailgating from these graystone porches, always with a homemade beer pong table out front, of course.

The fraternities on campus often host alumni tailgates and make their lots available to those who know the right handshake (Pro Tip: Every fraternity uses the same secret handshake). Sororities are under stricter rules but often will find a way to accommodate a sister.

Several student houses have tailgate traditions that pass on from renter to renter. One apartment on Hill and State Street comes with a three-story bong. The “BOX” house on State hangs a bedsheet each game with an opponent-specific (or Ohio State-specific if it’s Rutgers or some other tomato can) sign. And several houses today keep alive the “You Honk, We Drink” game.

Public Tailgate(s?)

The Charity Beer Garden on Hoover started last year at 327 Hoover, around the block from the students’ entrance to the stadium. We’ve held several MGoBlog events there, and HomeSure Lending currently parks the MGoBus there. They get a different beer donated every week that’s purchasable from a donation booth, and rotate through a few different food trucks. All proceeds go to However due to local ordinances (regarding bathrooms of all things) they’re currently unable to use the warehouse on the site for indoor tailgating. Hopefully enough pressure can be put on the city to grant an exception for football Saturdays.

Bars

Especially in inclement weather, the local bar scene can provide everything you’re looking for from a tailgate—food, beer, comrades, and sports on TV. Ann Arbor was an early adopter of microbrews and the old watering holes have now been joined by a number of very good brewhouses. Ashley’s will be crowded all gameday but that’s still the staff favorite. For West Siders, Homes Brewery has been a godsend. Wolverine Brewing down Stadium is just out of walking range (about 1.5 miles) but plays host to Premier League soccer fans on gameday mornings, and fans often leave a car there and carpool to the stadium, the meet back up to watch more college football after. Same thing with Fraser’s on Packard. Grizzly Peak is a strong competitor for the old standby Arbor Brewing Company. While the former was craft brewing since long before that became a thing, I personally think the beer at Grizzly is better than ABC’s, and the food is inarguably superior.

Food

There are two schools of thought when it comes to tailgating food: I got way too much food, and OH GOD I DIDN’T GET ENOUGH FOOD!

A common mistake is to serve breakfast and then just snack. You go into the stadium at 11:30 for a noon game, and then at kickoff your body is like “Where’s lunch,” and you’re like “Oh I left it at the tailgate, we have 4 hours of football and commercial breaks now,” and your stomach is like “Well then what do you want me to do with the alcohol you were just drinking?” and you’re like “I dunno, I’m watching the game,” and your body is like “MONSTER CHASE WINOVICH SACK! oh and by the way I’m just going to shut down now have a nice day.”

A lot of tailgaters bring grills, but that can also turn a tailgater into Grill Boy for much of the morning, and not every tailgate has a willing participant.

Catering is a good option in Ann Arbor for a couple of reasons: The restaurants are often passed on the way into town, and there are a lot of good ones to choose from. Some popular places that do catering: Angel Food Catering in Belleville is East on I-94, Zingerman’s is on the way in from M-14 (and the Zingerman’s Roadhouse is out on the West side), and you pass  Satchel’s BBQ if you come in off Washtenaw from US-23. You can call ahead to these and a lot of other restaurants the day before and pick it up on the way into town. Busch’s on Main Street by Ann Arbor-Saline preps all sorts of tailgate-ready food and supplies a lot of the Pioneer and Golf Course tailgates. For smaller tailgates, sandwiches or subs can do the trick.

Things to Do Pre-Game

If you want to wander, there are a few highlights around town that you should check out.

If you arrive in town early enough you’ll catch The Michigan Marching Band warming up at Elbel Field. They’ll perform their traditional Step Show about 90 minutes before kickoff on the steps of Revelli Hall, then march to the stadium down Hoover Street. The drum line will also come out behind Revelli and warm up for the Grey Lot tailgaters, and when the opponent’s band comes a drum-off might break out before or after the game.

If you’re wondering where that famous Cube is, you’ll find it between the Michigan Union and the Administration Building in a campus square that for pedestrians might as well be part of Maynard Street (the Union is currently closed for renovations). If you can cross State Street, take the walkway around Angell Hall, and see The Diag, the central square of campus. Exit the diag past the UGLI (undergrad library) to the southeast and pass under the archway to get back to South University. If you turn right from there you’ll pass the president’s house and get back to State Street. Another left will take you past the Law Quad, and it’s highly recommended you duck into there to take in its Oxford-inspired courtyard (try not to photobomb any weddings).

It’s still new so many fans don’t yet realize they can visit the football museum at Schembechler Hall. It’s on State Street past Hoover, and easily recognizable by the statue of Bo outside (a staffer will be there to snap a photo with your camera). There unfortunately isn’t a direct walk from there to the Stadium—most people just walk around Yost Ice Arena and the baseball stadium to get to the Grey Lot and back to Hoover.

If you’re in town early with kids, the Ann Arbor Hand's On (aka Children's) Museum is one of the best in the Midwest, though parking is always going to be a hassle. It’s downtown, and the parking lots nearby are already getting filled by football traffic.

Heading Down to the Stadium

When should you close up and head down? The standard answer is 40 minutes before kickoff, and in the stadium 20 minutes prior. The reason is there’s a mad rush to get into the stadium in the last few minutes. About 10 minutes before kickoff you’ll find a huge line outside most sections, and cutting is a rampant problem. Unless you don’t mind missing the start, go in early, find your seat, and enjoy warmups, the banner ceremony and the band.

Old Man Yost designed the Stadium well—unlike many other stadiums there are only a few corridors, and these are all plenty large enough to keep traffic moving. It’s still huge, though, so you will want to come in the gate that’s closest to your section rather than trying to circle around.

Before you leave, make sure to leave anything you can’t bring into the stadium at the tailgate or in your car. Purses, bags, fanny packs (yes, people still wear these, and no, you can’t bring them to The Big House), food, pets, umbrellas, drones, strollers, selfie-sticks, bottles or weapons are all prohibited.

If you’re bringing a baby, you can have them on a body carrier, and they’ll permit a small ziplock bag with a few baby essentials. However not all of the security people are aware of this, so it helps to have the security policy pulled up on your phone just in case. The relevant part:

Changes in national and regional security levels may affect security procedures at Michigan Stadium. Medical exceptions will be addressed individually at the gates. Those requiring necessary items (e.g., diapers for a baby, medical prescriptions, etc.) are encouraged to carry them into the stadium in a clear plastic bag.

This also goes for medical equipment. Keep in mind that big rivalry games, especially The Game, often generates an upgraded risk level and things that might slide normally won’t for the bigger games.

Things you can bring: Cameras (with lenses LESS THAN six inches in length), phones, binoculars without a case, hats, blankets and foam seat cushions (not any with metal frames or seat backs) are allowed. You may also rent a seat pad at the stadium. If you bring a prohibited item by accident (except for long-lensed cameras, alcohol, drugs and food), you can utilize the bag check. All items must be claimed within 45 minutes of the game’s conclusion.

Comments

jared32696

October 11th, 2018 at 6:32 PM ^

Im coming up from louisiana and havent been back since under the lights 1,2011. Im getting a rental car for airport to hotel. But i plan on ubering from hotel to stadium and back. Is that a decent plan to get to and from stadium for this bucky the badger game? 

wizzy

October 12th, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^

Depending on your hotel, check out The Ride's football shuttle.  We took it from/to the  Sheraton a few years ago and it worked out great.  http://www.theride.org/services/event-services/u-m-football-game-shuttles

Franz Schubert

October 11th, 2018 at 6:53 PM ^

Why the hell is there a red canopy in that picture of the drum line? Someone should set it on fire. Not literally.

mgobill324

October 11th, 2018 at 6:57 PM ^

Thanks for the post. I've been to dozens of games, but only ever with buddies or the wife. We just had our first child. How soon does it make sense to bring a kid? Does anyone have advice on when it becomes easy enough to not make it a giant hassle? Also - do you have to pay for a ticket for a baby up to a certain age?

DM2009

October 11th, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^

I bought my then 9 month old to the Maryland game in 2016. It was absolutely fine. It's probably better to bring them when they're not really mobile. I'm thinking about coming back with him next year, when he'll be 3 and a half (for a crappy game that I don't mind leaving early).

Some tips:

  • Be prepared that at least one of you will have to leave early with the baby. So, get cheap tickets. 
  • Everybody, including the baby, needs a ticket (this almost bit us in the ass ... wife planned the trip and tickets and didn't realize this).
  • We did have to go through some special screening with the baby gear, but it wasn't a hassle at all. Added maybe a minute, if my memory is correct.
  • Noise protection is good to have, even if you don't end up using it.

There's really not much special to it. I think younger is better, definitely easiest when they're not walking or crawling. He loved the carrier, and we used it a lot for other things, so it was easy for us. The biggest thing is just to be flexible and not expect to be able to see the whole game. 

For what it's worth, it is pretty cool to have a bunch of memories with my kid as a baby in the big house. I'm glad we did went to that game with him.

Seth

October 12th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^

Ha, going to a game with a kid could be its own post.

  1. Every person needs to have a ticket even an infant in arms. Fortunately they haven't started charging for babies still in the womb yet.
  2. I'd recommend getting a seat near the exit and on the aisle in case they need to get up.
  3. You can bring in a few baby essentials in a big ziplock bag. If you're worried about what to put in there, ask any person with a 2nd child what they stick in their purse/cargo pocket on their way out the door now that they're not insane first-time parents anymore.
  4. Until they're 10 don't expect too much understanding of the game. The cheers are the cool parts. The wave will blow their minds.

sarto1g

October 11th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^

Is the band walk to the stadium worth it? If I follow them, do I risk missing the pregame show? Also is there a specific schedule they follow?  I tried to see them in front of Revelli a few years back, saw the drum line show and then everyone left for the stadium.  Is the band supposed to follow immediately after?  

Novak-blood

October 11th, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

Totally worth it. Super fun and a great experience. Fun to do every few years or so. I'm sure some folks do it every home game. The drum line show (referred to by the MMB itself as the "percussion step show" IIRC) takes place about 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

Inspection follows that by about 15 minutes, and departure to the stadium about 10 minutes after that. The march takes about 10 minutes before they turn left into the Blue Lot toward Gate 1, so you could be to Gate 10 easily 40 minutes prior to kickoff.

Glennsta

October 12th, 2018 at 6:12 AM ^

You should not miss anything walking with the band, especially if you are on the east (Crisler) side of the stadium. The band plays the Victors in the parking lot on the east side of the stadium on the way in, which is always fun.

Once they get to the tunnel, you will see a set of steps that will take you up to the concourse. You go up the steps and you are in. 

At Homecoming, the Alumni Marching Band marches in about 20 minutes ahead of the student band and plays a 4-5 song set on those steps. That's almost always worth seeing.

As for their schedules, I am pretty sure they are online.

Section 1.8

October 11th, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^

As a golfer, I insist on distinguishing the two golf courses.

In an aerial photo, they look like all the same thing.  On the ground, they look similar but the entrances are very different.  They operate separately and very differently.

Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club is private property and they have their own complicated methods of allocating parking and charging for it.  They park all over their little 9-hole course.  Every place except greens and bunkers.  They are aggressive (IMHO) the way that they abuse the turfgrasses.  But its their golf course, not mine.  The club makes bank off Michigan football parking.  Someday the club will get eleventy gazillion dollars from the University of Michigan when they sell out to the Big U.The entrance is off Stadium, opposite the entrance to the Blue Lot across from Crisler.

The University of Michigan Golf Course is one of the premier university golf courses in the country and an historic jewel of golf course architecture.  On football game days when there is no rain, they allow cars to enter the grounds off State Street and off Main Street.  Cars are parked only in the rough, and cross fairways at only a couple of points.  This is a real golf course, and invaluable, and so there is no parking whenever rain would soften the grass.  It is public, and first-come, first-serve, and it fills up early.

Both golf courses are very nice places to tailgate.

And as always, when we are compared to MSU or OSU or some others, Michigan needs about 100% more good quality parking for tailgating.

 

Section 1.8

October 11th, 2018 at 7:50 PM ^

The color-coded photo cuts off "the Athletic Campus" at Stadium as the southern border.  That was true, in about 1978.

Now, the Athletic Campus (and some highly relevant football parking) extends south of the UMGC.  The William Clay Ford Tennis complex; the soccer stadium; wrestling, track and field, etc.  It is all down there now, with significant parking that the University designates as the Brown Lot.  You park there, and then walk across the Golf Course from the 11th green to the 10th tee and the clubhouse.

The Brown Lot is (correctly) mentioned in Seth's link to the webpage of official university-sanctioned parking.  In his text, Seth refers to the Brown Lot incorrectly (he should have written it as "the Grey Lot").

 

umich1

October 11th, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^

On babies; they asked me to bring my clear plastic bag in through the handicapped gate; which is where they have a bag inspection area set up.

Also recommend hearing protection for the little ones.  Lastly, there is a lactation room behind section 40 for mom and child.

Bando Calrissian

October 11th, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^

The kid's crying, the kid's hungry, there's nowhere for them to go, you're having to constantly go in and out of the seats (not easy or unobtrusive for anyone sitting further than two seats from an aisle, because the stadium), you're probably not going to see much of the game for feeding, walking around, etc...

YMMV, and your kid may be a special unicorn, but I don't think I've ever seen someone in the stadium with a child younger than 3 that wasn't constantly attending to the child, which then bleeds onto the experiences of everyone around you. In other words, it's not about sharing an experience with a kid who will have no memory whatsoever of the experience. It's about you, and the fact that you either wouldn't stay home, or couldn't/wouldn't find a sitter.

Commie_High96

October 11th, 2018 at 8:51 PM ^

As a Uber townie, my experience is so much different than this and it is fun to read. My entire life has revolved around Special Forces like infil and exfill missions to go to games.  I’m 40 and I still get my mom to drop me off at a secret location and pick me and her grandkids up there when the game is over:  tailgating...?  We have kid shit to do in the am

Gulogulo37

October 11th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^

If you're just looking for parking, when I had tickets we would use the parking structure on 4th and William. Just off main street. Easy to get there from 23 since it was right down Main. Easy walk down the road to the stadium from there. So much cheaper than basically any other option. Obviously not the best tailgating environment but the roof spots are open and you could tailgate up there. Sorry to the bus driver who had a hot dog appear in his lap waiting at a red light. 

Arb lover

October 11th, 2018 at 9:05 PM ^

It almost goes without saying, but if you (and your ticket) go out of the stadium fenced in area, you can't come back in (even with a ticket), unless you are wearing Buckeye gear of course, then feel free to leave as many times as you want. 

Farnn

October 11th, 2018 at 10:04 PM ^

If you don't mind a little walking and the weather is decent, we always park at Briarwood.  It's about a 30 minute walk (1.5 miles) that takes you right by the golf course and Pioneer.  There's no worries about getting a spot, no charge to park, there's no traffic after you get the car, and it's good exercise when you will be eating bad food and sitting for 4 hours.

Bando Calrissian

October 11th, 2018 at 11:35 PM ^

It's the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, not Children's Museum.

https://www.aahom.org/

Also worth pointing out the glory that is the Ann Arbor Farmers Market in Kerrytown, one of the best places to walk around early on a gameday morning. Grab a coffee at Zingerman's or Sweetwater while you're there.

hart4eva

October 12th, 2018 at 1:52 AM ^

When I can make games now, I'm usually driving from Grand Rapids, and I'm a firm believer in the parking structure at 4th and Williams. It's cheap and always seems to have space. It's not too far from the stadium, and you can always take a walk toward campus to reminisce or got straight toward the Stadium. It also puts you close to bar/restaurant options for both before and after the game. If you have the time to spare after, you can grab some good food or beer (if you're not the driver) while waiting for traffic to US-23 to clear up.

yossarians tree

October 12th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^

If you want to get out of town early and are heading back to Detroit or other points east, here is my plan.

Come in to town via Geddes road off of US 23. Park in the structure on Church (?) off of South University near the old East Engineering building ($5 for the whole day!). It's a pleasant 20 minute walk to the stadium and you pass the Law Quad, President's House, down the hill past Pizza Bob's and Blue Front, and right down Hoover toward the stadium and if you're early enough you can catch the aforementioned drum line showcase.

When the game is over you want to make the same walk across campus only this time double-time it. Get in your car and head back east on Geddes to 23. You will be ahead of all the postgame traffic and your drive home will be exactly the same as if there was no game.

GarMoe

October 12th, 2018 at 3:29 AM ^

Just reading all that got the blood pumping and gameday excitement going.  

My daughter's first game was at 5 yrs old and I think that was perfect.  Can walk and stand alone but still small enough to toss in the air on each TD.

Did my first GC tailgate a few years ago and it felt truly strange walking in thru the south gate and NOT doing the hike from central campus.  The zig zag walk down the hill with everyone is something I personally need to do each game day in order to get the full experience.

Gucci Mane

October 12th, 2018 at 3:54 AM ^

I park by Burns park. It’s free and only a 20 minute walk to the gate. To me that’s easily worth saving $20-$40. Plus it’s healthy and fun !

Seth

October 12th, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^

Shhh. No. Nobody parks by Burns park. It's terrible. Everyone should stay away from Burns park. Especially Granger. Icky sticky things get on your car on Granger. Also they will ticket and tow you 1/5 times. Everyone stay away from Granger and what do you mean you recognize my car I'm sure Ann Arbor has hundreds of blue subarus with a helmet sticker and a box of HTTVs in the back seat.

mgobaran

October 12th, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^

So what's the difference between AAG&O and the UM Golf Course? I didn't realize it was split until this week.... Is it actually two different courses? Are both open to the public? Why is only one mentioned here? And where do you go for each? Do you enter AAG&O off Main St., and enter UMGC of State St.?

Section 1.8

October 12th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^

Nice effort!

In decades of attending Michigan football games, I have parked at AAGO just twice, and on the UMGC just about a half dozen times.

So here are my comments on your map:

  1. You have correctly located the North entrance ["Gate 1"] to AAGO (off E. Stadium at the top of the image) and the East entrance to UMGC (off State St. at the far right of the image).
  2. You have educated me as to the existence of the 2 AAGO entrances [Gates 2 and 3] off S. Main St.  I have never used them, and didn't even know they were there until today.
  3. You omitted one important thing which is the West entrance to UMGC, off S. Main.  You sort of overestimated the footprint of AAGO, and where you have that boundary line that hits S. Main, is where there is a nice entrance to the UMGC.
  4. The Brown Lot is south of the UMGC and where you see that little blue pond at the bottom of the picture is the pond in back of the #11 green, where you walk out of the Brown Lot and on to the golf course, to walk down to the Stadium.