Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Nickels Arcade is a historic covered shopping arcade in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, running between State Street and Maynard Street beside the University of Michigan campus. Built in the 1910s, it is a small, skylit passage of independent shops that makes a pleasant shortcut and a good first stop on a walk through the city.

The story behind it

Covered arcades were a popular way to build a shopping street in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They gave shoppers shelter from the weather and gave shop owners a sheltered row of storefronts. Nickels Arcade is Ann Arbor's version of the idea, and it takes its name from the Nickels family, who developed it in the 1910s.

Its position matters as much as its age. The arcade sits at the edge of the student district, so for more than a century it has served as a link between the university and the town's main shopping streets. Its place on the National Register of Historic Places reflects how well the building has held on to its early character.

What to look for

• Look up at the glass roof running the length of the passage, which fills the narrow space with daylight.
• Walk the full length and note how the shopfronts face each other across the walkway, close enough to feel like a small indoor street.
• Compare the two ends, one opening toward busy State Street and the other toward quieter Maynard Street, and notice how the mood changes between them.
• Browse the window displays of the small independent shops, which give the arcade much of its everyday charm.

Tips for your visit

• Give it 15 to 30 minutes if you want to walk through, look at the architecture and peek into a shop or two.
• Daylight shows off the glass roof best, so late morning or afternoon is a good time to pass through.
• The passage is a walkway you can enter freely, but individual shops keep their own schedules, so check current opening hours if you plan to buy something.
• It is close to the University of Michigan campus and the shops and cafes of State Street, so it combines easily with a wider stroll around downtown.

See it on a quest

If you like a story with your sightseeing, Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Ann Arbor is a self-guided walk with a darker, crime-flavoured theme. You reach the arcade on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle using what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Ann Arbor Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. is another way to see the arcade, this time with a detective theme. You walk between the stops at your own pace, hear about each spot as you reach it and work out a puzzle on location. It is also a paid quest, and one ticket covers your whole group.