Events & Workshops
Our events focus on highlighting the many ways you might dig into the archives.
What is a Constitutional Convention?
- Thursday, October 8, 2026
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm
- Bentley Historical Library
- In-Person
Every 16 years, Michigan voters are asked whether to dig into the state’s constitution and make edits in what's known as a Constitutional Convention, or Con-Con. But what would a Con-Con actually look like? And what can voters understand about past Con-Cons that will help them say yes or no on this year's ballot?
October Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- In-Person
Get an insider’s view of the incredible historical materials at the Bentley.
Michigan and the American Civil War: A Conversation with Historian Jack Dempsey
- Thursday, October 15, 2026
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person & Virtual
The American Civil War was a bloody four-year conflict that not only ended slavery in the United States, but fundamentally changed the country in innumerable ways that still echo today. […]
November Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, November 11, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- In-Person
Get an insider’s view of the incredible historical materials at the Bentley.
December Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- In-Person
Get an insider’s view of the incredible historical materials at the Bentley.
Past Events
Under Harriet’s Sky
- Friday, October 2, 2026
- 7:00 – 9:00 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person
Join the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies and the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory for a special evening honoring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Edda Fields-Black and exploring Harriet […]
Cake and Ice Cream: Creating a Sense of Belonging at U-M Student Banquets in the Early 20th Century
- Thursday, September 17, 2026
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person & Virtual
Dorm dinners and late night snacks with friends and roommates have been a major part of the college experience for generations of students. At U-M this has been true since […]
September Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- Bentley Historical Library
- In-Person
Get an insider’s view of the incredible historical materials at the Bentley.
Vintage Victors: Historic U-M Football Films at the Observatory
- Saturday, September 5, 2026
- 12:00 – 5:00 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person
Kick off Wolverine football season with vintage U-M football films on the Observatory’s 14-foot screen, a pop-up exhibit of football treasures, and opportunities to meet archivists and explore U-M football […]
Conversations Across Continents: Philippine Histories and Memories in the Manuel Quezon Papers
- Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- 9:00 – 11:00 am
- Virtual
Join archivists and scholars for a conversation across continents to celebrate the opening of the Manuel Quezon Papers online.
August Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- Bentley Historical Library
- In-Person
Get an insider’s view of the incredible historical materials at the Bentley.
Walking Tour: Creating Michigan: Key Moments in U-M’s Early History
- Friday, July 24, 2026
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm
- Meet at the Angell Hall steps facing State Street
- In-Person
Explore the first 70 years of U-M history, from the University’s Native American land accession and its origins in Detroit in 1817 to its move to Ann Arbor and emergence as a research university after 1837.
July Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Bentley Library
- Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- Bentley Historical Library
- In-Person
The Lost Campus: The University of Michigan’s Vanished but not Forgotten Spaces
- Thursday, May 21, 2026
- 6:00 – 8:00 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person & Virtual
Archiving the World: The Bentley Library and U-M’s International Aspirations
- Thursday, April 2, 2026
- 6:00 – 8:00 pm
- Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory
- In-Person
Exhibits
Explore history through these exhibits, both in person and online.
“Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan
On display beginning September 25, 2026, this in-person exhibit explores how campus and community debated the issues that tore the country apart, how students and alums joined the fight, and how the University’s public mission began to conflict with its elite aspirations. Based on collections at the Bentley Historical Library.
Digital Exhibit
A New Universe of Research
In the late 1800s, new technologies revolutionized astronomy. But U-M missed out – that is, until William Hussey returned to campus. Learn about the ways in which the University of Michigan returned to the forefront of astronomical research.
Digital Exhibit
Willis Ward: More Than the Game
Willis Ward is indelibly identified with the 1934 University of Michigan vs. Georgia Tech football game in Ann Arbor, during which he was infamously benched for being Black. This exhibit goes beyond the game into his rich life and legacy.
Digital Exhibit
As to the Woman Question: The Admission of Women to the University of Michigan
One hundred and fifty years ago, Madelon Stockwell became the first woman to attend the University of Michigan, but she did not arrive at this achievement in isolation. These are the stories of the pioneering women who proved they belonged at U-M too.
Digital Exhibit
Constructing Gender: The Origins of Michigan’s Union and League
Gender differences are literally built into the architecture of the Michigan Union and League buildings. This digital exhibit explores the ways the in which the University envisioned separate zones of campus for men and women in the early twentieth century.