The following are instructions for people who want to attend the club meeting in person at the UM Museum of Natural History. (This is for the meeting Friday May 19, 2023 only). There will be a Zoom option also.
The Museum of Natural History (formerly called the “Exhibit Museum”), opened in a new building in April of 2019. This building, the Biological Sciences Building (BSB) holds both the museum and lab space for students/faculty. The Ruthven Building was the previous location of the museum, but all exhibits have been moved to the BSB. The BSB is located a hundred feet or so to the north of Ruthven.
In the immediate area of the BSB are a number of university buildings, including the Dental School, the Undergraduate Science Building, the Life Sciences Institute, the Ruthven Building and the Central Campus Classroom Building (All of these are marked on the map below with the exception of the Central Campus Classroom Building).
If you want to drive to the museum and minimize walking distance, the best option is to use the Palmer Structure. It is located beneath the Undergraduate Science Building and provides both blue permit parking and visitor parking ($2.00 an hour). It is marked “Parking” on the map below.
To use this structure, turn onto Palmer Drive from the stoplight on Washtenaw and enter the second entrance on your left, marked VISITOR PARKING. Do not attempt to use any of the other entrances which are marked “Blue Permit Only” (unless you have paid for a permit in advance).
Once inside the structure drive down to the lower level (LL) and look for signs marked “South Elevator.” Park and take the south elevator up to the Plaza level (P). You will exit the elevator on the first floor of the Undergraduate Science Building.
Go outside (the door is a few feet from the elevator) and walk across the plaza to the BSB. The BSB has a distinctive reddish-brown color. (The photo was taken on a gloomy afternoon, so the color is subdued, see the 2nd photo of BSB further down the page for a better display of the color). On the photo below, note the dark blue sign marked “Biological Sciences Building/Museum of Natural History” on the right, and a light blue sign on the left. The later sign is marked “Museum of Natural History” with a yellow arrow (see both the wide field and enlargement below).
Follow the yellow arrow and go through the entrance. Its marked “Back Entrance” on the map above.
There should be someone to let you in until 7:45PM. If you arrive after that, you will would need to check in with security using the lower Washtenaw entrance. (Take the stairs down to Washtenaw Ave, and the entrance is nearby).
To return to your car after the meeting, reverse this. Exit through the back entrance of the BSB and enter the Undergraduate Science Building (USB). Note the dark blue sign marked “Undergraduate Science Building.” The door is marked “Palmer” with the letter “P” in a circle (see the wide field and enlargement below). This is the door you went out of earlier in the evening. Take the elevator back to level LL and your car.
The door to USB should be open until 9:30PM.
If you don’t want to use Palmer, there are other options. Parking in a nearby structure, using on street parking, walking, taking the bus, etc. Depending on which option you pick, you can either enter the BSB from the north following the instructions above or you can enter the museum from the south. There should be someone to let you in until 7:45PM. If you arrive after that, you will would need to check in with security using the lower Washtenaw entrance. (Take the stairs down to Washtenaw Ave, and the entrance is nearby). The photo shows the BSB as seen from the south. Note the northwest corner of Ruthven is visible on the right side of the photo.
Walk along the sidewalk between the BSB and Ruthven. The front entrance is flanked by two bronze statues of pumas. (Pumas are also known as cougars and/or mountain lions). Both pumas and the front entrance are shown in the photo below.
