As the weather warms up, my family and I love going to new museums. But we know that not every exhibit is exactly kid-approved.

Luckily, The ’Gander’s Chaunie Brusie has done the legwork for us.

Today, she’s bringing us a roundup of 12 Michigan museums her own five kids genuinely loved (including plenty with free admission). Read on for the list.

Plus: What you might have missed from this week’s State of the State address.

P.S. The ’Gander celebrated six years of serving Michigan this month!

We know that no newsroom is possible without its community. So on behalf of the team here at The ’Gander, I’d like to say a big thank you for making this milestone possible. We can’t wait to serve you this year and beyond.

Thank you for being a part of the community we’re building here at The ’Gander. As a reader-supported news organization, you’re at the center of everything we do.

If you’d like to help us better serve you, please consider completing our short survey. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes, and your responses will guide our reporting and improve what we deliver to readers.

Canadian visits to Michigan plummet (The Detroit News): Canadian travel to the United States dropped sharply in 2025, with about 10 million fewer visits nationwide—a 25% decline. It’s hit Michigan particularly hard, with local tourism leaders saying hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues have felt the impact.

Stellantis nixes 2025 profit-sharing checks (Freep): After posting its first-ever annual loss in 2025, Stellantis announced that UAW-represented workers will not receive profit-sharing checks because the company failed to meet the contract’s minimum profit thresholds.

Search for missing UP student suspended (WLUC): After a four-day search across land and ice, Marquette Police have suspended active efforts to find 21-year-old Trenton Massey, saying all areas that could be physically searched have been thoroughly combed. Authorities say they will resume if new evidence emerges.

From a summer arts camp in Interlochen to stalled real estate deals in Detroit, new Department of Justice records reveal just how far Jeffrey Epstein’s reach extended into Michigan. (Photo illustration/The ’Gander)

By Kyle Kaminski

The latest batch of federal records tied to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is sprawling, messy, and disturbing. And Michigan shows up in the files more than you might expect.

From a Northern Michigan arts camp to downtown Detroit and the University of Michigan, Epstein’s orbit intersects with the state in ways that are documented, verifiable, and sometimes surprising. Here’s what we know, based on what reporters have uncovered in the files so far.

The entrance to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum in Grand Rapids. (Julie Balgavy Photography)

By Chaunie Brusie

I often joke that there are two types of families you will see on vacation: the kind that stops to read all of the educational signs and the kind that prefers to keep moving. Our family is definitely the former. All five of my children, along with my husband and myself, will fully stop and read every single sign, display, or poster that we see. Needless to say, we love learning about history and absorbing any educational facts we can, which means visiting museums around Michigan is a favorite pastime of ours.

And while some of the museums offer free admission, as a proud, newly-employed library assistant here in our lovely state of Michigan, I would also like to take this time to remind everyone that you can check with your local Michigan library if they offer an Activity Pass. Activity Passes can be used at some Michigan museums for free admission, so they’re a wonderful way to explore the state on a budget.

While we are down to visit any Michigan museum, over the years, we have collected our favorites, including the free University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Here’s a closer look at some of the most beloved museums we have visited in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during her eighth and final State of the State address at the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touted seven years of work in her final State of the State address Wednesday, Feb. 25, but said there are still significant strides to be made in fields like literacy and housing before she leaves office at the end of the year.

Speaking to lawmakers gathered in the state Capitol, Whitmer said state leaders need to show urgency to improve literacy and drive down housing and health care prices in order to make Michigan a better place to live.

“Despite these national challenges, Michiganders can show the way forward. We can all show the rest of the country how we work together to get things done,” she said.

Earlier this week, we shared that Michigan gubernatorial candidate (and current Secretary of State) Jocelyn Benson recently said she wants to bring a high-speed rail to Michigan, potentially connecting major cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing.

With that in mind, we wanted to know:

If Michigan got a high-speed rail network, would you use it? Where would you want the first line to run?

This turned out to be one of the most popular questions we’ve ever asked, with hundreds of comments across social media and our inbox.

And while I can’t fit everything here (but keep your eyes peeled for an expanded web story with your responses in the future), here are highlights of what you had to say:

“I suggest Alpena … knowing full well that it will be a cold day in hell when the NE LP receives 1% of the attention that NW LP does.” — John, Presque Isle 

“Heck yes, I would use high speed rail!!! A dedicated high speed rail line from Detroit to Chicago would be great. Detroit to Grand Rapids. Detroit to Ann Arbor. Detroit to Traverse City. Detroit to Marquette.” — Tracy, South Lyon

“I would definitely love to use a high speed rail system. Trips to Chicago, Traverse City, Mackinaw City or Grand Rapids from Metro Detroit would be much easier for this senior citizen.“ — Fred, Clinton Township

“I would not use it as it is another government gross waste of money” — Jerry, Flint 

“I’d go from Ann Arbor to Grand Rapids often! I’d also go to Lansing. I don’t like driving 96 anymore! I would not drive alone to those cities! So if I could get there quickly, I’d find my way there often for Art Prize, Fred Meijer Gardens, Museum downtown, the farmers market!! Lansing museums!” — Lesta, Ann Arbor

“I would love high-speed rail from Detroit to Lansing to Grand Rapids, maybe a few stops in-between. The bus service is nearly non-existent. If we had huge-speed rail or good bus services I would use them. I have used the buses a few times before, but not recently. There seems to be very few choices for times and stops now.” — Kim, Farmington Hills

“I would like to see high speed rail to include Northern Michigan. Petoskey, Charlevoix or Boyne City would be ideal stops. A lot of people from lower Michigan come to Northern Michigan all year round due to the Lakes and winter sports.” — Hilary, Boyne City

“Michigan can barely afford its present transportation network, much less building an expensive high-speed rail system that could never pay for itself. This idea is akin to the millions of dollars our state legislature spent on a launchpad for space rockets in the Upper Peninsula. We will never have enough money to play model railroad at 1:1 scale.” — LeRoy, Grand Ledge

“I’m 77. I’m actually in great shape. However, the 4 hour drive to Ann Arbor or Detroit Metro is getting taxing. An east/west line connecting Detroit to Grand Rapids via Lansing, then a north/south route through Gaylord to Petoskey would service a lot of people.” — Will, Corwith Township

“I would not use the high speed rail. Every state public work in my lifetime has been a boondoggle. ” — Lynn, Saint Clair Shores

And if you have a question you’d like me to ask our community, send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

*Responses may be edited for conciseness or clarity.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Chaunie Brusie and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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