48 Hours in Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan Stadium

Fall in Ann Arbor means football, and on home-game weekends, that means a trip to The Big House. The University of Michigan has the largest football stadium in the country with a seating capacity of 107,601. Get there early to grab a parking spot to tailgate, or grab a bite inside the stadium, where fare ranges from Buddy’s Detroit-style pizza to barbecue. As the marching band takes the field, tens of thousands of fans decked out in maize and blue sing “The Victors,” which John Philip Sousa called the “best college march ever written.” Make sure to be in your seat at the break between the third and fourth quarters for the “Mr. Brightside” stadium singalong. 1201 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, mgoblue.com

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library 

Gerald Ford chose the University of Michigan as the site for his presidential library because it was his alma mater. He graduated in 1935 with a degree in economics and was a football player on the 1932 and 1933 national championship teams. The archives also include First Lady Betty Ford’s papers and presidential records from the era. Small exhibit areas tell the story of the president and first lady through photos, artifacts, newspaper and magazine clippings and their own words (from scans of handwritten notes as well as White House memos). To view the research archives, a prearranged appointment is required. The library is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so a visit is a good bookend to a long weekend. 1000 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, 734/205-0555, fordlibrarymusuem.gov

Zingerman’s Deli

In 1982, Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig opened their deli, where they served sandwiches on fresh-baked bread that were piled high with premium meats, cheeses and toppings. Zingerman’s Deli quickly became an institution and has garnered a national reputation for its artisan sandwiches. Located in a historic building in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown neighborhood, the deli is a destination for sandwiches so big you’ll need both hands to hold them. Pick up some bread, artisan cheese and spices in the grocery section. Then stop at Zingerman’s Next Door Cafe for a treat and some fresh-brewed coffee. In more of a breakfast mood? Start at the Next Door Cafe and try a breakfast burrito or sandwich. 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, 734/663-3354, zingermansdeli.com

Dawn Treader Book Shop

Since 1976, the Dawn Treader Book Shop (named after the ship in the third installment of author C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series) has been buying and selling rare, antique books, as well as used books in dozens of collecting areas. An Ann Arbor institution, the shop is filled will titles on topics ranging from cooking to history, philosophy to American Indian studies and science fiction to the occult. A walk through the shelves reveals interesting finds at every turn, including a replica Egyptian sarcophagus and a wooden pirate figure. When actor LeVar Burton of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the PBS series ”Reading Rainbow” visited the shop in 2012, he called it the “best bookstore ever.” 514 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, 734/995-1008, shop.dawntreaderbooks.com

University of Michigan Museum of Art

See the world through art that includes drawings, paintings, sculptures and more from cultures spanning the globe. The University of Michigan Museum of Art houses a collection of more than 23,000 works of art, including Chinese carvings dating to the seventh century, a Thai Buddhist altar and a Japanese armor and helmet set crafted sometime between 1615 and 1868. There are also paintings by Pablo Picasso and modern African art that tells the story of countries fighting for independence from colonial occupiers. The special exhibition “American Sampler: Activating the Archive” features political-dissent and social-change materials from around the world, including posters, magazines and newspaper articles from the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the Vietnam War and the Kent State University shootings. 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, 734/764-0395, umma.umich.edu