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Arab American National Museum
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Museums, Performing Arts [Edit]
13624 Michigan AveDearborn, MI 48126
(313) 582-2266
- Hours:
Wed-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Arab American National Museum
9 reviews in English
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Review from Randa K.
Arlington, VA
11/11/2011
I love this Museum! Beautifully presented and accurate!
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Review from Chelsea M.
MI
A few friends and I visited the Arab American National Museum to see a BBC panel discussion about covering the Middle East as a region hosted by Michigan Public Radio. It was my first time to the Museum and the experience was impressive. Everyone enjoyed the panel, the host did a good job mediating the discussion and the three BBC panelists offered incite into the editorial process at the BBC and the challenges facing journalists and news outlets covering the new in the region.
Following the discussion we were able to enjoy a few refreshments and take a walk around the exhibits. All the exhibits were well put together and offered a good balance of hands on activities, written information, and visual displays. We all learned some interesting information and gained some historical perspective that will help us in understanding the role Arab American's play in the culture.
There wasn't enough time to properly go through all the exhibits but I'm looking forward to being able to return and take more time walking through. Thanks again to the museum, Michigan Radio, and the BBC for creating the opportunity that brought us to the Museum. -
Review from Ben S.
Ypsilanti, MI
6/13/2010
I completely enjoyed my visit here. I came in not knowing what to expect, and I was very impressed. It is a modern museum, to be sure. This means that they focus on stories as much as artifacts, and I'm a big fan of this new style of museum. The building is fantastic architecturally, especially inside. There were some great, cohesive exhibit spaces, ranging from Arab immigration to the US through current-day Arab Americans (showcasing Arab Americans in the arts, politics, etc.) I learned quite a few things about Arab immigration that are definitely not covered in typical US history texts.
Quite a few of the exhibits are very hands-on, and very well suited for kids, especially the "modern day" exhibits. I would love to go back and explore further; I didn't see the theatre downstairs. There's less exhibit space than one would expect, given the size of the building, but the exhibits they have are well done and well worth it. I'm lucky to live so close to Dearborn, to be able to visit a museum dedicated to a culture that not many people get to truly explore. -
Review from mariah c.
Ann Arbor, MI
5/4/2009 2 photos
What a gorgeous and welcoming museum!
Coming from a background in museum work, I'm well aware of the shifting role of museums. They have gone from "places to store objects" to becoming a way to share experiences and stories. The Arab American National Museum seems well in line with this new paradigm. I was drawn into so many intriguing stories on my recent tour.
I only had a limited about of time to spend exploring exhibits, but the amount of interactivity was really amazing. I loved seeing the giant map of the "Arab World" as well as realizing just how many famous and public figures are/were Arab American. Sure, I knew Jamie Farr was Lebanese American, but I didn't know anything about the family heritage of Helen Thomas (who is also Lebanese American).
Museum members are able to browse through a library with a vast amount of resources, including a book that caught me totally off-guard (it was about the role of camels in the American West!). The gift shop is gorgeous and easily accessible from the entrance - so if you just want to pop in to buy a unique present, you don't need to pay admission. But hey, you are already there, so if you have time, I encourage you to go in and explore.
I'm hoping to bring some family members here soon (including one who has a background in exhibits) and spend more time. I am positive that young and old will find something here that will pique their interest and engage them in wanting to learn more. Isn't that what museums are all about? For me, at least, that's key!Listed in: Great for Kids!, Cultural Attractions: Metro…
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Review from Dan R.
Chattanooga, TN
1/6/2010
The Arab American National Museum is a one-of-a-kind space. The architecture is phenomenal, inside and out. I think Mariah's point about the shifting role of museums is perfectly exemplified by this place.
I find so many stories here that move me--about longing for home, forging ahead in difficult circumstances and coming together as a community. I'm amazed learning how many famous folks have Arabic heritage--Casey Kasem, Doug Flutie, Paul Anka, G.E. Smith, etc. Events and exhibits always seem to provide something interesting and instructive--from the Arab-American film festival to the recent look at new immigrants to Metro Detroit. I enjoy the history-centric main room, but it's not quite focused enough on Arab American history, given Dearborn's unique place in the American collage. The film theater downstairs is a quality space, but the screen could be bigger. Overall, though, a must-see! -
Review from Scott H.
Royal Oak, MI
3/30/2011
The facility is beautiful! The guides were a bit "harsh" toward high school students however.
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Review from Rachel W.
Arlington, VA
10/22/2009
I've been to various museums in my lifetime, but I had never been to a museums that was strictly about Arab Americans. The museum talks about the history of Arab contributions from as far back as the Mesopotamia era until today. Downstairs in the basement they had photography taken by various people in the Arab community of the metro Detroit area. Upstairs had a few exhibits - famous Arab Americans (who knew that Tiffany and Shakira are of Arab descent?), the history of Arab migration to the United States, and various short films about everyday Arab Americans.
While it is definitely worth the six dollars to visit this museum, I was surprised how few exhibits there were for such a seemingly large building. -
Review from Dominique K.
Royal Oak, MI
11/24/2009
We originally visited the Arab American National Museum because we wanted to see a photo exhibit of images taken at the annual Concert of Colors (Detroit's fab world music/diversity festival--the museum is one of the festival presenters).
The building doesn't look particularly imposing from the exterior, but the intricate tile and wood work, lighted dome, and other beautiful architectural details make seeing the building's interior worth the price of admission.
The exhibits were fascinating--I found the stories of how, and why, Arabic peoples immigrated to this area particularly interesting.
Fans of world music, dance, film, and performance art should definitely check out the museum's schedule of events. I just wrote an article for a blog about their annual Arab Film Festival (early December) and their ongoing Global Thursdays schedule of live concerts, performances and flicks from diverse cultures around the world.
We also visited the gift store, where we had a great chat with the volunteer working the counter--and she gave us a great tip about a good Arabic bakery in the city!Listed in: Culture club
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Review from David W.
Rochester, MN
7/2/2010 8 photos
Spent about 4 hours here on a Friday afternoon, and I probably could have spent even a little more (although I am the type that reads every last word on the plackards). I completely agree with others who commented on the museum more telling a story than showing artifacts (although there were quite a few artifacts). One neat thing that they offer--and this seems to be getting popular with museums--is iPod tours. Pre-load your iPod with their soundbytes and listen along as you get to each of the areas that has a soundbyte associated with it. They may also have iPods with the soundbytes on them that you can borrow; I am not sure. Another neat and techy feature was the "cell phone tour". When you get to special areas, dial in with your cell phone to hear about the topic. I never used these features (I just read the plackards) but they looked neat.
The museum is modestly-sized. Square-footage wise, it doesn't even begin compare in size to some of the larger museums in Detroit, but it is so densely-packed with information that you can spend quite a bit of time here. The admission price is also a steal--$3 for students, seniors and children older than 6; $6 for adults. There is parking available right behind the museum. The building is pretty nice, architecturally-speaking and everything is pretty new (it was built in mid-2005). I came in the summer, and they crank the air up so that this place is as chilly as an icebox. Might want to wear a long-sleeve shirt?
After you pay admission you walk into a modest atrium and read about ancient Arab culture ("Arab Civilization: Our Heritage"). If you have taken an ancient civilizations class, much of what you read about Arab contributions to math and medicine, art, architecture, music, as well as religion in the Arab world, will already be familiar to you. This section is very light on the artifacts, and a couple of the placards referenced artifacts that were missing from the display cases (on loan?). There is ambient music playing in the background which, while adding a nice touch, can be distracting when you are trying to read. A couple of the displays were "interactive" and, thus, could get a little annoying when commandeered by six-year-olds.
They had two temporary exhibits when I went. "North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection," which runs through August 8, 2010, was the first I checked out. I didn't really care for it too much, but it might be because I came in expecting not to like it--jewelry is really not my thing. I just don't get a kick out of jewelry.
But the other temporary exhibit... oh boy, this one got me excited ("From Mocha to Latte: Coffee, the Arab World and the $4 Cup," runs through August 15, 2010). Before you begin with this exhibit, trek all the way to the back corner break-room and fill up on some joe (It's free! If coffee isn't your thing, they have tea and hot cocoa as well). Sit on the couch and chat with those accompanying you before you walk through the history of coffee. Unfortunately, coffee isn't permitted to be taken outside of the breakroom. This exhibit features a timeline along one wall, which traces the origins of coffee from humble beginnings as a plant to the emergence of the fair-trade movement and the Starbucks brand. They have lots of cool pictures and many of the picture captions cited flickr users (never seen this done before at a museum, but cool!). Sit down and watch a fifteen minute video about the processing of coffee beans, the history of Starbucks, making Turkish coffee, using a vacuum filter pot and making espresso. Then you can move on to all of the artifacts--coffee grinders, coffee percolators/makers, old-school coffee advertisements--all sorts of coffee paraphernalia.
Caffeinated, I moved on to the exhibits on the second floor. "Coming to America" recounts the stories of local Arab Americans in their journeys to America. Several of the stories were interesting, but this exhibit was difficult to follow because it was very fragmentary. It was one random chronicle after another without much continuity. "Living in America" gave a taste of what it was like in America as an Arab American. The final exhibit upstairs, "Making an Impact" was really neat in that it highlighted the accomplishments of many prominent Arab Americans. I would venture to say this was probably the most "interactive" exhibit in the museum, and it was filled with artifacts.
This museum is definitely worth the price of admission and is a good way to spend an afternoon. The Friday I went, it was pretty empty. Maybe it is busier on the weekends? They also rent out space for private events--it would definitely be a cool venue to have an event at.Comment from Devon A. of Arab American National Museum 8/11/2010
It's true, we do rent the facility for events! Learn more: … More »
