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Hill Auditorium

825 North University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

734-764-2538

DIRECTIONS

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We recommend entering your preferred parking structure into your Maps App or GPS for the most accurate travel information:

PARKING

While the central campus venues are close to the parking structures, you will want to allow extra time to negotiate downtown Ann Arbor traffic and to find a space in the structure. We recommend arriving on campus 30 minutes prior to your performance start time.

1. S Thayer St Structure (216 S Thayer St)
Entrance off Thayer Street between Washington and North University Avenue. Event parking is $10, card only
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Pro-tip: The Thayer Street structure requires stairs if you park on one of the “A” levels. To avoid stairs entirely, park on a level that just has the number (level 2, level 3, etc.)

 

2. Fletcher St (Power Center) Structure (201 Fletcher St)
Entrance off Fletcher Street at Washington. Event parking is $10, card only
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Pro-Tip: If you are on Fletcher Street, there are two different entrances to the Fletcher Street structure, one for event parking and one for the Dental School. Make sure that you go down the ramp when entering off of Fletcher Street for event parking.

 

3. Fletcher St (Power Center) Structure Rear Entrance (Palmer Drive)

Pro-Tip: The University also has parking attendants on the back side of the Fletcher Street structure, with an entrance off of Washtenaw on Palmer Drive. Avoid the lines and traffic by using this entrance instead — simply put Palmer Drive, Ann Arbor into your maps and you’ll enter the same Fletcher Street structure, but on level 2 instead of level 5. Elevators are located on the south side of the structure, or you can take the stairs on the north side.

 

4. Valet Parking (N University Ave in front of Hill Auditorium)
Available 1 hour before performances for select events only. Valet is $30 cash per car.

 

5. FREE OPTION! Thompson St Structure (500 Thompson St)
Open to the public and free after 6 pm Mon-Sat and all day Sunday.
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6. Maynard St Structure (324 Maynard St)
Entrances off Maynard Street and Thompson between William and Liberty. See current rates.
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7. Liberty Square Structure (510 E Washington St)
Entrance off Washington between State Street and Division. See current rates.
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Description

Hill Auditorium was built by noted architectural firm Kahn and Wilby. Completed in 1913, the renowned concert hall was inaugurated at the 20th Ann Arbor May Festival, and has continued to be the site of thousands of concerts, featuring everyone from Leonard Bernstein and Cecilia Bartoli to Bob Marley and Bob Dylan.

In May, 2002, Hill Auditorium underwent an 18-month, $38.6-million dollar renovation, updating the infrastructure and restoring much of the interior to its original splendor. Exterior renovations included the reworking of brick paving and stone retaining wall areas, restoration of the south entrance plaza, the reworking of the west barrier-free ramp and loading dock, and improvements to landscaping.

Interior renovations included the demolition of lower-level spaces to ready the area for future improvements, the creation of additional restrooms, the improvement of barrier-free circulation by providing elevators and an addition with ramps, the replacement of seating to increase patron comfort, introduction of barrier-free seating and stage access, the replacement of theatrical performance and audio-visual systems, and the complete replacement of mechanical and electrical infrastructure systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Re-opened in January, 2004, Hill Auditorium now seats 3,538.

The venue celebrated its 100th birthday on May 14th, 2013. Watch “A Space for Music, A Seat for Everyone”, the UMS documentary about our history in Hill Auditorium, online here.

Accessibility

Access for Persons with Disabilities

Wheelchair seating is available on the main floor and mezzanine levels of Hill Auditorium. Wheelchair ramps are found on the east and west entrances, off South Thayer Street and Ingalls Mall.

Hill Auditorium is equipped with assistive listening devices. Earphones may be obtained upon arrival. Please ask an usher for assistance.

Entrances and Elevators

There are two elevators that access the mezzanine, balcony, and lower lobby levels. They may be found on either side of the lobby. Stairs are required to access the seating area on the Balcony level.

Ticket Office Location

For ticket sales and ticket pick-up, use the South Thayer Street entrance. The Ticket Office opens 60 minutes prior to the performance and remains open until 30 minutes after the performance begins.

SEAT MAPS

Seat Map
(199K PDF)

PDF Download

Seat Map

Hill Auditorium Documentary

Please note: To turn close captioning on or off, click “play” and then click “CC” in bottom right corner of video.
For optimal viewing, we recommend a non-mobile device.

 

A Space for Music, A Seat for Everyone: 100 Years of UMS Performances in Hill Auditorium

“Winner “Best Historical Documentary” Michigan EMMY® Award

One of the most celebrated venues in the United States, Hill Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, opened on May 14, 1913.

Designed by the renowned architect Albert Kahn and boasting one of the world’s finest acoustical designs, Hill Auditorium has been a true cultural incubator for the arts community in southeast Michigan for the past 100 years. With a rich history of performances by the world’s top artists, Hill Auditorium is a shining example of how investment in the arts cultivates a vibrant, engaged community.

In many ways, Hill Auditorium is more than a gathering place for music enthusiasts; it has been the beating heart of civic life in Ann Arbor for a century and has created a self-perpetuating reputation for attracting top talent to the venue, the university, and the city itself. Through concert recordings, news articles, and anecdotal interviews, A Space for Music, A Seat for Everyone: 100 Years of UMS Performances in Hill Auditorium provides historical context for the auditorium’s role as UMS’s primary concert venue and highlights its evolving community function.

Watch Full Documentary

Length and format: 57 minutes, widescreen, HD.

Credits

Executive Producers
UMS, AnnArbor.com & MLive Media Group, Detroit Public Television

Producer, Director, Editor and Writer
Sophia Kruz

Writers
Anna Prushinskaya, Truly Render

Narrator
Pamela Lewis

Supervising Sound Editor
Rishi Daftuar

Original Score
Howard White