Rackham Auditorium

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
View on Google Maps

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
View on Google Maps

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. FREE OPTION! Thompson St Structure (508 Thompson St)
Open to the public and free after 6 pm Mon-Sat and all day Sunday.
View on Google Maps

5. Liberty Square Structure (510 E Washington St)
Entrance off Washington between State Street and Division. See current rates.
View on Google Maps

6. Maynard St Structure (324 Maynard St)
Entrances off Maynard Street and Thompson between William and Liberty. See current rates.
View on Google Maps

Description

Fifty years ago, chamber music concerts in Ann Arbor were a relative rarity, presented in an assortment of venues including University Hall (the precursor to Hill Auditorium), Hill Auditorium, Newberry Hall and the current home of the Kelsey Museum. When Horace H. Rackham, a Detroit lawyer who believed strongly in the importance of the study of human history and human thought, died in 1933, his will established the Horace H. Rackham and Mary A. Rackham Fund, which subsequently awarded the University of Michigan the funds not only to build the Horace H. Rackham Graduate School which houses Rackham Auditorium, but also to establish a $4 million endowment to further the development of graduate studies. Even more remarkable than the size of the gift, which is still considered one of the most ambitious ever given to higher-level education, is the fact that neither of the Rackhams ever attended the University of Michigan.

Designed by architect William Kapp and architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci, Rackham Auditorium was quickly recognized as the ideal venue for chamber music. In 1941, the Musical Society presented its first chamber music festival with the Musical Art Quartet of New York performing three concerts in as many days, and the current Chamber Arts Series was born in 1963. Chamber music audiences and artists alike appreciate the intimacy, beauty and fine acoustics of the 1,060-seat auditorium, which has been the location for hundreds of chamber music concerts throughout the years.

Accessibility

Access for Persons with Disabilities

All seating in the auditorium is on the main floor with no stairs. There is a wheelchair ramp on the Washington Street side of the building.

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

Entrances and Elevators

The main entrance is off of Washington Street. Elevators for the upper level are found on either side of the lobby.

Ticket Office Location

For ticket sales and ticket pick-up, see the Rackham ticket booth, located on the left side of the lobby as you enter the building. The Ticket Office opens 60 minutes prior to the performance and remains open until 30 minutes after the performance begins.