Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Trinity Health Michigan Now Booking School Visits to Health Exploration Station

The newly updated Health Exploration Station, a 3,500-square-foot interactive health and wellness learning center, has now re-opened to the public.

The Health Exploration station was created through a partnership between the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center and Trinity Health Michigan. The Health Exploration Station closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, recent financial investments from the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Leslie Science & Nature Center and Trinity Health Michigan has breathed new life into the educational installation. The venture reveals a renewed focus on community wellness and youth education.

Located on the lower level of the Trinity Health Medical Center, the unique space contains an array of interactive exhibits in areas spanning nutrition, physical activity, mental health, anatomy, substance use and vaping prevention. In December 2025, a pilot program with Ypsilanti youth was launched. According to a recent press release, local school districts can book field trips to the Health Exploration Station for the 2026-27 school year.

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K-12 Field Trips to the Health Exploration Station

Educational programming is currently designed for grades Pre-K to 6^th grade. Field trips typically include a grade-level hands-on lab followed by time to explore the Health Exploration Station. Programs are tailored as follows:

• Pre-K and Young 5: My Healthy Habits
• Kindergarten: Inside Look
• 1^st Grade: Filling My Plate
• 2^nd Grade: Food Chemistry
• 3^rd Grade: Our Body Systems
• 4^th Grade: Choose Your Health
• 5^th Grade: Mind Over Matter
• 6^th Grade: The Science of Drugs and Medicine

Labs are 30 minutes long for Pre-K to 3^rd grade and 45 minutes long for 4^th to 6^th grade. Programs provide young students with the opportunity to learn about health in a very experiential way, through experiments, hands-on activities, and vibrant visual media exhibits. There must be a minimum of 20 students per school visit, and the cost per student is $14. Educators and parent chaperones are admitted free.

Exciting features of the Health Exploration Station

Some of the newer features have modernized the space. The exhibits explore mental health, substance use prevention, smoking and vaping prevention. P

revious exhibits that have been preserved include those exploring anatomy, nutrition and physical activity. Visitors truly get a larger-than-life experience of a particular subject area. For instance, they may be able to examine a life-sized replica of a human mouth to learn about oral health, climb through a replica of the digestive tract or walk through a larger-than-life human ear.

The goal is to “help students connect science to everyday health and wellness, build knowledge about their bodies and healthy habits, and reinforce classroom learning through hands-on experiences”, shares Gem Miller, Marketing Manager, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center. When young people are informed about their bodies, they can make better decisions about their health in the long run.

Contact

For more information on booking a field trip or to learn more about programs at the Health Exploration Station, email [email protected], fill out the Field Trip Request Form, or check out the website.

1600 Canton Ctr Rd #10, Canton Township, MI