Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau 1223 Turner St. Suite 200 Lansing, MI 48906 (517) 487-6800 Population 127321 Time Zone Eastern Latitude/Longitude 42.74° /-84.55° Today's Forecast HIGH: 66 LOW: 41

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Attractions

Prime among Lansing's governmental attractions is the magnificent State Capitol. Completed in 1879, the building has been faithfully restored to its original Victorian grandeur. Tours take visitors through public areas including the House and Senate galleries. Two blocks away, the impressively modern Michigan Library and Historical Center (opened in 1989) encompasses the state archives as well as the Michigan Historical Museum. Among its four levels of exhibits, the museum lets visitors walk through a copper mine and inspect a relief map of Michigan that is three stories tall. The Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame celebrates the state's notable women and their contributions to the state and the nation. Named for the founder of the Oldsmobile Auto Company, the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum has an outstanding collection of Oldsmobile cars, including the first model ever built. Other types of vehicles -- bicycles, trucks, an airplane -- that at one time or another were built in Lansing are also on display.

Discovery and learning are closely linked at the Impression 5 Science Center. The museum features hands-on exhibits that introduce both adults and youngsters to the physical and natural sciences. A bit more off-beat, the Michigan Museum of Surveying offers a fascinating look at this specialized field. Exhibits trace the development of surveying from its origins to the modern use of digital equipment.

The campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing is packed with worthwhile museums as well as happy stops for the sports fan. Be sure to visit the Kresge Art Museum, where exhibits span the globe and the history of man. The collections include African, ancient Egyptian, Asian and Islamic arts as well as European, early American and contemporary works. The MSU Museum has natural history exhibits -- dioramas, dinosaurs, and much more -- on three floors. Star shows are presented at Abrams Planetarium on the weekends.

Wharton Center for Performing Arts on the MSU campus offers Broadway touring productions, top name jazz, classical and pop music performers, plus special events and family shows. The Wharton encompasses the 2,500-seat Great Hall and the 600-seat Pasant Theatre.

Baseball fans can attend Midwest League games played by the Lansing Lugnuts, a Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Lugnuts play at modern Oldsmobile Park, which opened in 1996 and boasts 10,000 seats and 26 luxury suites.

There may be some zoos that are larger, but few that are more beautiful than Lansing's Potter Park Zoo. Located in a large wooded park alongside the slow moving Red Cedar River, the zoo houses more than 400 animals in natural habitats. You could also spend an afternoon at the Fenner Nature Center walking through maple forests and oak groves, past pine plantations and ponds. The center has over 100 acres of greenery and five miles of nature trails. For more outdoor exploration a little bit further east, Meridian Historical Village in Okemos preserves a compendium of historic buildings relocated from other rural areas. This look back to earlier times offers rarities such as a tollgate house and a real log cabin.

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