Museums, galleries & stages / Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Central Campus (Rackham Building)
Rackham Auditorium
Ann Arbor's chamber music room: the auditorium inside U-M's 1938 Rackham Building, home of the UMS Chamber Arts Series.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Detroit lawyer Horace H. Rackham died in 1933, and the fund set up by his will paid for U-M's graduate school building, this auditorium included, plus a $4 million endowment for graduate studies. Neither he nor his wife, Mary, ever attended the university. Architect William Kapp designed the building, architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci did the ornament, and it was dedicated in June 1938. Chamber players and audiences fell for the room fast: UMS held its first chamber music festival here in 1941 with New York's Musical Art Quartet, and the Chamber Arts Series has lived here since 1963. Not to be confused with the Rackham Building in Detroit's Midtown; this one is on the Ann Arbor campus.
- Built in 1938
- More than 1,000 seats, all on one level with no stairs
- Home of the UMS Chamber Arts Series since 1963
- Art Deco details and a gold-leaf ceiling
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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¼ · Stay
Sleep right around the corner
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-23
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
Nov 8, 2026, 4:00 PMEscher Quartet / Jason Vieaux
The Escher Quartet and guitarist Jason Vieaux perform on Sunday, November 8, at 4 p.m. at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor, presented by the University Musical Society (UMS).
Nov 15, 2026, 4:00 PMAndy Akiho and Sandbox Percussion
Composer and percussionist Andy Akiho brings his steelpan and the Brooklyn-based Sandbox Percussion to Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m. The concert is presented by the University Musical Society, and tickets are available online.
Dec 18, 2026, 7:30 PMIsidore Quartet / Anthony McGill
The Isidore String Quartet and clarinetist Anthony McGill play Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Friday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. The program pairs quintets by Brahms and Mozart with a new piece, and tickets are available online.
Feb 5, 2027, 7:30 PMTakács Quartet / Jeremy Denk
The Takács Quartet, now with new cellist Mihai Mirica, teams up with pianist Jeremy Denk on Friday, February 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor. University Musical Society (UMS) presents the concert, and tickets are available online.
Mar 17, 2027, 7:30 PMThe Mad Lover
Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and lutenist Thomas Dunford play Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m., presented by the University Musical Society (UMS). They bring Baroque works from their album The Mad Lover. Tickets are available online.
Apr 22, 2027, 7:30 PMRosamunde String Quartet
The Rosamunde String Quartet plays Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Thursday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., presented by the University Musical Society (UMS). It's an all-star foursome of top orchestral players bringing chamber music to the stage. Tickets are available online.
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