Ann Arbor has plenty of fun activities, iconic restaurants, and endless night-time adventures. Whether a visitor or a longtime resident, you love the popular Washtenaw County attractions, from iconic Museums to delicious sandwiches from Zingerman’s Deli. However, there is an undeniable allure about discovering something unique, different, underground and entertaining among the front-and-center businesses.
In this article, we will explore some of the fun lowkey spots throughout the city, from nightclubs where the party never ends to alleyway bars where you can play a game or two among friends. There are endless opportunities to enjoy the Ann Arbor area. Here are some spots you should check out.
Study Hall Lounge
Is there anything that captures late-night fun, like an underground bar? The Study Hall Lounge is one of Ann Arbor’s premiere nightclubs, featuring a colorful interior, a versatile roster of DJs that bring both nostalgic favorites and top 40 hits and a vibrant ambiance that lights the dance floor as you break out your best moves. If you want a top-notch fun bar with an element of seclusion, visit this nighttime highlight.
Ann Arbor Plaza, 1220 S University Ave #9, Ann Arbor.
Rabbit Hole
Surrounded by The Circ Bar, Live, The Blind Pig and soon-to-open Uplift, Rabbit Hole offers a unique change of pace to the abundance of nightlife options on the crowded 1st Street in Ann Arbor. With a near cave-like interior, Rabbit Hole is the newest club on the block and has booths, a dance floor, and a rotating list of DJs and specialty drinks every month.
210 S 1st St, Ann Arbor.
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LoFiÂ
Located under the popular Main Street Nightcap, LoFi is the bolder nightlife cousin to the sleek and modern cocktail bar. While its underground location adds an intriguing aura of mystery, LoFi’s atmosphere beams with bright neon lights and club-banging music oozing onto the city’s Main Street. While one level below Nightcap, this high-energy club steals the show with tables lined up along the walls and a bartender serving premium drinks such as disco lemonade.
220 S Main St Lower Level, Ann Arbor.
The Cellar Wine Bar
The Cellar Wine Bar is below Grizzly Peak and offers a quiet yet intimate charcuterie board and wine experience. If you want to kick your date night into new gear or enjoy a lowkey night on the town without the rambunctious downtown atmosphere, this wine bar is a welcomed change of pace to the high-energy downtown Ann Arbor area.
117 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor.
Down Bar at Pretzel Bell
The Pretzel Bell is one of Main Street’s premiere restaurants, offering the full spectrum of filling meals from crab cakes to lemon-buttered Grilled Cajun Salmon. So it is only natural that you are shocked when you visit Down Bar, an entire nightclub, complete with a DJ and delicious drinks, located in the basement of this pristine restaurant. Dance the night away in this basement bar as music blares from wall to wall, playing all your favorite hits.
226 S Main St, Ann Arbor.
Bab’s Underground LoungeÂ
Branding themselves as “your favorite underground hangout,” this lounge is tucked below the Schwaben Building on Ashley Street and offers arcade games, pool tables and weekly cocktails. There are also multiple TVs in the building if you want to sit back and watch the game while enjoying your beverage.
213 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor.
8-Ball Pool
While many know of The Blind Pig, some do not know the legendary music venue next-door neighbor, 8-Ball Pool. This alleyway bar, located below/next to the popular music venue, offers a unique experience, as the venue has plenty of fun and entertainment with it’s old-school arcade games on the walls, multiple pool tables and dart boards. This bar has everything you could want. Plus, its lengthy range of drinks adds to the highlight of the offered fun.
206 S 1st St, Ann Arbor.
NOW studios
Creatively recognized as Express Your Yes, NOW Studios is a creative social lab that provides every service, from live-model figure drawing services to the occasional karaoke night. Located in the basement of the same plaza as popular restaurants Mama Satto, Hola Seoul, and Bodega Bros, this colorful venue is a prime venue for anyone wanting to release their inner artist.
715 N University Ave bsmt, Ann Arbor.
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.