# MGuide — University of Michigan Campus Map

> MGuide is a student-built guide to getting around the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It covers 350 campus buildings with walking directions, real-time bus tracking, dining hours, study spots, events, parking, accessibility info, and building history. MGuide is an independent student project by a School of Information student and is not affiliated with the University of Michigan.

## Quick Answers

**What is MGuide?** MGuide is a student-built, all-in-one guide to the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. It covers 350 buildings with directions, bus tracking, dining, study spots, and building history.

**How many buildings are on the UMich campus?** MGuide indexes 350 buildings across Central, North, Medical, and Athletic campuses, covering approximately 3,200 acres and 37+ million square feet.

**When was the University of Michigan founded?** U-M was founded August 26, 1817 in Detroit and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. It is the oldest university in Michigan.

**What is Michigan Stadium?** The largest stadium in the US (107,601 capacity), known as "The Big House." Built in 1927, designed by Osborn Engineering.

**Who designed the buildings at UMich?** Albert Kahn designed 19+ buildings on central campus (1903-1938). Other notable architects include Eero Saarinen, York & Sawyer, and Robert A.M. Stern.

**What is the Diag?** The symbolic center of campus, named for diagonal walkways on the original 40-acre site. The brass Block M (Class of 1953) has a superstition: step on it before your first exam and you'll fail.

## Campus Facts
- Founded August 26, 1817, in Detroit (20 years before Michigan became a state). Moved to Ann Arbor in 1837.
- Campus: ~3,200 acres, 500+ buildings, 37+ million gross sq ft across Central, North, Medical, and Ross Athletic campuses
- Enrollment (Fall 2024): 52,855 students (34,454 undergrad, 15,688 grad, 2,713 professional) — a record
- Ranked #3 among public universities (U.S. News, held since 2019), #20 overall national universities
- Endowment: $21.2 billion (FY 2025) — 3rd among public universities, 9th overall in US higher education
- Research: $2.04 billion in FY 2024 expenditures — first time exceeding $2 billion
- Libraries: 38 libraries with 14.5+ million volumes — 1st for unique titles held among reporting institutions
- 668,000+ living alumni worldwide. 19 schools and colleges, 280+ degree programs
- Michigan Stadium ("The Big House"): 107,601 capacity, largest in the US and Western Hemisphere
- "The Victors" fight song (composed 1898 by Louis Elbel) — called "the best college march ever written" by John Philip Sousa
- The Diag: symbolic center of campus, named for the diagonal walkways crossing the original 40-acre site (1837). The brass Block M (Class of 1953 gift) has a campus legend: step on it before your first exam and you'll fail
- Carbon neutrality commitment by 2040. 24+ LEED-certified buildings. $71M "Maize Rays" solar initiative (25 MW across 45 sites)
- Notable alumni: Gerald Ford (38th President), Larry Page (Google co-founder), Arthur Miller, James Earl Jones, Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Lucy Liu, Madonna

## Building Directory
- [All Buildings](https://mguide.app/buildings/): Complete directory of 350 UMich campus buildings

## Building Categories
- Academic (104): 1100 North University Building, 1310 North University Court Building, 1327 Geddes Building, 305 W Liberty, Academic Center, and 99 more
- Administrative (39): 1027 E. Huron Building, 109 East Madison, 523 S. Division St. Building, Administrative Services Building, Arbor Lakes, and 34 more
- Athletic (25): Al Glick Field House, Athletic Operations Center, Bahna Wrestling Center, Cliff Keen Arena, Crisler Arena, and 20 more
- Housing (114): 611 Church, Alice Lloyd Hall, Betsy Barbour House, Bursley Hall, Coman House, and 109 more
- Library/Museum (14): Bentley Historical Library, Buhr Building, Detroit Observatory, Gerald Ford Library, Hatcher Graduate Library, and 9 more
- Medical (25): Bradford House, Brehm Tower, Buhl Res Cen for Human Genetics, Cancer Center, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, and 20 more
- Student Life (29): 1443 Washtenaw Ave Building, 715 N. University (Student Legal Services), Alumni Center, Argus I Building, Burnham House, and 24 more

## Features
- Interactive map with 350 campus buildings searchable by name, acronym, or classroom code
- Turn-by-turn walking navigation between any two campus locations (OSRM routing)
- Real-time AATA/TheRide bus tracking and stop information
- Dining hall locations with hours and menu details
- Study spot finder with noise levels, amenity filters, and availability
- Academic and campus event listings
- Parking lot information with permit type filtering
- Blue light emergency phone locations
- Building accessibility information (wheelchair access, elevator, ramp details)
- Real-time weather conditions, hourly forecast, and air quality
- Class schedule integration for next-class navigation
- Campus green spaces and parks

## Data Sources
- Building data from University of Michigan open datasets and OpenStreetMap
- Building history from Bentley Historical Library, public records, and cross-referenced sources
- Walking routes via OSRM (Open Source Routing Machine)
- Weather data via Open-Meteo API
- Bus tracking via AATA BusTime API

## Detailed
- [Full Building Database](https://mguide.app/llms-full.txt): Complete data for all 350 buildings including history, architect, year built, trivia, accessibility, and departments

## Sitemap
- [Sitemap XML](https://mguide.app/sitemap.xml): All 350+ pages for deep crawling

## Technical
- React single-page application with static pre-rendered building pages
- 350 individual building pages with structured data (schema.org JSON-LD)
- Hosted on GitHub Pages

## Study Spots
- [Best Study Spots at UMich](https://mguide.app/study-spots/): 24 study locations with noise levels, amenities, and capacity info

## Dining
- [UMich Dining Halls & Cafes](https://mguide.app/dining/): 15 dining halls, cafes, and markets with hours and menu links

## Campus Tours
- [Campus Tours & Collections](https://mguide.app/collections/): 11 self-guided walking tours of campus
- [New Student Tour](https://mguide.app/collection/new-student-tour/): A walking orientation through the heart of campus, hitting all the landmarks every Wolverine should know (7 stops, ~45 min)
- [Best Study Spots](https://mguide.app/collection/best-study-spots/): Top-rated quiet and productive spaces across campus for when you need to lock in (5 stops, ~25 min)
- [Coffee & Snacks](https://mguide.app/collection/coffee-and-snacks/): Fuel up between classes at the best cafes and markets on campus (6 stops, ~20 min)
- [Historic Campus](https://mguide.app/collection/historic-campus/): Walk through 200 years of Michigan history, from iconic towers to storied lecture halls (7 stops, ~35 min)
- [North Campus Loop](https://mguide.app/collection/north-campus-loop/): Explore the engineering and arts hub across the Huron River (7 stops, ~30 min)
- [Game Day](https://mguide.app/collection/game-day/): The essential pre-game and arena tour for every Michigan sports fan (6 stops, ~25 min)
- [Late Night Study Spots](https://mguide.app/collection/late-night-study/): Campus spots that stay open past 10pm for those late-night cram sessions (4 stops, ~20 min)
- [Hidden Gems](https://mguide.app/collection/hidden-gems/): Lesser-known campus spots that most students walk right past without noticing (6 stops, ~40 min)
- [Architecture Walk](https://mguide.app/collection/architecture-walk/): Notable buildings spanning Gothic Revival to modern glass, showcasing campus architectural highlights (7 stops, ~35 min)
- [Fall Colors Walk](https://mguide.app/collection/fall-colors/): The best autumn scenery on campus when the leaves turn gold and crimson (5 stops, ~30 min)
- [Winter Warmup Spots](https://mguide.app/collection/winter-warmup/): Heated buildings with public lounges and warm drinks to escape the Michigan cold (5 stops, ~25 min)

## FAQ
- [Campus FAQ](https://mguide.app/llms-faq.txt): 50+ frequently asked questions about the University of Michigan campus with verified answers

## Optional
- [Building Data JSON](https://mguide.app/data/buildings-meta.json): All campus buildings with coordinates, categories, and metadata
- [Dining Data JSON](https://mguide.app/data/dining.json): Campus dining locations and hours
- [Study Spots JSON](https://mguide.app/data/study-spots.json): Study locations with amenities and noise levels
- [Collections JSON](https://mguide.app/data/collections.json): Campus tour collections with stops and descriptions
- [Parking Data](https://mguide.app/data/parking.geojson): Parking lot locations and permit info
- [Bus Stops](https://mguide.app/data/bus-stops.geojson): Campus bus stop locations
- [Blue Light Phones](https://mguide.app/data/blue-lights.geojson): Emergency phone locations
- [Green Spaces](https://mguide.app/data/green-spaces.geojson): Campus parks and green areas