I love when houses and cities have secret doors. It reminds me of when I was a kid, reading books like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Both stories featured magical doors that led to exciting new worlds, and I can remember daydreaming for hours about finding a door in my own backyard that could lead to a mystical world of adventure!
The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, keeps that childlike wonder alive, as dozens of local businesses feature tiny doors on their establishments that the locals claim are "fairy doors." These doors attract tourists and delight the local children. It always makes the news when a new tiny fairy door mysteriously appears.
Jonathan B. Wright, an Ann Arbor father and children's book author, first "discovered" the fairy doors about 20 years ago when he and his wife, Kathleen, found several inside of their new house. Around 2005, more fairy doors started appearing around town.
Maybe Jonathan has been transforming his hometown, or maybe it's actual fairies who have found a lovely home in Ann Arbor. Whatever the reason, you can't argue that these adorable doors really add some character to the city.
I would have loved seeing these doors around town when I was a kid.
Jonathan has written a book called Who's Behind the Fairy Doors? that you can purchase through the Urban Fairies website. Scroll through for some great photos of these tiny doors, and visit Urban Fairies for many more fairy door photos!
The original fairy doors first "appeared" in Jonathan's home some time around 1993. There was one in the hallway. Of course, no one knows how it really got there.
Shortly after, another appeared around the fireplace. Fairies like to stay warm to, ya know! It seems like they can have homes just about anywhere. The doors started showing up out in the world, too.
Some can be spotted right in town, much to the delight of locals and tourists alike! This gift and novelty shop in Ann Arbor has its own fairy door. Can you spot it? If you don't look closely, you'll miss it!
This tiny fairy door is a miniature replica of the real store's own door. Those fairies sure are crafty. And they love to imitate humans. They do everything we do! Just on a much smaller scale.
This little guy keeps watch for any fairies who may or may not leave through the magical door. Dogs love fairies. Unfortunately, fairies are downright terrified of dogs. I mean, why wouldn't they be? Dogs are huge to fairies!
The inside of the fairy store is full of fascinating details, too. Attention to detail is a big part of being a fairy. Those tiny fingers come in handy for making their homes extra intricate and special, like only fairies can do.
A local dentist's office has its own fairy door. Adults who visit the office have to bend down to see it. For children, it's right at eye level, making it oh so magical for all the little ones to enjoy.
If you look a little bit closer, you'll see that even fairies need someone to take care of their teeth. I mean, of course they do! They're just like us. Well, almost. Think about how tiny those little teeth must be …
How adorable is that wallpaper? Fairies sure do love to make their homes nice and cozy. We humans might steal some of their design ideas. Perhaps the fairies need their own show on HGTV.
Many local business in downtown Ann Arbor such as this bookstore have their own fairy doors. You can find the doors just about anywhere, really. You just have to keep your eyes peeled.
Nicola's Books, for example, has a classy wood-paneled door between two books of fairy tales. Who would of thought you could find fairies living in between books? Those two are definitely worth a read.
Books actually make a great fairy home, as this local library branch has discovered. Didn't you know that fairies are avid readers? They are really quite smart. They love reading tales about us humans!
I wonder if the library fined the fairies who made these books their home. Probably not, though. Who could fine them when they are so darn inventive? Just about anything can be a fairy home.
Fairy doors have also been sighted in the public parks. Of course, fairies love the outdoors. But they don't always hide in the deep dark woods. They can pop up all over the place — anywhere there is a cozy nook to build a home.
Fairies also love to lurk around grassy fields and magical meadows. Sometimes, they even linger right out in the open. But fairies are sneaky enough to not be seen. Well, usually …
Voilà was an Ann Arbor clothing and accessories store on Main Street. Can you spot its fairy doors? Look closely! This fairy home probably housed some little fashionistas when the store was open for business.
There's an elegant door at the bottom of this column. It's incredible all the places you can find fairy homes. Especially in this town! These doors are practically around every corner.
Did you spot the window up and to the left? That column makes a pretty majestic fairy home. But everything human-sized probably feels quite spacious when you're a fairy.
Fairies must like the same things we do. At a local theater, there's a tiny fairy window at the box office. Yes, they love the arts! Especially theater. We hear that fairies have a flair for drama.
The ticket window even offers tickets for rotating shows. One of the fairies' favorite shows is Peter Pan. Of course, all the fairy actors argue over who gets to play Tink.
Of course, sometimes the shows may be sold out. Even though fairies are nimble, they can only put on one performance at a time. But they always deliver the good stuff.
When Google opened an office in Ann Arbor, it was surprised to discover that its building also housed a fairy home. I mean, who knew fairies were into technology? But again, they're just like us!
Can you spot the fairy door? HINT: Take a look toward the ceiling. Sometimes, to spot something magical, you simply need to change your perspective. A new angle can open up whole new worlds.
The offices of "Giggle" happen to be located in a conference room at Google's Ann Arbor location. It's really the perfect name for the fairy business, too. Fairies just love to laugh.
The town sewing center has a fairy door with an interesting design feature. Of course, these creatures love to sew. They're just so crafty. They probably get all their supplies at stores like this.
This fairy door seems to look like all of the other fairy doors in town, but take a good look at the button on the right. You might need to put your reading glasses on. There's a special quirk. Look closely…
You can see the inside of this magical fairy home! Pushing the button gives you such a special glimpse into the fairy world. If you look carefully, you might just spot a fairy.
A local coffee shop in town also has a miniature fairy door, because of course it does! Fairies love coffee, didn't you know? There's nothing like a hot cuppa after a long day a magical hijinks. Told you they were everywhere!
This coffeehouse fairy home even has miniature macchiatos and newspapers inside. Fairies do all the things that we do. They just do it … smaller. And with more magic.
The Red Shoes gift and home goods store has its own fairy door that matches its iconic human-sized red door. This fairy home is quite special. Then again, all their homes are.
Inside the Red Shoes store, there is another magical miniature door that has a surprise for all fairy door seekers. Can you guess what it is? Those fairies are full of surprises.
Both of the doors in this store are connected! How amazing is that? These magical creatures just never quit in their micro-ingenuity, much to the delight of all who live and visit Ann Arbor.
These are just a sample of all the incredible fairy doors around Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas. Visit Jonathan's Urban Fairies website for more fairy doors! It's quite the sight to behold.
