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Detroit, Michigan

City Guide

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Features of this Destination

Detroit is still the fascinating city of all things automotive, but it is also a city transformed.  Have you visited Detroit lately? 

Arrival at Detroit’s Metro Airport sets the stage for the new Detroit.  The  Northwest Airlines World Gateway Terminal provides nearly 100 gates, an elevated tram, spacious walkways,  unique  Detroit-themed shops and restaurants. A second terminal is under construction.  Detroit’s largest convention hotel  recently renovated its rooms and its over 100,000 square feet of meeting space.  

The Wintergarden,  a new five story glass atrium overlooking the Detroit River has opened with a wide selection of boutiques and shops. Other hotels have upgraded and enhanced their facilities; early 20th century office buildings have been restored and converted to trendy condos in a remarkable revitalization effort throughout the whole city of Detroit.  New side-by-side stadiums for the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions anchor Detroit’s entertainment district.  The world’s largest Polar Bear exhibit, The Arctic Ring of Life, is now open at the Detroit Zoo. The state-of-the-art, interactive facility encompasses over four acres and features a 70-foot underwater glass tunnel for easy viewing.  

Campus Martius,  in the heart of the business district, includes Compuware’s world headquarters. This software and technology giant anchors the 10-block area. Its 15-story office building will overlook a new city park with an ice-skating rink, band shells and outdoor cafes. Fountains and public benches are plentiful. Up to 150 special events a year are scheduled for Detroit’s newest public green space.  

A $500 million development project is underway along the Detroit River. Tri-Centennial Park (the state's first urban state park to be opened in more than 100 years) will be the first phase completed. Two other parks will be connected with a network of bike and jogging trails. In addition to the "greening" of the riverfront, a new harbor for cruise ships and pleasure boats will open near GM World Headquarters. This phase will complete a 3-mile network of parks that stretch from Belle Isle’s MacArthur Bridge to Joe Louis Arena.

Greenfield Village re-opened in June 2003 after extensive renovations and improvements. Visitors can experience 300 years of American history through 83 historic structures, including the actual Wright Brothers Cycle Shop from Dayton Ohio, where Orville and Wilbur built their first airplane or explore Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratories from New Jersey, where Edison invented the light bulb and phonograph.  Celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight with a special 40,000-square-foot permanent exhibit,‘Heroes of the Sky’, featuring the stories and  airplanes from the first 40 years of aviation.

MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Detroit Casino are each in the process of enlarging their gaming space to 100,000 square feet.  Convention space and hotels are being added.  

It's a great time to visit Detroit!

Area Attractions

Belle Isle Park Jefferson Ave. and Grand Blvd. Deroit, 48215 313-852-4078 This famous floating park in the middle of the Detroit River was designed by the same architect who created Central Park in New York City. Visiting the park's freshwater aquarium, Belle Isle Zoo, and Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, your family can spend a whole day just in this park.

Cranbrook Institute of Science 1221 N. Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills, 48304 800-GO-CRANBrook Parents and children alike can try hands-on experiments to learn about physics, the laws of motion, and how life works. If dinosaurs excite your family, come face to face with the only Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in Michigan. Call before you visit to learn what exhibits will be offered that day.

The Detroit Historical Museum 5401 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48202 313-833-1805 All of the history of Detroit is all presented here. Come and see what made Detroit famous. The exhibit on The Motor City allows you to travel from the assembly line to current graphic design technology.

The Detroit Institute of Arts- DIA 5200 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48202 313-833-7900 This fifth largest art museum in the country holds collections including American Art, Ancient Art, and European Art, to name just a few. Especially for the kids, the museum holds specials activities on the weekends including storytelling, making your own puppets, and much more.

Detroit Science Center 5020 John R. St. Detroit 48202 313-577-8400 Small children with a lot of interesting things to do -- what could be more perfect? With more than 50 hands-on displays for them, your children can't complain that they are bored. Take in several experiments, and then watch a movie in the IMAX Theatre about Egypt or the Rainforest. Just have fun!

Detroit Zoo 8450 W. 10 Miles Road Royal Oak 48067 248-398-0900 Debuting in 1928 as the first zoo with roam-free areas, the Detroit Zoo is still going strong. The Arctic Ring of Life is a favorite. Some other exhibits include domestic farm animals, the Rackham Memorial Fountain, and the Elephant House. If you become a little tired from all the walking, there is a miniature railroad that can take your family from one part of the zoo to another for a nominal fee.

Hart Plaza Jefferson Ave at Woodward Ave Detroit 313-877-8077 Named after the late Senator from Michigan Philip A. Hart, Hart Plaza is a wonderful place to take to your family for a break on your busy vacation. Sit back, relax and watch the water from the fountain -- you can't miss it -- it's the centerpiece of the plaza known as Isamu Noguchi. If you are lucky enough to visit Detroit on Labor Day weekend, take in the world's largest jazz festival, Ford Montreux Detroit Jazz. Other outdoor events at the plaza include the African World Festival and the Budweiser Downtown Hoedown.

Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village 20900 Oakwood Blvd. Detroit 48121 313-271-1620 There are two separate parts to this museum, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. On display in the Henry Ford Museum are kitchens from past, jewelry, things made in America from the 18th to the 20th century and, of course, automobiles in America (and these are just a few of the displays). Greenfield Village offers the family glimpses of different lifestyles from around the country. You can stop in the Phoenixville Post Office, or visit Henry Ford's birthplace. It's a great history lesson for the whole family.

Motor Sports Hall of Fame Novi Expo Center 43700 Expo Center Drive Novi, MI 48050 810-349-7223 Car lovers, this place is for you! Designed for all ages, from newcomers to the sport to veterans, the Sports Hall includes everything from Indy cars to open-wheelers, from driving simulations to mind-boggling automotive displays.

Motown Museum 2648 West Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48208 313-875-2264 Take a tour of the original place where Motown music was born back in the 1960's. See the recording studio where The Supremes and many other Motown superstars recorded. Find out why this is called "Hitsville, USA"!

Museum of African American History 315 E. Warren Ave. Detroit, MI 48201 313-494-5800 Of particular interest is the exhibit entitled Of the People: The African American People. Feel the history and culture of the African American experience come alive.

Pewabic Pottery 10125 East Jefferson Ave. Detroit, MI 48214 313-822-0954 This National Historic Landmark is home to one of the last operating Arts and Crafts potteries. Some samples of the work completed are on display in the gallery. They also offer one-day workshops that your family might want to attend, but call ahead to confirm dates and times.

Spirit of Ford 1151 Village Road Dearborn, MI 48124 313-317-7474 Located just outside Detroit. Here, visitors will discover the Spirit of Ford. At the Spirit of Ford, learning and fun come together. The hands-on exhibits allow you to build a car, make a commercial, learn about recycling in car manufacture, and much more. The museum was designed to foster the knowledge of how cars are designed, tested, engineered and manufactured.

University of Michigan is a great resource for the entire family.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum 219 E. Hurron St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-995-5439 Not far from Detroit, on the University of Michigan's campus in Ann Arbor, is the newly expanded Hands-On Museum. On the four floors of the building, there are 250 hands-on exhibits ranging including watching optical illusions, making the Bernoulli Ball stay afloat, and creating your own laser show. Part of the expansion includes a section solely for preschoolers, the Kids at Work Preschool Gallery.

Henry Ford Estate Fair Lane 4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn 48128 313-593-5590 A few miles outside of Detroit rests the home of Henry Ford and his wife Clara. This 56-room mansion on 72 acres is a National Historic Landmark. The hydropower powerhouse, built in 1915 with the help of Thomas Edison, currently supplies electricity throughout the mansion. Public tours show the many fascinating features of the mansion including Ford Discovery Trail, vegetable garden, pony barn, skating house and much more. This is an attraction that the whole family will find is definitely worth seeing.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens 1800 N. Dixboro Road Ann Arbor 734-998-7067 Discover natural wonders from around the world across the 350 acres of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Well-marked signs along the five-mile trails will educate you and your family about the thousands of plants at the Garden.

University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History 1109 Geddes Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 734-764-0478 Throughout the many floors of the museum there are numerous displays including evolution, the fossils and skeletons of dinosaurs, the environment of Michigan and the Great Lakes, anthropology, biology, and of course the planetarium. To keep the children busy and happy, go on a family scavenger hunt and then take in the planetarium to see the stars.