With loads to see and do, Detroit is a great place to visit! Detroit has top-notch museums, sports teams, nightlife and family destinations.
Best known as heart of the American auto industry, Detroit naturally offers a variety of activities for autolovers. Visit the Automotive Hall of Fame to learn about the history of autos or the Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame to find out more about all sorts of racing vehicles, including cars, boats and motorcycles. In addition to a great exhibition of automobiles, the Henry Ford Museum offers slices of American history, from a New England stagecoach to the stove your grandmother might have used. Greenfield Village is a favorite of families, allowing kids to ride in a Model T car, see the shops and homes of an earlier era and view the laboratory where Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
Visit the homes of the auto barons to see how the other half lived. The Henry Ford house, Fair Lane, is open to the public, as well as Meadow Brook Hall, the former home of John Dodge's widow. Tour the Fisher Mansion, which was purchased by Hare Krishnas in the seventies and now houses an Indian Restaurant. Visiting the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house is a treat. In 1926 Edsel, the only son of Henry and Clara Ford, built an estate on the shore of Lake St. Clair. Visitors can wander the beautifully decorated rooms and even see the wedding gowns of Eleanor Ford, her daughter and daughters-in-law. Be sure to walk around the grounds and visit the delightful stucco playhouse, complete with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and sitting room, which Clara Ford had built for her only granddaughter.
Art lovers will not be disappointed in the Detroit area. The Detroit Institute of Art boasts a fantastic collection of works from all over the world, including European, African American, Asian and Middle Eastern among others. Don't miss "Detroit Industry" the huge frescos executed for the museum by Diego Rivera. The Cranbrook Art Museum offers contemporary art, including some fantastic art-deco pieces. While at Cranbrook one can take in the Institute of Science and the beautiful gardens as well.
Other unique attractions include the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which features fascinating and thought-provoking exhibitions about African American culture and history, and the Holocaust Memorial Center. Music lovers might enjoy visiting the tiny Motown Historical Museum, located in the very house where the company was born.
If you love sports, Detroit offers some of the best! Watch the Pistons sink baskets, the Red Wings glide around the hockey rink and the Lions run for touchdowns. To see the Detroit Tigers in action, visit the state-of-the-art baseball field Comerica Park, where fans can not only watch the game but also ride on a ferris wheel or slip out to the park's food court or tavern.
To experience Detroit's nightlife, head to one of the city's three casinos, the Greektown neighborhood or downtown Royal Oak, just outside the city. All of these spots boast great food, music and entertainment.
Finally, a trip to the zoo is always fun for the entire family. In addition to the usual exhibits of baboons and giraffes in natural habitats, the Detroit Zoo offers a learning center, a river otter house, and a butterfly house where families can stand amongst dozens of colorful, exotic butterflies.
