The Henry FordCity/Region: Detroit
Henry Ford, son of a farmer, built his first car in
Detroit in 1896. There was nothing too amazing about this feat, because cars had been around for some time. What was unique to Ford's invention was the moving assembly line, which enabled him to literally put the world on wheels.
Henry Ford's legacy is found at every turn in his hometown, Detroit, which is why the city's most popular and prominent tourist attraction was founded by him in 1929. The Henry Ford is spread over more than 36 hectares (90 acres) in Dearborn just outside of
metro-Detroit and encompasses five different venues. Together they bring the whole American experience to life, using exhibits, demonstrations, programs and re-enactments to showcase American life and its people. Ford amassed most of the exhibit collection, including tens of thousands of ordinary objects, items associated with illustrious Americans, and numerous inventions documenting technological advances. Among the exhibits is the limousine in which
John F. Kennedy was assassinated,
Edgar Allan Poe's writing desk, and
George Washington's camp bed. It is located in
Dearborn, Michigan just west of the Southfield Freeway (M-39) and south of Michigan Avenue (US-12).
Address: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn
Phone Number: (313) 982 6001
Website: www.thehenryford.com
Hours: Museum open daily 9.30am to 5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Different opening hours apply for other attractions
Admission: Museum, Ford Rouge Factory Tour: $14 (adults), $10 (children). Imax Theater: $10 (adults), $8.50 (children).
Greenfield Village: $20 (adults), $14 (children)
Automotive Hall of FameCity/Region: Detroit
Car buffs from the world over are drawn to Detroit's
Automotive Hall of Fame, close to the Henry Ford Museum in Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, which is the public program and exhibition center for the worldwide motor vehicle industry. The venue features entertaining and enlightening exhibits about the people who drive the industry. Visitors can indulge in interactive events like designing their own car and taking part in safety demonstrations.
Address: 21400 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn
Phone Number: (313) 240 4000
Website: www.automotivehalloffame.org
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm (closed for some holidays)
Admission: $6 (adults), $3 (children 5-18)
Henry Ford EstateCity/Region: Detroit
Visitors to Detroit can tour the family home of renowned automotive pioneer Henry Ford and his wife, Clara, in Dearborn. The estate is a National Historic Landmark that is now part of the campus of the
University of Michigan. The Fords lived on the estate, designed by
Jens Jensen, from 1915 until they died in 1947 and 1950 respectively. The 56-room stone mansion features elaborately carved woodwork and contains many personal artifacts. Also on site is Ford's personal garage and car collection and magnificent gardens featuring waterscapes.
Address: 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn
Phone Number: (313) 593 5590
Website: www.henryfordestate.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm (tours run at different times according to season, consult website for more details)
Admission: Guided tours: $10 (adults), $6 (children 5-12)
Detroit Historical MuseumCity/Region: Detroit
The
Detroit Historical Museum in Downtown allows visitors the chance to tour the scope of the city's history, from Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac's landing on the banks of the
Detroit River through the city's emergence as an industrial capital. In the museum it is possible to walk through the streets of Old Detroit and explore 19th-century shops. Visitors can also find out about Detroit's role in the 'underground railroad' that helped slaves escape from the South. The interactive Glancy Trains toy train exhibit delights young and old.
Address: Detroit's Cultural Center, 5401 Woodward Avenue
Phone Number: (313) 833 1805
Website: www.detroithistorical.org
Hours: Wednesday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm
Admission: $6 (adults), $4 (concessions); children under 4 years free
Detroit Institute of ArtsCity/Region: Detroit
America's fifth-largest fine arts museum boasts more than 100 galleries displaying a collection of 65,000 works, ranging from mummies to Matisse, and Asian antiquities to American Impressionists. The Museum is situated in Downtown Detroit. The highlights include the masterpieces of
Rembrandt, Rubens, Bureghel the Elder,
Botticelli, Van Gogh,
Cézanne,
Picasso and
Caravaggio. From January till May the Film Theater screens an impressive selection of international films and shorts.
Address: 5200 Woodward Avenue
Phone Number: (313) 833 7900
Website: www.dia.org
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm. On Fridays the museum stays open until 10pm and offers music recitals, free tours, artist demonstrations and workshops
Admission: $8 (adults), $5 (children). Concessions available
Motown Historical MuseumCity/Region: Detroit
Detroit's Motown sound originated in two simple buildings on West Grand Boulevard, Downtown, at Hitsville
U.S.A. Visitors can see the original control room and recording studio where stars like
the Jackson Five,
Diana Ross and
Stevie Wonder made hit records between 1959 and 1972. The Museum also contains some costumes worn by the stars and Motown founder
Berry Gordy's apartment, still as it was in the 1960s.
Address: 2648 W. Grand Boulevard
Phone Number: (313) 875 2264
Email Address: info@motownmuseum.com
Website: www.motownmuseum.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm. Open Mondays in July and August
Admission: $10 (adults), $8 (children). Concessions available
LudingtonCity/Region: Detroit
Michigan boasts some wonderful sandy beaches along its western coastline washed by
Lake Michigan. Some of the best of these, with miles of sand and wild dunes, are near the ferry port town of
Ludington. The Ludington State Park offers 14 miles (23km) of hiking and biking trails in beautiful virgin forests and dunes, miles of sandy beach and three campgrounds. There are several other popular beach resort towns along
Michigan's west coast, within easy reach of Detroit, which are known as 'The Riviera of the Midwest'. Silver Lake resort boasts its world-renowned living sand-dunes and the world's smallest newspaper;
Grand Haven has a magnificent boardwalk along its spectacular beaches lined with restaurants, marina facilities and shops;
Holland, has a Dutch flavor inherited from its founder, a Dutch clergyman; St Joseph in the south has a famous lighthouse and a French fort.
Phone Number: (877) 420 6618 (
Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Website: www.ludingtoncvb.com
Ann ArborCity/Region: Detroit
The city of
Ann Arbor in southeast Michigan, 45 miles (72km) west of Detroit just north of the
Ohio border, is home to the University of Michigan, one of the country's top universities. The city and surroundings has a great deal to offer visitors in the form of historic and cultural attractions. Ann Arbor's downtown area is extremely vibrant with never a dull moment, from live music shows to a plethora of libraries, galleries and museums, restaurants offering everything from romantic dinners to café society, some of the country's best bookstores and often a street party. Among the many museums of interest is the
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, housed in a 100-year-old firehouse, which features more than 250 interactive science and technology exhibits. There are numerous restored 19th-century houses and farms to visit for a taste of life in days of yore, and even an original old main street blacksmith shop still operating in the satellite town of
Manchester. Museums in the area cover everything from geology to classic cars, early American manuscripts, dentistry and old fire-fighting equipment. On the University campus the Natural History Museum contains the state's largest collection of dinosaur fossils and a planetarium features a 360-degree domed screen offering weekend stargazing shows.
Address: Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau: 120 West Huron Street
Phone Number: (734) 995 7281 or (800) 888 9487 toll free
Email Address: info@annarbor.org
Website: www.annarbor.org
Colonial MichilimackinacCity/Region: Mackinaw City
Michilimackinac, about a mile (2km) from the center of
Mackinaw City, was the first stop for new arrivals back in the outpost days, around the 1700s. Today it remains the first destination for tourists visiting the area, being the site of a reconstructed 1715 French fur-trading village and military outpost that was later occupied by the British. The working colonial village is a living history exhibit that fascinates visitors while, within the stockade, archaeological excavations continue at the site. The historic park includes a vivid audio-visual recreation of a soldiers' barracks, a unique permanent underground archaeological tunnel exhibit displaying hundreds of original artifacts, a recreated Native American summer encampment illustrating life on the shores of the Great Lakes in the 18th century, as well as musket and cannon firing demonstrations and demonstrations of pioneer skills like blacksmithing and open-hearth cooking.
Phone Number: (231) 436 4100 (
Mackinac Parks office)
Website: www.mackinacparks.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 4.30pm (6 May to 6 June, and 24 August to 12 October); 9.30am to 6pm (7 June to 19 June) and 9.30am to 8pm (20 June to 24 August)
Admission: $10 (adults), $6 (children 6-17)
Historic Mill CreekCity/Region: Mackinaw City
Mill Creek, located on US-23 a few miles south-east of Mackinaw City, was constructed by a Scotsman,
Robert Campbell, in 1780, making it one of the first industrial sites in the Great Lakes area. The mill, now reconstructed, provided sawn lumber for the
Mackinac Island settlers. Today the water-powered sawmill sits in a delightful wooded setting among nature trails and forest management displays, providing an interesting attraction for numerous visitors. Demonstrations are given of logs being sawn, craftsmen in period dress show how houses were built and a nature program to encourage visitors to discover the area's flora and fauna is offered. The site includes a picnic area, or there is a cookhouse serving lunches and snacks. The surrounding area includes four miles (6km) of nature trails that bypass an active beaver colony.
Phone Number: (231) 436 4100 (Mackinac Parks office)
Email Address: mackinacparks@michigan.gov
Website: www.mackinacparks.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 4pm (5 May to 6 June, and 24 August to 12 October); 9am to 5pm (7 June to 24 August)
Admission: $7.50 (adults), $4.50 (children 6-17)
Mackinac IslandCity/Region: Mackinaw City
Visitors who step ashore on Mackinac Island from one of the three ferry services from Mackinaw City can be forgiven for believing they have stepped back in time into a Victorian village. The small population of 500 permanent residents have preserved the island settlement and the surrounding natural beauty to the point that no motor vehicles are allowed on the island; the only way to get around is on foot, bicycle or horse and buggy. The island, 80 percent of which is a state park, boasts 140 miles (225km) of roads and trails, ideal for hiking. The longest route is right around the island, following the scenic eight-mile (13km) Lake Shore road. Other popular walks include the Turtle's Back, Tranquil Bluff Trail and British Landing nature trail. Every year in early June the island comes alive with a Lilac Festival, featuring the world's longest horse-hitch parade, fireworks, hayrides, country line dancing, free outdoor concerts, boat cruises and garden tours.
Phone Number: (877) 847 0086 (Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau)
Email Address: info@mackinacisland.org
Website: www.mackinacisland.org
Hours: Open year round. State Park Visitor's Center open May to October
Fort MackinacCity/Region: Mackinaw City
From its position on Mackinac Island,
Fort Mackinac has stood sentinel over the
Straits of Mackinac for 115 years, having been built by British soldiers during the American Revolution. The original fort has been restored as a National Historic Landmark and is one of Michigan's favorite attractions. Visitors can stroll through the 1780 officer's stone quarters, play dress-up in the discovery room, enjoy an audio-visual presentation in the Post Commissary, view the exhibits and watch lively demonstrations.
Address: Huron Road, Mackinac Island
Phone Number: (906) 436 4100 (Mackinac Parks office)
Website: www.mackinacparks.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 4.30pm (6 May to 6 June and 24 August to 12 October); 9.30am to 6.30pm (7 June to 19 June) and 9.30am to 8pm (20 June to 23 August)
Admission: $10 (adults), $6.25 (children 6-17)
Great Lakes Shipwreck MuseumCity/Region: Mackinaw City
About an hour's drive north of the Mackinaw Bridge, situated in one of the most scenic spots on
Michigan's Upper Peninsula, lies the intriguing
Shipwreck Museum alongside the historic Whitefish Point Light Station on the shore of
Lake Superior. The museum is the only one of its kind, dedicated to highlighting the perils of maritime transport on the Great Lakes. The lighthouse on the site is the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. The museum brings to life the dramatic shipwreck legends of the area with artifacts and exhibits telling stories of the ships and sailors who came to grief in the treacherous lake. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the restored 1861 Lightkeepers Quarters, a duplex building with period furnishings, descriptive panels and artifacts from the days when keepers and their families lived here.
Address: Whitefish Point Road, Paradise
Phone Number: (888) 492 3747
Website: www.shipwreckmuseum.com
Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm 1 May to 31 October
Admission: $10 (adults), $7 (children)
