View nearly 60,000 amazing works of art at the Detroit Institute of the Arts. 100 galleries are filled with sculptures, paintings, and other artworks that will fascinate. The Thinker, the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin is placed near the entrance. Permanent collections in the museum include Islamic, Flemish, pre-Columbian, European, African, Asian, and American art. Cultural events are held throughout the year at the auditorium and recital hall.
This small history museum features interesting exhibits about Detroit's history. Stroll down cobblestone, cedar block and brick streets past scale models of 19th Century shops in the Streets of Old Detroit exhibit. In the Doorway to Freedom exhibit you'll learn about the city's key role in the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves find freedom in Canada. You'll also learn about Detroit's emergence as an automobile manufacturing center, the history of the city's music scene, and so much more.
It is just befitting for the former headquarters of Motown Records Corporation to be a repository of this famous label. Motown Museum is an integral part of Detroit's cultural landscape and the country's musical legacy. Chronicling the most reputed African-American record labels in the nation where musical legends such as The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Funk Brothers and Gladys Knight became stars, it is a true ode to music that inspired generations of music lovers.
This promenade in Downtown Detroit runs along the Detroit River from the Joe Louis Arena to Rivard Plaza. The RiverWalk is a popular destination for various activities including walking, jogging, and rollerblading. The RiverWalk passes through and by a number of area landmarks, including the Tri-Centennial State Park Lighthouse, the Detroit River and Hart Plaza with its Underground Railroad Memorial. It's a great destination for the whole family, and even includes a spouting fountain for kids and people of all ages to play in on a hot day.
One of the world's largest museums of African American history and culture, this impressive building opened in 1997 and is named after the local doctor and activist who first established it. With 120,000 square feet (11148 meters) of exhibit space, the Charles H. Wright Museum includes several exhibit galleries, a research library, classrooms and a museum store. The anchor exhibit, “Of the People: The African American Experience,” uses Detroit's own history to tell the story of the African-American experience in the United States. Previously, much smaller incarnations of the museum existed, dating back to 1965.
One of the many spirited attractions in downtown Detroit, Comerica Park is an extensive verdant field which has been a host to some iconic sporting events and concerts in the past. Named after the bank whose funds made its creation possible, Comerica Park overlooks some of the soaring high-rises residing in the city's downtown. Home ground of the Detroit Tigers, this sprawling ballpark is anything but a run-of-the-mill, neighborhood stadium. Strewn across its course are glorious tiger statues, a baseball-themed Ferris wheel, and the enormous Chevrolet Fountain. Hence, Comerica Park harbors a lively, further amplified by enthusiastic cheers and celebrations when the Tigers hit a home run. The ballpark is also home to the Big Cat Court, which offers a wealth of delectable foods like pretzels, deli sandwiches, French fries, Chicago-style hot dogs and more.
The Guardian Building, constructed in 1929, is one of the most recognizable landmark buildings in the Detroit skyline. Bestowed as a United States Historic Landmark, this stunning piece of architecture towers more than 490 feet (149 meter) over Detroit's heart. The opulent Art Deco structure has 36 floors with interiors that are actually just as impressive as the façade. It's home to many financial firms and hence it has rightly earned the epithet 'Cathedral of Finance'. Irrespective of how busy one's schedule is, locals as well as tourists find time to step-in and admire the colorful beauty of this architectural marvel.
The Spirit of Detroit has provided a location for reflection for Detroit residents and visitors since 1958. Located at the foot of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, this twenty six-foot (seven meter) Norwegian-made bronze sculpture was the largest statue of its kind created since the Renaissance. Despite the gravitas this sculpture commands, the city often dresses the statue up in local sports jerseys or other theme-appropriate costumes during large civic events.
Centrally located on the bustling Woodward Avenue, Campus Martius Park is part of Detroit's efforts to reconstruct the downtown cityscape. Filled with botanical gardens and expansive lawns, this park is a welcome change from the high-rise buildings in the area, and draws hundreds of visitors in search of some sun and relaxation. The surrounding area has also grown to reflect the new spirit of downtown, with restaurants and cafes catering to families and business people alike. The park also houses monuments and artwork celebrating the history of the city, and features multiple stages for music concerts and performances. If you find yourself in Detroit during the winter months, be sure to bring your skates and head to Campus Martius' outdoor rink.
This gigantic concrete expanse at the foot of Woodward Avenue stretches from Jefferson Avenue to the Detroit River. Designed in the 1960s as a civic space by Isamu Noguchi, it includes his unusual twisted spire and fountain. The plaza has a stage and amphitheater and is used for riverfront festivals on summer weekends, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and ice skating in winter. Hart Plaza provides access to a riverfront walkway; it's a favorite spot for fishing and it has a beautiful view of Canada across the river.
Dating to the 1840s, Mariners' Church of Detroit was modeled after seamen's chapels on the East Coast of the United States. The Gothic structure has services on Sunday morning and at noon on Thursdays. It is often the site of funerals of Detroit civic notables. The church's mission is to serve Great Lakes sailors and their families, and nautical images festoon the interior. Bells toll whenever a life is lost on the lakes. They most famously rang 29 times in November 1975 with the sinking of an ore ship in Lake Superior, an event immortalized in the popular Gordon Lightfoot song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Come by to offer your prayers or to be simply enchanted by this mystic place.