Visit the Detroit Historical Museum

Detroit is known as Motown because of it's motor industry history and the famous record label. But the city has a long history from the French settlements and fur trade to the advent of the automobile.  The Detroit Historical Museum covers it all.

The museum was founded in 1928 by the Detroit Historical Society which ran it until 1945 when ownership was transferred to the City of Detroit. The Society has been dedicated to preserving the history of the city for future generations. Here are a few highlights of what the museum has to offer.

There is always something new going on at the museum. On our trip, there was a small exhibit dedicated to Detroit TV personality Soupy Sales.

The Motor City exhibit is a permanent display of Detroit's involvement in the automotive industry which includes an example of an assembly line. Other permanent and temporary exhibits include Meier’s Wonderful Clock, Glancy Trains, Doorway to Freedom - Detroit and the Underground Railroad (see photo below).

My favorite was the signature exhibit called the Streets of Old Detroit. It's a tour through the different ages of Detroit during the 19th and 20th centuries. You can experience brick-lined, lamp-it streets and see reconstructions of some famous Detroit storefronts.

I was especially interested in the Rosie the Riveter exhibit as my grandma was a Rosie in a converted auto to bomber parts factory in Detroit during WWII. Rosies were the women who came to work in the factories when the men went off to fight in the war. The photo at right is from part of the display.

You'll also learn about Detroit's famous leaders and celebrities including the French that settled the area and later politicians and musicians. There are displays of the early frontier days during the fur and lumber trades.

As of this writing, the museum is open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Children under age 4 and Society members are admitted free. The current price for adult admission is $6. It's located in Detroit's Cultural Center downtown.

There are special tours available for students which meet the State of Michigan’s Social Studies Content Expectations for grades 3, 4 and 5. Other tours are available for your group whether their seniors, college students, or family outings.

The address for the museum is 5401 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202 and phone is (313) 833-1805. Visit the link above for more info and directions.

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