As big cities go, Detroit is unlike anywhere else in the United States. From its contributions to music and art to its rapid industrialization and deindustrialization, the city continues to evolve and inspire. Below are the top 10 places to experience Detroit’s historical legacy. From museums to abandoned buildings turned into art galleries, you’ll find endless inspiration in America’s motor city.
1. Step Back Into Time at the Detroit Historical Museum
For an all-encompassing look at Detroit’s history, visit the Detroit Historical Museum. This fantastic space preserves the city’s legacy through its permanent, changing, and special traveling exhibits. You’ll learn about the city’s original Indigenous American inhabitants and the first French colonizers of the early 18th century. Then, you can walk through vivid exhibits featuring the city’s rapid industrialization and social struggles.
The museum’s permanent highlights include the Motor City exhibition and the inspiring Doorway to Freedom exhibit, which chronicles the city’s role in the Underground Railroad. You can see original Motown music memorabilia, automobiles, and relics from the city’s industrial and preindustrial past. The museum hosts events and lectures every month. Before your visit, check the Detroit Historical Society website to learn about upcoming events and temporary exhibits worth seeing.
2. Experience Music History at the Motown Museum
For the ultimate journey into Detroit’s rich musical legacy, head to the Motown Museum. This non-profit cultural institution started in 1985 when the retired Motown record executive Esther Gordy Edwards sourced enough support and collected enough memorabilia to create the museum. The Motown Museum takes you through decades of music heritage, from the early days of Detroit’s unique sound to some of the most influential musicians of our time. You’ll journey through the lives and careers of legends such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Dianna Ross, and many more. The museum recently earned enough funding to support a new 50,000-square-foot expansion. The new facilities will offer music fans even more exhibits and priceless artifacts.
3. Visit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
The legacy of Detroit’s African American history and culture is represented in full in this timeless museum. Started in 1965, during the height of a period of racial tension in the city, the museum has grown to become a must-see landmark for history lovers. The museum was named after its founder, Dr. Charles H. Wright, a local obstetrician and gynecologist who, inspired by a World War II war hero monument in Denmark, organized a team of 30 people to create the museum. Its mission was to create a space that promotes and honors African American history.
The museum is the leading center for African American culture and history in the United States. Its permanent and rotating exhibits combine to create an inspiring experience. Highlights include the And Still We Rise exhibit, which takes visitors through 20 galleries featuring African Americans’ hardships and triumphs. The museum also holds educational workshops and annual programs for local youth. Its website provides more information about its events and upcoming exhibits.
4. Visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Few other figures in American history have been so influential as Henry Ford. The industrialist formed Ford Motor Company with his business team in 1903 with an investment of $28,000. The company grew to manufacture some of the world’s first automobiles and, after Ford’s death, became one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers. At the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, you can experience the company’s rise and influence on modern Detroit. From the original Model T to trains and aircraft, you’ll walk through dozens of preserved artifacts and vehicles. In addition to focusing on the Ford Motor Company, the museum features exhibits featuring the work of other American industrialists, scientists, and inventors. Make sure to check the museum’s website ahead of time to align your visit with one of its special events.
5. Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum
This non-profit history museum opened in 2000 and quickly became one of the city’s most popular destinations for automobile history enthusiasts. Before the museum opened, the Ford Piquette Plant museum was almost demolished. A group of investors and the Model-T Automotive Heritage Complex, Inc. saved it.
The plant was the Ford Motor Company’s first factory. Its assembly line manufactured the original Ford car models, including the Model T. Thousands of Model Ts were assembled and shipped via rail to other parts of the country. After Ford moved its operations to Highland Park, the Studebaker Company bought the building and used it until 1933. Today, the museum houses original assembly line equipment, Ford automobiles, and other historical items. It also hosts events and educational programs that preserve the legacy of innovation for future generations of car enthusiasts.
6. Experience the Architecture of Albert Kahn
The late Albert Kahn is arguably one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. His contribution to Detroit’s skyline was monumental. Buildings such as the Fisher Building, the First National Bank Building, and the General Motors Building owe their design to this famous architect. Khan, along with his brother Julius, revolutionized industrial factory designs by making them more efficient and safer for workers. This helped to boost Detroit into an industrial powerhouse led by the automotive, manufacturing, and aviation industries. As Detroit transformed, Khan took his penchant for architecture and built the city’s Art déco masterpieces.
Today, no visit to Detroit would be complete without visiting buildings built by this influential architect. Stop by the Fisher Building to learn more about the architect’s legacy and take a tour. Afterward, you can drive to other building locations, which include factories and office buildings still used today.
7. See Historic Downtown Detroit
Detroit’s early 20th-century grandeur is preserved in its downtown and the stories of the people who built it. Led by the automotive industry, manufacturing, aviation, concrete, and steel, the city blossomed into one of the world’s fastest-growing urban areas. Even after falling on hard times, downtown’s history and charm remain intact. The best way to see the city center is by taking a guided or self-guided walking tour. You’ll pass historic theaters, bars, cafes, and office buildings that were used by some of the most influential people in American history, including Henry Ford, Aretha Franklin, Albert Khan, and many others.
Starting at the Renaissance Center near the waterfront, head to Hart Plaza to check out monuments such as the fist-shaped Joe Louis Memorial and the bronze Spirit of Detroit statue. From here, head to the famous Guardian Building and Fisher Building before ending in the historic Greektown neighborhood.
8. Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Part of the reason Detroit became one of North America’s largest cities was its connection to the Great Lakes and other industrial cities such as Chicago, Toronto, and Cleveland. The lakes and their waterways gave Detroit the sea connection it needed to bring its industrial might to life.
At the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, you can learn about the history of Detroit’s maritime legacy. The museum is located on the shores of the Detroit River, one of the busiest waterways in North America. The museum features exhibits that explore Detroit’s rich maritime navigation history. You’ll see original artifacts from famous ships such as the Edmund Fitzgerald, and you can explore photos, maps, and instruments that chronicle the history of lake navigation.
9. Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
Because of the racist Jim Crow laws in the United States, African Americans were never allowed to become pilots in the United States military. In World War II, over a thousand African American fighter and bomber pilots trained and flew from the segregated Tuskegee Air Force base in Alabama. From 1943 to 1945, the pilots flew escort missions in Europe and became known internationally as the Tuskegee Airmen.
At Detroit’s Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, you can learn about the history of the pilots who helped pave the way for equal rights in the military. From their training and heroic missions to the racism and violence they faced after returning home, their story is an integral part of American history. The museum hosts events, workshops, and aviation demonstrations for children. In the same building, you can also visit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
10. Spend the Afternoon at Fort Wayne in Detroit
Fort Wayne was built from 1842 to 1851 as one of the defensive forts built to protect the Minnesota Territory from border disputes and incursions. During the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II, the fort served several important functions. After World War II, the fort became the property of the city of Detroit. During the 1967 Detroit riots, many families were housed there. It became a historical museum and one of Detroit’s most important historical monuments.
The museum houses the original limestone barracks, built in 1848. You can also visit other historic structures and learn about the fort’s role in the military conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries. Don’t miss a guided tour every Saturday from May to October. These tours are led by the museum’s on-site historians and are a must for any history lover.
