The Top Museums in Detroit

The Henry Ford Museum is one of the "must see" museums in Metro Detroit. It features hundreds of years of American history, from JFK's limo to Rosa Parks' bus to Lincoln's chair. The museum recently opened the exhibit With Liberty and Justice For All, exploring the struggles and triumphs of a free America. National artifacts join the collection, which is divided into four periods of history: the Revolutionary Era, the Antislavery Movement and Civil War Era, the Woman's Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit progresses through the years with iconic artifacts, such as a surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the chair Abraham Lincoln was in assasinated in and hundreds of other artifcats that portray the fundamental and formative struggles and events in American History.

The museum's exhibits are highly detailed and intricate and range from agricultural equipment to historical inventions and displays. The 'Heroes of the Sky' is a large aviation exhibit with historical airplanes, many hanging above as if flying. The Henry Ford is an American experience that brings history to life. In addition to the extensive collections, the museum also features Greenfield Village, which is 90 acres of shopping, dining, historic districts and rides. Greenfield Village is a quaint and charming village reflecting the American experience ranging from glass and pottery hand-crafted by our own artisans to antique cars and toys.

What would the Henry Ford Museum be without an enormous exhibit dedicated to the automobile. The collection is world-famous and features significant automobile contributions. The exhibit holds almost 300 vehicles alongside a massive amount of information regarding the collection and virtually every American automobile manufacturer. There's even a 'Presidental Limousines' exhibit.

Follow up your trip to The Henry Ford Museum with a trip to the Ford Rouge Factory. The Ford Rouge Factory is a five-part tour which includes a driving tour of historic auto-related landmarks and behind-the-scenes of the Rouge complex; a look at the history of the Rouge through historic video footage; a virtual reality theatre experience; a walking tour of the factory's "living roof"; and a walking tour above the actual final assembly area where Ford F-150s are made. The Ford Rouge Factory opened in the spring of 2004. The bus trip from Henry Ford Museum to Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center is approximately 20-30 minutes.

The Henry Ford Museum is located at 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI 48124. Phone: 313-982-6001. Fax: 313-982-6229. Website: www.thehenryford.org

Henry Ford Museum is open seven days a week 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Parking is $5. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Greenfield Village open seven days a week 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Detroit Historical Museum explores how Detroit went from a French frontier outpost into a leading American industrial city. Exhibits center around the development of the city of Detroit, from it's architectural history to photographic archives and a fairly large collection of 18th and 19th century maps of the area. It explores many themes of Detroit's history, such as it's social, urban and industrial history. Beautiful paintings of the Great Lakes, the Glancy trains and even the J.L. Hudson's company history are all here.

THe Detroit Historical Museum has three floors of Detroit history. On the lower level is a large exhibit where visitors walk through time in The Streets of Old Detroit with shops from the 1840s, 1870s and 1900s. They can glimpse the city's role in the Underground Railroad in the Doorway to Freedom exhibit. Detroit Historical Museum's ten exhibit galleries present the fascinating story of Detroit, its people, and its products in a way that both entertains and educates. For over 70 years, the museum has chronicled the life and times of the city.

The Detroit Historical Museum is located in Detroit's Cultural Center, on Woodward Avenue at Kirby, two blocks North of Warren. 5401 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan 48202. Phone: (313) 833-1805.

The Detroit Institute of Art is a cultural beacon of the Detroit area, founded in 1885. It was originally located on Jefferson Avenue, but, due to its rapidly expanding collection, moved to a larger site on Woodward Avenue in 1927. Two wings were added in the 1960s and 1970s, and a major renovation and expansion that began in 1999 is scheduled for completion in 2007. The museum covers 600,000 square feet that includes more than 100 galleries, an 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture/recital hall, an art reference library, and a state-of-the-art conservation services laboratory.

The DIA's collection is comprised of multicultural and multinational artwork and creativity from prehistory to the 21st century. It is one of the largest, most signifcant collections of art in the United States. Here resides the Vincent van Gogh Self Portrait. It is the first van Gogh to enter a U.S. museum collection. The artwork is a composition of American, European, Modern and Contemporary and Graphic art, as well as African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic and Ancient art. The DIA is amongst the top 10 museums in the country, offering over 100 galleries with art from ancient to modern times. Among the DIA's renowned works are French Impressionist, German Expressionist, American and Flemish paintings. The Detroit Institute of Arts is located at 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202. Phone: (313) 833-7900. Fax: (313) 832-0075. Admission is $6 per adult, $3 per child. The DIA is open Wednesday and Thursday from 10am-4pm, Friday 10am-9pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm.