Best of Detroit

Detroit's Skyline 1

Michigan's largest city, Detroit is known as the “Motor City” and famous for being the birthplace of Motown. Facing Windsor, Ontario in Canada, across the Detroit River, the city is also a major port and offers plenty to see and do. Any visit should involve a trip to downtown along the waterfront, where notable landmarks include the GM Renaissance Center, COBO Center and Cobo Arena.

Tourists will also want to explore Detroit's many neighborhodds and districts including New Center, situated north of downtown and home to the Fisher Building, a 1920s, art-deco skyscraper. The Cultural Center is as the name implies, Detroit's arts and culture hub, featuring the Detroit Science Center, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall.

Another popular tourist area is Belle Isle, Detroit's largest park located on the Detroit River. Spanning 985 acres (398.6 ha), the park has many attractions including the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, a conservatory, the Dossin Museum, and a golf course. Belle Isle Park also hosts the Detroit Grand Prix.

With so much to see and do, Detroit is a diverse and vibrant city. Perhaps the city's best can be attributed to its much celebrated history; a booming, motor vehicle manufacturing legacy, its soulful imprint on American music, and of champions capturing fame and glory.

MOTOR CITY

American history and innovation are celebrated at the Henry Ford Museum, located in Dearborn, a city in the Detroit Metropolitan Area of southeast Michigan. This complex is made up of five attractions: the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center, and Henry Ford IMAX Theater.

The Henry Ford Museum

	A Classic Car in Mint Condition 2

It is at this museum that visitors can experience American ingenuity and relive parts of American history. Exhibits include With Liberty and Justice for All, showcasing the struggle for women and the right to vote as well as the bus Rosa Parks sat on and changed history. View the limousine in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in back in November 1963. Various machines are on display including a Gothic steam engine and vintage cars. Heroes of the Sky is an exhibit honoring those who made an impact on aviation history.

Greenfield Village
Spanning over 90 acres (36.4 ha), Greenfield Village takes visitors back in time with seven districts containing nearly 100 historic buildings complete with period presenters. Take a test drive in a restored Model T or visit the Ford Home and a replica of the Ford Motor Company. Skilled artisans and trade-specialists create and display period crafts and trades, including tin, glass and pottery in shops and mills. Other attractions include Railroad Junction, showcasing the importance of the railway in American history and Thomas Edison's lab and complex, highlighting his experiments and work.

Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Automobile enthusiasts will want to check out the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, comprised of several sections. Watch an F-150 truck being assembled on the assembly plant walking tour, then watch historic footage, get a 360-degree look at how cars are made inside the multi-sensory theater, gaze at historic vehicles in the Legacy Gallery and finally take a tour to the largest “living” roof -- a 10.4-acre (4.2 ha) garden built atop the Dearborn Truck Plant.

Benson Ford Research Center
Learn about the American experience and the impact of the automobile and industrial manufacturing at the Benson Ford Research Center, which offers an extensive collection of artifacts, archives, records and collections. Memorabilia includes photographs, automobile and truck dealers' sales brochures, advertisements, press kits, owner's manuals, trade material and much more.

IMAX Theater
The Henry Ford IMAX Theater offers a movie-watching, sensory overload, playing today's current releases as well as cinema classics. Full feature documentaries showcasing American pop culture are also shown at the theater.

MOTOWN

Motown Records Started in Detroit, MI 3

Motown Historical Museum
Diana Ross, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye; all of these soulful singers and other greats got their start with Motown Records, founded in Detroit by a talented and ambitious song writer named Berry Gordy. Gordy purchased a two-story home in 1959 that he named “Hitsville USA” and installed a recording studio in the basement. The rest is history.

Today, Hitsville USA is home to the Motown Historical Museum, founded in 1985 by Berry's sister and Motown employee Ester Gordy Edwards. Thousands of visitors make a pilgrimage to the museum each year to see exhibits that document the roots of Motown. The museum aims to preserve the legacy of Motown and through its exhibits hopes to inspire and educate a new generation of talent and dreamers.

Visitors to the museum will be able to see several exhibits featuring a variety of memorabilia from that golden age of music. Old photographs, artwork, sheet music and original costumes worn by famous Motown artists are on display. A highlight of the museum is Studio A, the recording studio that played host to such greats as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and others. The studio still has its original instruments and equipment. Other musical relics on display are Michael Jackson's jeweled white glove and black fedora hat.

CITY OF CHAMPIONS

Detroit is a sports town. With major league teams including the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, this city makes its presence felt in American sports culture. Fans catch their local hometown heroes at two major venues in town; Comerica Park and Joe Louis Arena. Another popular past time is catching the game at the local neighborhood pub. Many sports bars televise major events and even offer shuttle service to hometown games.

Detroit Tigers
Making their debut in April 1901, playing their first American League game at Bennett Park, the Detroit Tigers continue to be a fan favorite. The legend of how they got their nickname stems from the black and orange socks the team used to wear in their early days. In 1912 the team moved to Tiger Stadium and played there until 2000 when the team moved to their current home, Comerica Park.

The Tigers have won four World Series; 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. The 1984 team was referred to as the “Bless You Boys,” coined by sportscaster Al Ackerman, and is considered one of the greatest teams in baseball history, achieving a franchise-record of 104 wins. Notable players from this dream team included short stop Alan Trammell, second baseman Lou Whitaker, right fielder Kirk Gibson, and relief ace pitcher Willie Hernandez. Another important player in the team's history is Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. Cobb played 22 seasons for the Tigers from 1905 to 1926, achieving an impressive 4,191 hits, a record in Tigers' history and second in the Major League.

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit has many nicknames and one of them is “Hockey Town” and for good reason. The Detroit Red Wings have dominated hockey and continue to be a source of pride for the city. The Wings are one of the Original Six National Hockey League (NHL) teams and are part of the Central Division of the Western Conference. Having won an impressive 11 Stanley Cups, the Wings top the records for US-based teams and are third overall in wins behind the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 and the Montreal Canadiens with 24.

Perhaps the team's winning streak can be attributed to the legend of the octopus. Starting in 1952, fans have thrown an octopus onto the ice surface at home games for good luck during the playoffs. This tradition continues at Joe Louis Arena and has inspired other NHL teams to adopt similar superstitions. The eight-legged octopus symbolized the number of playoff wins needed to win the cup at the time. Besides the octopus-throwing, great players have led to the Red Wings' success. Notable players include Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Alex Delvecchio along with team captain Steve Yzerman (1986 to 2006).

1. Detroit's Skyline; Detroit, MI, USA
2. A Classic Car in Mint Condition
3. Motown Records Started in Detroit, MI