Discover Detroit - Museums and Culture

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Website
315 East Warren Avenue, Detroit MI
313.494.5800

Hours:

Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

The 28,000 square-foot building was anchored by an exhibit that traces African-American history through the passage from Africa into slavery to the liberation brought by the Underground Railroad. Hailed as the largest institution of its kind in the country.

CPOP Art Gallery

Website
4160 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI
313.833.9901

Since 1997, CPOP has featured prints, fine art, photography, glass, paintings and installation by Detroit artists.

Cranbrook Art Museum

Website
39221 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, MI
248.645.3323

Hours:

Wednesday-Sunday 11:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Every 4th Friday 11:00 a.m. -9:00 p.m.
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Cranbrook Art Museum is a contemporary art museum located at the heart of Cranbrook Educational Community, one of the nation's greatest architectural complexes. The Art Museum offers both a glimpse into Cranbrook's remarkable past through its collection and tours of the campus while offering changing exhibitions of the finest contemporary art.

Cranbrook Institute of Science

Website
39221 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, MI
1.800.GO.CRANBrook

Created by the New Institute Exhibits Group and Cranbrook scientists and educators, the Institute's permanent exhibits are the culmination of a $31 million expansion and renovation project that began in 1996. The project includes a 33,000 square-foot addition, a new cafe, four new classrooms, the Erb Family Science Garden and a 39-foot tall Light Laboratory in the museum vestibule. The new addition houses Our Dynamic Earth, a long-term exhibit featuring Michigan's only full size Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. Other Permanent Exhibits include the Emerging Technology Hall, Every Rock has a Story, the Astronomy Gallery, the Motion Gallery, Reading Objects, Blues Life Lab and the Mineral Study Gallery.

The Detroit Institute of Arts

Website
5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI
313.833.7900

Founded in 1883, this beautifully constructed musuem features American, Asian, African-American, European, and Modern collections. More than 20,000 works of art are housed in the Department of Graphic Arts. Included are drawings of exceptional quality by Ingres, Delacroix, Degas, Pissarro, Cézanne, Picasso, and Matisse.

The Detroit Science Center

Website
5020 John R Street, Detroit, MI
313.577.8400

Winter Hours (September 4-June 18):

Tuesday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Closed Monday

Summer Hours (June 19-Setember 3):

Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday

Detroit philanthropist Dexter Ferry founded the Detroit Science Center 30 years ago; it was renovated in 1999 and reopened in 2001 as a centerpiece in Detroit. The 110,000 square-foot center features the Ford Learning Resource Center, the DTE Energy Sparks Theatre, the DaimlerChrysler Stage, and an 8,700 square-foot Science Hall for traveling exhibits. There are five exhibit laboratories including General Motors Motion Laboratory, Dow Foundation Life Sciences Laboratory, Waves & Vibrations Laboratory, Matter & Energy Laboratory and SBC Ameritech Children's Gallery; and a Special Events Lobby. The Ford Learning Resource Center is the home to five unique learning environments offering hands-on, inquiry-based learning, professional development opportunities and educational resources.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Website
100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI
313.833.7935

Hours:

Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; during the week for groups of 20+ or appointments.

Features ship models, paintings, and memorabilia chronicling the history of the Great Lakes waterways. Permanent exhibits include the S.S. William Clay Ford Pilot House, Gothic Room from the City of Detroit III, Miss Pepsi hydroplane, and the anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

Website
1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI

Hours:

April-December Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
January-March Tuesday-Sunday 11:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

The home of Edsel & Eleanor Ford has been preserved and opened to the public. It remains a witness to the past and an enrichment in the lives of future generations. Opened in 1978 the extraordinary 60-room home features a collection of original antiques and art surrounded by 87-acre grounds overlooking Lake St. Clair.

The Henry Ford — Greenfield Village

Website
20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI
313.982.6100

Henry Ford Museum:

9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Everyday)

Greenfield Village:

9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
April 15-October 31 open Friday-Sunday only
November 1-December 31 extended hours every Saturday until 9:00 p.m.

The Museum houses more than one million artifacts, 26 million documents and 78 historic structures, which are "the finest collection ever assembled documenting the American experience," according to the 1996 American Association of Museums accreditation team. The Museum also offers an astounding collection of Americana depicting the ever-changing worlds of transportation, manufacturing, home life, entertainment and technology. Greenfield Village is an assemblage of over 80 historic structures, filled with artifacts and enlivened by historical characters. The actual homes, farm buildings, shops, and businesses from America's history are on-site and open for exploration.

Motown Historical Museum

Website
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI
313.875.2264

The birthplace of Motown Records has five galleries displaying artifacts, photographs, and gold platinum records. Entertainers such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder started here under the direction of Berry Gordy, Jr.

Preservation Wayne

Website
313.577.7674

Established in 1975, PreservationWayne aims to preserve, promote and protect the neighborhoods and structures that define Detroit. Guided walking tours include Midtown Detroit, Auto Heritage sites, New Center, Eastern Market, Downtown, and Skyscrapers.