Michigan
Detroit is the city that put the world on wheels and then gave it a soundtrack, and it has never been more rewarding to visit.
In Dearborn, The Henry Ford holds the Rosa Parks bus, the presidential limousines and a century of American invention under one roof, with the Ford Rouge Factory Tour next door when it is running. In Midtown, the Detroit Institute of Arts wraps a courtyard in Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals, one of the great works of American art, and up West Grand Boulevard the little house called Hitsville U.S.A. still holds Studio A, where Motown cut the records that changed pop music. Downtown, the Art Deco skyscrapers of the auto boom, from the tiled Guardian Building to the restored Book Tower, are open to walk through, the People Mover loops above the streets, and the Detroit RiverWalk runs for miles past parks and plazas with Canada across the water. This guide books the few things that need booking, from timed Motown tours to a walking tour with inside access to the towers and a food tour of Coney dogs and square pizza, flags the November details, and matches you to a hotel, from a Woodward Avenue boutique in a restored department store to an art-filled tower beside the Ford headquarters in Dearborn.
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
The essential Detroit-area museum: a vast hall in Dearborn holding the Rosa Parks bus, presidential limousines, locomotives and a century of cars, with Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour on the same campus. Plan a full day, and check which parts are open before you go.
Detroit Institute of Arts
One of the great art museums of the United States, on Woodward Avenue in Midtown, and home to Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals, the epic fresco cycle of the Ford Rouge plant. Free for residents of the three home counties, and open late on Fridays.
Motown Museum (Hitsville U.S.A.)
The modest house on West Grand Boulevard where Berry Gordy built Motown, and where the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder recorded in Studio A. Guided tours only, timed tickets, and they sell out, so book ahead.
Detroit RiverWalk
Miles of free riverside path from Gabriel Richard Park near Belle Isle past the Renaissance Center to the new Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, with Canada across the water. Walk it, bike it, or join it from the Dequindre Cut greenway.
The essential Detroit-area museum: a vast hall in Dearborn holding the Rosa Parks bus, presidential limousines, locomotives and a century of cars, with Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour on the same campus. Plan a full day, and check which parts are open before you go.
One of the great art museums of the United States, on Woodward Avenue in Midtown, and home to Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals, the epic fresco cycle of the Ford Rouge plant. Free for residents of the three home counties, and open late on Fridays.
The modest house on West Grand Boulevard where Berry Gordy built Motown, and where the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder recorded in Studio A. Guided tours only, timed tickets, and they sell out, so book ahead.
A playful downtown stop on Woodward Avenue, full of rooms that bend perspective, tilt the floor and shrink your friends, built for photos and laughter. Open every day into the evening, so it fills a cold or rainy hour neatly.
The best way into downtown's skyscrapers: a small-group walk that starts inside the tiled Art Deco Guardian Building, passes Campus Martius and climbs to ROOST in the restored Book Tower, with both entries included. Highly rated, and worth booking early in your trip.
Eat your way through the Detroit classics in three hours: a Coney Island hot dog, square deep-dish Detroit-style pizza, corned beef egg rolls, a Boston Cooler float and Greektown baklava, with landmarks between bites. Small groups, and a secret dish at the end.
A two-hour orientation that mixes walking with rides on the People Mover, the elevated loop above downtown, taking in Greektown, the theater district, the Penobscot and Guardian buildings and the Renaissance Center. Fares included and a strong rating.
A small-group walk through Corktown, Detroit's oldest neighborhood, starting at Michigan Central Station, the restored Beaux-Arts rail palace that has become the symbol of the city's comeback, and ending with a beer at the Gaelic League. Two hours, local guide.
A short, sweet walking tour of downtown bakeries, donut shops and coffee bars, with stories of the city between stops. Rated a perfect five from more than a hundred reviews, and a lighter, morning-friendly alternative to a full food tour.
Detroit's island park in the Detroit River, larger than Central Park, with a historic aquarium, a glass-domed conservatory, a nature center, a Great Lakes museum, a grand fountain and skyline views. Free on foot or bike; cars need a Michigan Recreation Passport.
FreeMiles of free riverside path from Gabriel Richard Park near Belle Isle past the Renaissance Center to the new Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, with Canada across the water. Walk it, bike it, or join it from the Dequindre Cut greenway.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Downtown (Woodward Avenue)
The Detroit boutique hotel of the moment: 129 rooms in restored Woodward Avenue buildings, from the watch and leather brand that became a symbol of Detroit making things again, with San Morello downstairs and Parker's Alley beside it. The downtown splurge.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Downtown (Financial District)
A stylish hotel in the city's former fire department headquarters on West Larned Street, with the Apparatus Room restaurant in the old engine hall, Le Labo bath products and a weekend vinyl brunch. Steps from the RiverWalk and Huntington Place.
Rates on Expedia →Dearborn (Fairlane)
The best base for The Henry Ford: an art-filled Marriott Autograph Collection tower in Dearborn, minutes from the museum, with an indoor pool, free self-parking and a collection that runs from Picasso and Chagall prints to Detroit glass.
Rates on Expedia →Corktown
A good-value, renovated hotel in Corktown, Detroit's oldest neighborhood, a short walk from Michigan Central Station and the bars and restaurants of Michigan Avenue, with on-site parking and an easy ride downtown. Part of Choice's Ascend Hotel Collection.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Downtown (Greektown and Stadiums)
A dependable, mid-priced downtown base on Gratiot Avenue, between Greektown and the stadium district, with a restaurant and bar, a fitness room and pet-friendly rooms. Practical rather than glamorous, and well placed for games and the People Mover.
Rates on Expedia →A first-timer's plan for Detroit: the few things worth booking ahead, how the People Mover, QLine and rideshares fit together, how many days you need, and where The Henry Ford, the DIA and Motown fit in.
The three areas that make sense for visitors, which of our five hotels suits each, and how parking, transit and The Henry Ford should shape your choice.
