Motown Museum, Hitsville U.S.A.

There is nothing grand about Hitsville U.S.A., and that is exactly why it moves people. In 1959 Berry Gordy bought a two-story house on West Grand Boulevard, hung a hand-painted sign across the front and turned it into a hit factory, with offices upstairs, his family living above, and a recording studio in the converted garage at the back. That room, Studio A, is where the Motown sound was made, and it is the climax of every tour of the Motown Museum. Admission is by guided tour only. A guide leads small groups through the rooms of the house, with photographs, costumes, records and stories of the artists, writers and session players who worked here, and the tour ends in the studio itself, where the floor is worn by years of musicians, and where guides often lead the group in a song. The museum has been in the middle of a major expansion that is growing the campus into a much larger destination, so expect new spaces around the original houses.

Tickets: tours last about an hour and run on timed tickets for a set date and time. They are first come, first served, space is limited, and tour times sell out, especially at weekends and in summer, so book online as soon as your dates are fixed. Tickets cannot be rescheduled or refunded. Adult admission is moderate, with reduced prices for seniors, students, veterans and children, and children four and under go free. Show your digital or printed ticket at the box office at 2648 West Grand Boulevard. The museum closes on major holidays, including Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Rules to know: backpacks, luggage and strollers are not allowed, so travel light. Photography is welcome throughout except in the video presentation room, but filming video is not permitted. There is no food or drink inside. The building has an elevator, a ramp and accessible restrooms.

Getting there and timing: the museum is in the New Center area, a short drive or rideshare from downtown and about five minutes from the Detroit Institute of Arts, so the two pair naturally in a single day. Street parking is available nearby. Arrive fifteen minutes before your tour time, and browse the shop afterward rather than before. For music lovers this is the emotional peak of a Detroit trip; for everyone else, it is a surprisingly personal story of a family business that changed American culture.