Detroit, founded in 1701 as "la Ville d'Etroit" -- the city at the straits -- was once a strategic Native American and French trading post. In the mid-19th century the city was compared to Paris because of its scenic parks and beautiful architecture.
With the growth of the auto industry it soon evolved into the modern Motor City.
Detroit is also one of the world's busiest inland ports, a major steel producer, and a leader in the production of office equipment, paint, salt, garden seeds, and pharmaceuticals. The Detroit River is linked by 25 steamship companies to more than 40 countries; vessels ranging from ocean-going freighters to private yachts dock in the city's protected harbor.
When to Go
Summer is the most popular time to visit the Midwest and the Great Lakes. Prices in most places peak in July and August. Daily temperatures average in the 70s in Michigan, though July and August heat waves can push them high into the 80s. Depending on the weather, the leaves usually begin to turn in mid-September and reach their most colorful by mid-October. In winter Michigan has the only significant downhill skiing in the region. The Midwest usually gets at least one subzero cold snap every year. For the rest of winter expect temperatures in the 10s and 20s. Sudden snowstorms can make winter driving unpredictable and treacherous. Spring is damp and clammy, with erratic weather and temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 60s.
What to See
Renaissance Center: Detroit's most prominent landmark, the big, brassy Renaissance Center, known as the Ren Cen, dominates the city's skyline with six office towers and the spectacular 73-story Marriott Hotel, one of the tallest hotels in the world. A city within a city, the waterfront complex has retail stores, services, and popular restaurants. It was purchased in 1997 by General Motors, which then moved in and established its new world headquarters here.
Fair Lane: Henry Ford and his wife Clara lived at this estate from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950. Now a National Historic Landmark, the Fair Lane blends a Scottish Baronial style with a simple Arts and Crafts design. Here, you'll get a look at the bowling alley where Ford used to shoot pins with his friends Thomas Edison and naturalist John Burroughs.
Fisher Mansion: The most lavish residence in its day, this is the only one of the mansions built by Detroit's auto barons that is within the city limits. With 24-karat gold-leaf ceilings, it was modeled after William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon and is now a vegetarian restaurant and cultural center.
Automotive Hall of Fame: Adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, this museum profiles the men behind the machines and has a mural of automotive history, as well as a full-size replica of the world's first gas-powered car.
Detroit Institute of the Arts: The more than 100 galleries here display 5,000 years of art treasures, including works by van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Renoir. Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry, four immense frescoes, is a must-see.
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village: America's largest indoor-outdoor museum complex charts the country's evolution from a rural to an industrial society through exhibits covering communications, transportation, domestic life, agriculture, and industry. Just inside the entrance to Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum -- built as a replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia -- houses a wide range of American artifacts, including the rocking chair that Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot and the limousine that John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated. There are also outstanding collections of vintage planes, trains, and automobiles.
Motown Museum: From this undistinguished Grand Boulevard house known as "Hitsville USA," the Motown sound went on to conquer America in the 1960s and '70s and create a lasting legacy. Here you can wander through collections of promotional materials, old sheet music, photographs, and other memorabilia – including Michael Jackson's sequined glove - or tour the restored Studio A, where hits such as "My Girl" were recorded.
Motown
The Motown sound was the most celebrated and famous of the 60s. The company transformed the American popular music scene. Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown in Detroit in 1958 with an $800 loan from his family. From the small house on West Grand Boulevard, which the staff quickly dubbed "Hitsville, U.S.A.", Motown's soul music was to conquer America and the world.
