Detroit is the largest city in Michigan, in the United States. From here was Henry Ford, genius inventor of the revolutionary Model T and founder of Ford Motor Company. Among the streets of this decaying city, Marshall B. Matters began to compose the rhymes that would bring Eminem to life. In our article today we tell you what to visit in Detroit , if you travel for a few days.
What to visit in Detroit: all about the City of the Straits
Detroit comes from the French Citat d’Étroit, which means City of the Strait . It is the largest and most populous city in the state of Michigan, but also the largest city in the United States on the Canadian border. Detroit is famous for its contributions to music, art, architecture, and the automotive industry. The city’s port is important as it is one of the 4 main straits that connect the famous Great Lakes system with the San Lorenzo Seaway. Remember that the Great Lakes area is very popular in the United States.
Techno music emerged in Detroit, but it was also key to the development of other genres such as jazz, punk, rock and hip-hop. In the latter, as we already anticipated, we meet Eminem, who moved to Detroit at the age of 12 and grew up on the streets of this city. Detroit was a city that had a heyday thanks to the auto industry. The 3 major companies in the sector settled here: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
Downtown Detroit
Begin your tour of the city with a visit to downtown Detroit. It is a landscape worth seeing, because here we find on one side the river and, on the other, the towers of the General Motors offices. In downtown Detroit, you can easily get lost visiting historic sites like The Guardian Building; skyscraper that has been standing since 1929 and an example of Art Deco architecture. You can also visit the Opera House, an imposing building opened in 1922; The Detroit Opera House was designed by C. Howard Crane and has an Italian Neo-Renaissance style and Art Deco touches.
Get your strength back in one of the bars and restaurants near downtown Detroit and take a walk in Campus Martius Park; It is a 4,900-square-meter park that joins Cadillac Square Park to form a very large complex. Here you can find a skating rink designed to look like the legendary Rockefeller Center in New York. Every year in winter, Campus Martius brings together more than 450,000 people for the Motown Winter Blast, an event to celebrate the lighting of Christmas trees. In addition, they play Christmas music, there is sale of decorations of the time, and so on.
Detroit museums
If you wonder what to visit in Detroit, don’t forget its museums. Here you find the Motown museum. We already anticipated that in Detroit many musical genres flourished and, in 1959, Berry Gordy decided to found a record company; This is Motown Records. Under the Motown label we met great singers like Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and even Bruno Mars. So it is not difficult to find a museum dedicated to music. In the museum you can visit Studio A and even see the vending machine where Stevie Wonder caught wholesale chocolates.
For art lovers, the Detroit Institute of the Arts is a must. It has more than 100 galleries. For example, the Rivera Court Room with the magnificent Detroit Industry murals painted by the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Rivera’s murals are a fundamental piece in the history of art. In 1932, the Mexican signed a contract to paint the walls of the inner courtyard of the Detroit Institute of the Arts. One of his main patrons was Edsel Ford (yes, Henry Ford’s son). Then the US was trying to get out of the crisis of 29 through the New Deal . Rivera had the opportunity to capture, in his magnificent work, what the automotive industry of the city was like for the workers. Let us remember that Diego Rivera was a Marxist and for him, the proletariat was the engine of large industries, including the automotive industry.
Another museum that you cannot miss on your visit to Detroit is the Henry Ford Museum. In this space you will find exhibits that show the creative processes of various cars designed by the legendary Mr. Ford. In addition to that you can visit the house where the inventor of the Model T was born and even Thomas Edison’s authentic laboratory.
Sail the river and visit Belle Isle
During the summer one of the favorite activities of the inhabitants of Detroit is sailing on the river; after a pleasant walk, they approach Belle Isle, an island in the middle of the river itself. Of course, if you visit Detroit for a few days during the summer season, we advise you to sign up for one of the tours with a guide included and immerse yourself in the history of the city. Afterwards, you can spend the day on the island and visit a museum, the aquarium or the exotic botanical garden.
Renaissance Center
If architecture is your thing, Detroit is your city. In addition to The Guardian Building and the Opera House, you can visit the Renaissance Center. Here is the headquarters of General Motors, and a series of interconnected skyscrapers within which you can find the luxurious Marriott hotel. An entire architectural complex worthy of admiration!
Within the same complex you can find many shops, banks, exhibition halls and even a cinema.
What to visit in Detroit: Mexicantown
Mexicans are everywhere and they have their own neighborhood in Detroit. It is Mexicantown-Southwest. It is a simple and informal place where you can enjoy Mexican culture at its best, but above all, the delicious food of Mexico. If you are a fan of the creative cuisine of tacos and tamales, you cannot stop stopping at one of the many restaurants and bars; also, you can order a margarita made with tequila. They even have stores where you can buy typical Mexican products and even churros!
If you want to stay in this popular neighborhood, we recommend the fabulous MGM Greater Detroit hotel.
