Detroit Historical Museum — Attraction in Detroit

The Detroit Historical Museum is an absolute gem, and I had the pleasure of visiting it with my son. We had a wonderful time exploring the rich history that the museum has to offer. The exhibits are incredibly informative and engaging, making it a great experience for both adults and children.

One of the highlights of our visit was the underground floor, where there’s a stunning replica of old Detroit streets. Walking through this area feels like stepping back in time, and it’s amazing to see the city’s history brought to life so vividly. My son and I were particularly fascinated by the attention to detail in the storefronts and the overall atmosphere—it’s truly an immersive experience.

Throughout the museum, there are several other exhibits that showcase Detroit’s vibrant history, from its industrial roots to its role in the Civil Rights Movement. We enjoyed viewing the various artifacts, such as the vintage hats and china, which give a glimpse into the everyday life of Detroiters in the past. The displays about the iconic lunch counters and the Civil Rights Movement were particularly powerful, highlighting the significant role Detroit played in this crucial chapter of American history.

We also came across a meticulously recreated old-fashioned dentist’s office, which added an interesting, and somewhat eerie, touch to our tour. It’s little details like these that make the museum not only educational but also a lot of fun to explore.

Overall, the Detroit Historical Museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in learning more about the city’s rich and diverse history. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, this museum offers a deep dive into what makes Detroit such a unique and resilient city. We highly recommend it for families, history buffs, and anyone who enjoys a well-curated...

The museum is fantastic. I visited during a low traffic time, and got to explore the streets of old Detroit exhibit completely alone which was very cool. That section alone is worth a visit even if you don't look at anything else, it's such a cool experience and so well presented. I did take the time to view all of the exhibits though and there's a nice variety and clearly a lot of care went into designing each exhibit. Artifacts are displayed well, the layout is easy to follow and spacious, and overall I think the museum does a good job of giving brief overviews of a large variety of topics from Detroit's history. As a solo adult I got a lot out of my trip, but I think it would be enjoyable for kids too. Staff were also great: very friendly, helpful, and attentive even though it was a slow day.

The only thing that disappointed me was the gift shop. There was an overwhelming amount of sports themed merch, it completely dominated the gift shop. I did find a tiny book shelf shoved in a back corner that had a few options that weren't sports related, but even there sports was the dominant focus. I was pretty surprised by this, since the museum really doesn't have a strong sports history focus. It certainly does have some exhibits about Detroit's history with professional sports, but it's not anywhere near as prominently featured as say the history of car manufacturing or the underground railroad. I usually want something from a gift shop that ties in to what I learned about in the museum, and that connection just wasn't there. I can only assume that sports merch is what sells, and I suppose the museum needs to stock what they can actually make money from, but it was disappointing.

Anyway, my ramblings aside, it's a solid museum and well...

Want to visit today, was visited before, last time was a year or so, it was a best free historical museum in US. Hope it still deserve a 4 or even 5 stars review. Overall in Detroit, best places to visit beyond this museum, GM Building and Riverwalk, in GM Building it's a free car showing gallery and nice restroom with a really cold top drinking water, from Riverwalk you see a Windsor, Canada skyline, second place it's a Fisher Brothers building complex, one of Best Art Deco decorated tower in US, 27 stories, and 16 story old GM headquarters across the street, nearby Woodward Ave and Amtrak Detroit Station, third one is a Grand Circus Park, with nearby Fox Theater and Comerica Park Complex, don't forget a Very Modern 14-16 Story Hi-tech Computer Complex for various Internet companies headquarters in a very Downtown of Detroit on Woodward and Michigan, want to a quiet Times Square, don't forget to visit it in Detroit, all within walking distance, ride 75cent Detroit Metro Mover loop, a free excursion around Downtown area, runs every 3 minutes, 2 cars like a 2 bus capacity total, runs 7 days a week, morning to late night, at the weekend it's start late, around 11 am to midnight, free map available in the train car. Very soon will be M1 Light Rail/Streetcar from Downtown to Amtrak Detroit area. Greyhound Bus Terminal located just a half of mile from Downtown/Woodward, and Amtrak about 3.5 miles from Downtown. THE Area around Woodward is safe, but don't be fool to go a few blocks further from it, except a Downtown and Fisher Building and...