| Attractions |
| About Detroit
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| Museums
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| Shopping
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| Casinos
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Automotive
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| Nightlife
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| Driving Distance Attractions
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| Sports
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| William
C. Durant
Founder of
General Motors
1908 |
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| Henry
Ford
Founder of
Ford Motor Company
1903 |
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Walter
Chrysler
Founder of
Chrysler Corporation
1925 |
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Rosa
Parks
The Mother of the" Civil Rights Movement"
Ms. Parks refusal to give up her seat to a white rider on
December 1, 1955 ignited the historic Montgomery bus boycott
and helped galvanize the civil rights movement. |
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Joe
Louis
The"Brown Bomber", held the World Heavyweight Boxing
championship for an unmatched 13 years. |
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Aretha
Franklin
The Queen of Soul
She is considered to have one of the great voices of the 20th
century. |
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Berry
Gordy, Jr
Founder of
Motown music venture
Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Smokie Robinson and the original
temptations were just some of the Michigan-born talent from
Motown. |
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| 2005
VPA Convention - Detroit Attractions |
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Date
of Founding:
July 24, 1701 |
Population:
City: 882,752
Metropolitan: 4 Million
Michigan: 10 Million |
Detroit
is the largest city in the state of Michigan, the tenth
largest city in US. |
History of Detroit:
In 1701, Antonie de La Mothe
Cadillac , a French explorer discovered and settled in Detroit
with party of 100 or so. Paddling along what now is the Detroit
River in their canoes looking for a place to start a new life,
Cadillac and his crew chose Detroit because they liked the river
and its high banks. The French called their discovery at a narrow
point in the river "the strait," or in their language,
d'etroit.
Nine years later he was removed from his post as outpost commander
due to "ill conduct" (i.e. excessive lining of his
own pockets). Change would remain a constant throughout Detroit's
first century. In 1760, French rule gave way to British. And
in 1796 the Americans took over Detroit as a result of Jay's
Treaty. Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815 and spent
the decades leading up to the Civil War as the final U.S. stop
on the Underground Railroad.
The area also was earning a reputation for, among other things,
the manufacturing of cigars and kitchen ranges. So why did Detroit
become the Motor City instead of the stove-making capital of
the world? It's in large part due to the influence of a farmer's
son named Henry Ford. In 1896, Ford built his first car in Detroit
- not an entirely earth-shattering event since the automobile
had already been around for a while. It was the method of building
cars that he would later devise - the moving assembly line -
that put the world on wheels. During the early part of the 20th
century, dozens of companies emerged in the area committed to
finding success in the new industry. During World War II, the
factories they built to produce cars were put to use churning
out weapons for the Allied Powers. The production edge they
provided helped to win the war.
Ironically, it was a former autoworker that led the way for
Detroit's other famous 20th century contribution - Motown. Founded
by Berry Gordy Jr. with just an $800 loan, the upstart record
company introduced the world to Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder,
Smokie Robinson, Michael Jackson, the Temptations, Diana Ross
and others - all of whom either grew up or gained their first
fame in Detroit.
Detroit is known for automobile manufacturing and trade, the
world headquarters for General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co.,
DaimlerChrysler, and Volkwagen of America are located in Metropolitan
Detroit. |
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The birth place of Pampa Kannada Koota
- the first Kannada koota in North America.
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Detroit installed the first traffic
light (1915)
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First urban Freeway in the nation (1942
- Davison Freeway)
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Detroit was the first city in the nation
to assign individual telephone numbers (1879)
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The nations' first shopping mall (1954
- Northland Mall)
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| Month |
High
(F/C) |
Low
(F/C) |
| June |
79/26 |
56/13 |
| July |
83/29 |
61/16 |
| August |
82/28 |
59/15 |
| September |
74/24 |
52/17 |
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The
New Detroit Science Center
(2 miles from Marriott)
5020 John R Street
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-577-8400
www.sciencedetroit.org
A wonderland for kids who love
hands-on science projects. See a large-format film in Michigan's
only IMAX Dome Theater.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30a.m.-2p.m., Sat.-Sun. 12:30p.m.-5p.m.
Admission: Adult, $7; Children, $5
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Henry
Ford Museum & Greenfield Village / IMAX
(8 miles from Marriott)
20900 Oakwood Blvd.
Dearborn, MI 48124
Voice: 313-271-1620
www.hfmgv.org
America's largest indoor/outdoor museum
celebrates the spirit of invention. The 12 acre Henry Ford
Museum features world-renowned treasures such as the limousine
in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Edgar
Allan Poe's writing desk, and George Washington's camp bed.
Visitors to Greenfield Village can tour the historic homes
and workplaces of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, George Washington
Carver and the Wright Brothers. Enjoy horse-drawn carriage
rides in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter (weather
permitting). New IMAX theater open daily . |
| Fisher
Mansion
(6 miles from Marriott)
(Hare Krishna Temple)
383 Lenox, Detroit
(313) 824-6000
Head east from the Henry Ford Estate
to the Fisher Mansion. In its 1920s heyday, playboy and Cadillac
Motors chief Lawrence Fisher's home was the site of wild parties
during which champagne is said to have flowed from a silver
spout in the wall.
The mansion includes a blend of Italian
Renaissance and Vintage Hollywood architecture and more than
75 ounces of pure gold and 140 ounces of silver leaf highlight
its ceilings and moldings. |
The
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
(6 miles from Marriott)
1100 Lakeshore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores
(313) 884-4222
www.fordhouse.org
It is a short drive
north of the Fisher Mansion. The Fords loved the arts and
the house remains intact with many of the original furnishings
and fine arts including many pieces from Europe, Africa, Asia,
some of it dating back before the birth of Christ. Highlights
include original paintings by Cezanne, Matisse and Diego Rivera.
Located on 87 acres along the lake
of St.Clair reflects the style of Cotswolds in Worchestershire,
England.
Hours: Tue - Sat. 10am - 4pm; Sun
Noon-4pm
Admission: Adults, $5; Children under 12, $4 |
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The Detroit Institute of Arts
(2 miles from Marriott)
5200 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone 313-833-7900
www.dia.org
The Detroit Institute of
Arts, the fifth-largest fine arts museum in the country, offers
over 100 galleries with art from ancient to modern times.
Among the DIA's renowned works are French Impressionist, German
Expressionist, American and Flemish paintings, Italian, African,
Asian, Native American, Egyptian and 20th-century art, and
Diego Rivera's finest fresco, Detroit Industry, in the museum's
central courtyard.
Hours: Open the first Friday of every month until 9pm. Docent
tours Wed.-Sat. 1pm; Sun. 1pm & 2:30pm. Museum hours Wed.
- Fri. 11am -4pm; Sat. & Sun. 11am - 5pm. Closed Mon.
- Tue., some holidays.
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Charles
H. Wright Museum of African American History
(2 miles from Marriott)
301 E. Warren Ave.
(313) 494-5800
www.maah-detroit.org
You won't find a bigger monument to
African-American history anywhere else in the world. This
120,000 sq.ft facility houses three exhibition galleries,
a theater, a cafe and a gift store.
The museum's entrance is a sunlit rotunda topped by an impressive
glass dome with a stunning 36-foot work of art on the museum
floor.
The museum's core exhibition tackles an ambitious task: taking
visitors from the origins of African culture through the horrors
of Middle Passage and onto the modern day accomplishments
and struggles of African Americans.
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 9:30am - 5:00pm. Admission: adults,
$5; children 17 and under, $3. |
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Detroit
Zoo
(10 miles from Marriott)
8450 W. Ten Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI
(248) 398-0903
www.detroitzoo.org
An animal-lover's paradise, the
zoo offers large open spaces and wonderful outdoor animal
environments. Don't miss the Mandrill (it's a colorful
baboon) exhibits. The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery is
a must-see. This historic building has been resurrected
as a butterfly/hummingbird garden, coral reef aquarium,
theater, exhibition space, art gallery and mulit-media
interactives.
Summer hours (April-Oct.) 10a.m.-5p.m., Wed. until 8p.m.
June 19-Aug. 28. Winter hours (Nov.-March) 10a.m.-4p.m.
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Shopping
- Great Lakes Crossing
(30 miles from Marriott)
I-75 North, Baldwin &
Joslyn exits
(248) 454-5010
www.greatlakescrossing.com
Start your shopping excursion at Great
Lakes Crossing, the 117-acre mega mall and entertainment
center in Auburn Hills (located about a 40-minute drive
from downtown Detroit). The mall blends the hottest concepts
in theme entertainment and dining with an unparalleled offering
of more than 200 exciting, value-oriented stores.
So you can shop at a fine collection of clearance centers,
including Off 5th (Saks Fifth Avenue) and Last Call (Neiman
Marcus), and then enjoy yourself at the Alcatraz Brewing
Company (a prison-themed restaurant with a miniature Golden
Gate Bridge) or the GameWorks hi-tech indoor playland.
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Shopping
- Somerset Collection
(17 miles from Marriott)
I-75 North, Big beaver Road West exit
(248) 643-6360
www.thesomersetcollection.com
Travel south to the Somerset
Collection in Troy. The retail center features world-class
upscale shopping along the lines of New York's Fifth Avenue
and Chicago's Miracle Mile. Among the palm trees you'll find
a collection of stores that includes Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus,
Gucci, Cartier and Chiasso. Directly east of the Somerset
Collection is Lakeside Center which features 185 stores.
Go south to visit the downtown Birmingham shopping district.
It's home to more than 286 stores, specializing in home furnishings,
arts and crafts, antiques and gift items from around the world.
Just 10 minutes south of Birmingham, downtown Royal Oak offers
more than 200 shops that focus more on the trendy side of
things.
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| GM
World
Housed in the company's world headquarters
at Detroit's Renaissance Center, the 50,000-square-foot
showroom displays vehicle from entire global scope of General
Motors operations. Twenty-six vehicles are exhibited at
a time and vehicles are rotated every 60 days. Admission
is free. |
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GM
Plant Tour - Lansing
Lansing Car Assembly
Body Plant - Chassis
Plant
(90 miles from Marriott)
Visit and see the latest and best
innovations in automotive manufacturing and quality processes.
Tour Information
& Scheduling Call:
(517) 885-9676 |
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| Ford
Rouge Plant Tour
Detroit
(15 miles drive from Marriott)
See the most selling vehicle
in the world - Ford F-150 Truck assembled
Advance Reservation Required
www.hfmgv.org/rouge/
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| Greektown
Downtown, Detroit
(5 minutes walking from Detroit Marriott)
Greektown is one of the most popular
areas to visit in Detroit. Included in this historic district
is a collection of ethinic and American resturants, nightclubs,
casino, bakeries and shops. |
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| Hart
Plaza
Downtown, Detroit
(5 minutes walking from Detroit Marriott)
The site of the summer outdoor Riverfront
Festivals. The Hart Plaza with its fountain, sculptures,
and sorrounding lawns, i sone of Detroit's favorite outdoor
places. Hart Plaza is the site of several well-known special
theme events; such as the Downtown Hoedown, the largest
free country music event in North America, the Detroit Electronic
Festival, the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival,
North America's largest free jazz festival, and the International
Freedom Festival Fireworks, the world's largest annual display. |
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| Night
Clubs
Coming soon.......
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| City
of Windsor - Canada
www.city.windsor.on.ca
To enter Canada, visitors must
have a Canadian visitors visa or US Passport.
Just south of Detroit, situated on
an international border , on the Detroit River. Visitors
may travel to Windsor by the Ambassodor Bridge, the longest
international suspension bridge in the world, or the Windsor-Detroit
Tunnel - under the Detroit River.
Some of the popular attractions of Windsor includes dowtown
shopping, night clubs, casino, three mile walk along the
Detroit River with best view of the Detroit's skyline. |
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| Traverse
City - Michigan
(220 miles from Detroit)
www.tcvisitor.com
Visit Traverse City, and you’ll soon
find yourself driving through the majestic beauty of towering
emerald pine forests..lakes...thousands of trees rising
into the sky, home to the bears and deer and otter living
in the area’s national preserves.
Nearby Attractions:
- Sleeping Bear Dunes
- Golfing
- Fishing
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Mackinac
Island - Michigan
(280 miles from Detroit)
www.mackinacisland.org
Pronounced "mackinaw" . This historic
island is just east of the Mackinac Bridge that connects
the lower and upper peninsulas. The island does not allow
cars anywhere on it. The mode of transportation here is
horse & buggy or bicycle! Set aside your whole day to explore
this beautiful island! There you will find a fort, `arch
rock`, and tons of fabulous Victorian-style homes.
Grand
Hotel beckons you to a bygone era of old-world hospitality
and charm. Back to a time of horse-drawn carriages, Afternoon
Tea, and croquet on an endless lawn. The crown jewel of
pristine secluded Mackinac Island, Grand Hotel has been
the world's largest summer hotel since 1887.
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| Chicago
(300 miles from Detroit)
www.chicago.il.org
Chicago is one of the top urban leisure
destinations in the world. With its sparkling lakefront,
exciting and friendly downtown cultural and shopping districts,
and quality options in many price ranges for dining, entertainment
and accommodations, it’s a city that continues to surprise
and delight visitors. Beyond Chicago, enjoy historic architecture,
great golf, outlet mall shopping, amusement parks, gaming
and more. |
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Toronto
- Canada
(220 miles from Detroit)
www.torontotourism.com
Toronto is a city that holds all the
wonders of the world in one clean, safe, friendly place:
a theatre scene rivaled only by London and New York, more
than 80 cultures from across the globe, attractions that
range from high art to rowdy family fun, and polished services
for business travelers. What could make that better? How
about packing many of our most popular attractions within
walking distance of each other. In downtown Toronto, a short
stroll is all it takes to travel between thousands of hotel
rooms, great sports venues, the CN Tower, major convention
centres, endless shopping, top theatre, the waterfront,
and inspired cuisine. Beyond the cozy and quirky neighbourhoods
of the city are more fabulous attractions, plus countryside,
Niagara Falls, a wine region and outdoor adventures, all
an easy drive away.
Must see attractions: CN Tower ; Lions Safari ; Toronto
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| Niagara
Falls - Canada
(280 miles from Detroit)
www.tourismniagara.com
Niagara Falls is the second largest
falls on the globe next to Victoria Falls in southern Africa.
One fifth of all the fresh water in the world lies in the
four Upper Great Lakes-Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie.
The water that flows over Niagara Falls comes from four
of the five Great Lakes. From the Falls, the water travels
down the Niagara River to massive Lake Ontario and then
along the St. Lawrence River and then into the Atlantic
Ocean. |
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| Sports
in Detroit
Named "Best Sports
City 1998" by Spoting News, Detroit is home
to professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey
sports teams. |
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Ford Field, the Detroit
Lions' new home will be a one-of-a-kind 65,000-seat facility
that will include a giant glass wall, revealing the picturesque
Detroit skyline. Ford Field will host Super Bowl XL to be
played February 5, 2006. |
Comerica Park, the home
of the Detroit Tigers baseball team (1984 World Champions).
The capacity of the ballpark is about 40,000. The outfield
offers an impressive view of the downtown skyline. |
Joe Louis Arena on the
river front, the home of the Detroit Red Wings (1997 &
1998 Stanley Cup Champions) |
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| People
Mover
The People Mover is an elevated computerized
rail transit system stopping at 13 stations throughout downtown
Detroit. It links the city's major office buildings, hotels,
resturants, Cobo Conference/Exhibition center and shopping
districts.
The People Mover can be accessed from the Renaissance Center
also.
Cost per ride is $0.50 and the hours of operation: Mon-Thu,
7am - 11pm; Fri and Sat until midnight and Sun, noon-8pm. |
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