Guide to Detroit: Arts & Culture

Things to Do in Detroit

Detroit is not just an important industrial and shipping center for the Midwest--it is also a livable city and boasts an incredible variety of museums, parks, and other attractions. Detroit is not a young city, and it showcases a variety of architecture popular throughout different periods--in particular, an impressive collection of Art Deco style high-rises. West of downtown, the Ambassador Bridge connects Detroit to Canada--it's the longest international suspension bridge in the world. The Detroit Zoo was the first zoo in the country to extensively use bar-less animal exhibits, and visitors can even walk among the free-to-roam red kangaroos housed there.

Detroit Arts on the Rise

Those interested in Detroit's automotive history will love the Motor City Exhibition at Detroit's Historical Museum. The renovated Orchestra Hall is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and also the focal point of the Max M. Fisher Music Center performing arts complex.

Visitors may also check out the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. Detroit provides lighter fare as well, with several amusement parks and over ten water parks, including the Family Aquatic Center at Chandler Park in Detroit and Red Oaks Waterpark outside the city in nearby Madison Heights. Greenfield Village celebrates over 300 years of American history with events like the Old Car Festival and the Civil War Remembrance.

From outdoor family activities to visiting to dozens of museums, the Detroit metro area's variety of attractions and sightseeing opportunities should satisfy just about anyone's tastes.

Sources:
City-Data.com MSN Encarta.com Michigan.org WorldTravelGuide The Henry Ford/Greenfield Village