Detroit, a major city in the US state of Michigan, has significantly influenced the world in many ways. From the advent of the automotive assembly line, to the Motown sound, to modern techno and rock acts, Detroit continues to shape both American and global culture. The city has seen many of its historic buildings renovated, and is bustling with new developments and attractions that compliment its world class museums and theatres. The city offers a myriad of things to see and do. Detroit is an exciting travel destination filled with technological advance and historic charm.
Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. to offer casino resorts. The three major casino resorts include MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown, and MotorCity. A fourth major casino is just across the river in Windsor, Canada. Detroit Metro Airport is one of the few to offer world class hotel and meeting facilities inside the terminal. The Renaissance Center and the Southfield Town Center are among the nation's finest mixed use facilities for large conferences.
Detroit is an international destination for sporting events of all types; patrons enjoy their experience in world class venues. The Detroit Convention and Visitors bureau maintains the Detroit Metro Sports Commission . The city and region have state of the art facilities for major conferences and conventions.
PLACE TO VISIT
Renaissance Center, also known as the Ren Cen, is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers whose central tower is the tallest building in Michigan and the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. Built in 1977, it has the world's largest rooftop restaurant that can be reached by a glass elevator ride. The headquarters of General Motors, it is located on the Detroit International Riverfront.
Fisher Building is an historic Art-Deco building designed by Albert Kahn in 1928. It has been called Detroit's largest art object.
Guardian Building is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art moderne designs. The interior, decorated with mosaic and Pewabic and Rookwood tile, is a must-see.
Westin Book Cadillac Hotel is a recently renovated architectural gem first built in 1928.
Wayne County Building is America's best surviving example of Roman Baroque architecture.
Corktown is Detroit's oldest neighborhood. It was settled by Irish people from County Cork, hence the name Corktown. Many historic landmarks are located in the neighborhood, such as the Michigan Central Station and Tigers Stadium.
Greektown is probably Detroit's most famous neighborhood. It has an endless amount of Greek restaurants and is home to Greektown Casino.
Mexicantown is the fastest growing neighborhood in Detroit. It is famous for its Mexican cuisine, which is evidenced by its vast number of restaurants.
Palmer Woods is a private historic neighborhood in the city of Detroit west of Woodward Avenue and north of Palmer Park.
Woodbridge is an historic district home to many architecturally significant houses, most of which are Victorian-style. The neighborhood was one of the few that were not affected by Detroit's decay a few decades back.
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History holds the world's largest permanent exhibit on African American culture.
Detroit Institute of Arts is one of the most significant museums in the United States. It has an art collection worth more than one billion dollars.
Hitsville U.S.A. was Motown Records' first headquarters. Berry Gordy founded it in 1959, and all of the Motown hits were recorded here. Today, the building houses a museum of the history of Motown Records.
Campus Martius Park is Detroit's main park. Several skyscrapers surround this park and the adjacent Cadillac Square Park, which was made in 2007 to increase the amount of park space. The park is also home to several monuments, such as the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' monument, a Civil War monument.
Hart Plaza is a park located on Detroit's riverfront. It offers great views of the city's skyline and also has several monuments, such as Dodge Fountain and the Joe Louis Fist.
Grand Circus Park is a park that connects the financial district to the theatre district. It is also surrounded by many skyscrapers, many of which are abandoned. The park also has many monuments and statues.
HOW TO REACH
Casinos The three major casinos include, MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City and Greektown. Check for performances.
Concerts, and more Detroit is the birthplace of American electro/techno music, with Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick Mays all hailing from the area. Although other cities around the world have picked up Detroit's torch and carried it further in some ways, Detroit is still a great place to dance and see the masters at work.
Cruise Ships, the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition The Dock of Detroit receives major cruise lines on the Great Lakes. Adjacent to the Renaissance Center on Hart Plaza. Local tours include Diamond Jack's River Tours. Chartered tours are also available.
Detroit's Night Life includes a multitude of clubs throughout the metropolitan area.
Detroit's Vibrant, Underground Arts Scene Detroit is home to over 80 galleries, with artists hailing from around the world. Artists are attracted to Detroit due to its abundance of raw, under-utilized industrial space and its inspiring environment of pre-depression era buildings. Detroit's public information campaign, "The World is Coming, Get in the Game" features an online tour of this arts scene.
Detroit's Music Scene The Detroit sound is the sound of the world. It is shaped by Detroit's unique past, its cultural diversity, its energy and its future. Detroit's public information campaign, "The World is Coming, Get in the Game" features an online tour of this music scene. Keep in mind that unlike some cities, there is no central entertainment district (Greektown only partially counts) and many up and coming groups play at venues scattered throughout the area. Website Motor City Blog lists music events happening in the Detroit area.
International Freedom Festival Begins the last week of June.
Motown Winter Blast Held in January or February in Campus Martius Park, includes ice skating, concerts, and a street party in Greektown.
North America International Auto Show Cobo Hall, Detroit. NAIAS is held in January.
Spirit of Detroit Thunderfest Hydoplane races on the Detroit River. Mid-July.
Theater See a performance, Detroit's theaters include the Fox Theater, Fisher Theater, Masonic Theater, Gem Theater & Century Club, Detroit Opera House, and Orchestral Hall.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is in Romulus, about 20 minutes west of the city proper, located at the junction between I-275 and I-94 with many nearby hotels. The airport is a major Northwest hub (expected to be a major Delta hub) and operational headquarters, so it offers direct flights to and from a surprising variety of cities, from Seattle to Osaka. The terminal offers World Clubs as well as a Westin Hotel and conference center. The massive, recently completed midfield McNamara Terminal serves Northwest, Continental, Delta, and major international carriers; all other carriers utilize the new North Terminal. For convenience, the McNamara Terminal has both domestic and international gates in the same terminal. An enclosed light rail system shuttles travelers in the McNamara Terminal. There is a free shuttle between the terminals – look for blue and white vans that say "Westin - Terminal." The airport is one of the most recently modernized in the U.S. with six major runways.
By car - Several interstates converge in downtown Detroit. I-75 North/South runs from Toledo through downtown Detroit to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-94 runs East/West from Chicago to Detroit and continues up to Sarnia. I-96 East/West heads from Detroit to Lansing, Michigan. I-696 runs along the northern edge of the city, connecting the eastern suburbs (e.g. St. Clair Shores) to Southfield. I-275 connects with the suburb of Livonia. Highways M-10, M-14, M-23, and M-39 are major freeways which interconnect with the Interstates in the Detroit metro area to ease navigation. Highway M-39, called the Southfield Freeway, connects Dearborn to Southfield. Highway M-10, called the Lodge Freeway, connects Southfield to downtown. Highway M-14 connects Ann Arbor to Detroit via I-96. Bypassing Ann Arbor, highway M-23 connects I-94 to I-96.
By bus - Greyhound. Service west to Chicago (5-8 hours, $35) , east to Toronto (5-6 hours), and south to Toledo (1 hour, $15), as well as all over Michigan. The terminal is near downtown at 1001 Howard St..
Megabus Discount bus service to and from Chicago (6 hours, $1-$25), with connections at Chicago to many Midwestern cities. Part of the reason why it's so cheap is that there is no terminal – the bus simply stops at a street corner, either Cass and Warren, near Wayne State University and the museum/cultural district, or on Park Avenue at the Grand Circus Park People Mover station.
By train - Amtrak. Train service to and from Chicago on the "Wolverine" route (5-6 hours, $25-$50), with many connections in Chicago. Deeply discounted tickets at short notice are often available at Amtrak's Weekly Specials page . For travel to the east, a bus connection is available to the Toledo Amtrak station, with trains to New York (21 hours, $75-$150) and Washington, D.C. (16 hours, $65-$130), but travelers may find the middle-of-the-night departures unappealing. The train station is conveniently located at 11 W. Baltimore at the corner of Woodward Ave., in the midtown area of the city.
