Ford Piquette Avenue Assembly Plant
411 Piquette Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Located near the northwest corner of the intersection of the I-94 and I-75 expressways, the Ford Piquette Plant was the first assembly plant where the Ford Model T was built. Built in 1904, one year after the founding of the current Ford Motor Company, several Ford models were manufactured at this location including the B, C, F, N, R, S, as well as the first two years of the Model T. This site was added as a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
The plant is now a museum dedicated to the initial years of the Ford Motor Company. The museum encompasses two of the building's floors and has several artifacts and automobiles on display. The cars and trucks on display include early Fords, but also other Detroit produced cars from the very early 20th Century. When I visited the museum, there was also one unique vehicle on display. The youngest by 80+ years, the car was a 2005 Ford GT test car that was used to certify the GT's maximum speed. The cars are not roped off as in typical car museums so the you can walk up close to the cars.
This museum is still under development, but the volunteers who run it are very passionate about this facility. In fact, although one can view the exhibits at their own pace, it is highly recommended that you take a guided tour with one of the volunteers. Their enthusiasm really shows when they walk you through the displays and discuss the early history of not only the Ford Motor Company, but also Detroit during the turn of the 20th century. The tour takes about 1 hour.
Although their website has yet to be updated for 2013, the museum is open from April through the end of October; I would call them up prior to visiting to verify their hours. The admission is a nominal $10.
If you are a fan of Model T's, the Ford Motor Company, or the early auto industry in Detroit, this is a nice, quaint museum.to visit.
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