Detroit Historical Museum

5401 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI 48202

Detroit Historical Museum Website

The Detroit Historical Museum is located on Woodward Avenue in the Cultural District that includes the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Science Center and the main Detroit Library.

First opened in 1928 in the Cadillac Tower, the DHM moved to its current location in 1951. This current structure has a '50's modern architectural look to it.

I recently visited the Detroit Historical Museum for the first time in my life.  I was pleasantly surprised at the exhibits featured at this museum.  The museum, over three floors, covers the history of Detroit starting in 1701.  The main focus of the museum, however, is Detroit's 20th Century history which is its hey day.

The basement has a representation of a city block at the turn of the 19th Century.  It is very detailed right down to the cobble stone streets.  I thought this exhibit was very well done.

There are several other exhibits at the DHM, which again, focuses on Detroit's 20th Century history.  One exhibit outlines the contributions of Detroiters to business and society.  One in particular, if you are a Detroit area Westsider, is Edward Hines, who originated the concept of painting a white line down the middle of a road to separate traffic.

Another exhibit, which was funded by Kid Rock, does a good overview of the Detroit Music scene.  It is called the Kid Rock Music Lab and is an interactive display that documents Detroit's music heritage.

There is also, relative to the Detroit area's standards, a small collection of classic automobiles. One feature of this exhibit is the body decking process that was taken from the Cadillac Clark Street assembly plant that once was located in Detroit.  Only in Detroit would one see an assembly line in a museum.

Another exhibit focuses on Detroit's speakeasies, night clubs and neighborhood taverns.   Several are still open and will be featured in future posts on this blog.  

Admission to the museum is free, however, parking in the museum lot is $6.  There is street meter parking around the Cultural Center also, but depending on the time of day, maybe difficult to obtain.

I recommend going to the Detroit Historical Museum either singularly or coupled with any of the other locales in the Detroit Cultural Center.  All are within a short walking distance of each other.