Must-see attractions in Detroit

  • Eastern Market entrance in Detroit.

    Eastern Market

    Detroit

    One of the oldest and largest year-round bazaars in the United States, Eastern Market draws Detroiters of all types to its six-block spread of wares…

  • The North Wall of the Detroit Industry Murals, a series of frescoes by Mexican artist Diego Rivera at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, October 1988. (Photo by Barbara Alper/Getty Images)

    Detroit Institute of Arts

    Detroit

    The DIA holds one of the world's finest art collections. The centerpiece is Diego Rivera's mural Detroit Industry, which fills an entire room and reflects…

  • A ceiling painting in the Fisher Building in Detroit.

    Fisher Building

    Detroit

    This 1928 masterpiece from the man who built Detroit, Albert Kahn, has an imposing art deco exterior made from Minnesota granite and Maryland marble, and…

  • Guardian Building

    Detroit

    Commissioned as a 'cathedral of finance,' this distinctive, 40-story, redbrick building with green and white accents was the world's tallest masonry…

  • The abandoned Packard plant in Detroit.

    Packard Plant

    Detroit

    Renowned architect Albert Kahn designed this 3.5-million-sq-ft factory, which opened in 1905, but after years of neglect it became one of Detroit's most…

  • JUNE 30, 2019: Pedestrians walking around Campus Martius park.

    Campus Martius Park

    Detroit

    This public space in the heart of Detroit's downtown is the perfect spot to while away a sunny afternoon. A fountain dots the middle, surrounded by…

  • Sunset over Detroit as seen from Belle Isle in the Detroit River.

    Belle Isle Park

    Detroit

    Pretty Belle Isle floats in the Detroit River. The entire expanse is parkland where kayaking, walking trails and a glass-domed conservatory await. There's…

  • DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 03:  A sculpture created from recycled material sits amongst the "Heidelberg project," which is an "open air art environment" centered around one block in Detroit, on September 3, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The Heidelberg project is the brain child of Tyree Guyton. He and other artists use the urban environment (including homes and sidewalks) as a canvas for art, which they make using paint and recycled materials.  (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

    Heidelberg Project

    Detroit

    Polka-dotted streets, houses covered in Technicolor paint blobs, strange doll sculptures in yards – this is no acid trip, but rather a block-spanning art…

  • Motown Historical Museum

    Detroit

    In this row of modest houses Berry Gordy launched Motown Records – and the careers of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson – with an…

  • Scarab Club

    Detroit

    The Scarab Club transports you back a century to a gilded age of arts appreciation when costumed balls and visits by Diego Rivera and Norman Rockwell were…

  • Michigan Central Station

    Detroit

    The once-grand beaux-arts rail terminal, within eyeshot of Corktown's main drag, was left to fall into decline after closing in 1988 and became a symbol…

  • The Belt

    Detroit

    In the alley between Broadway and Library Sts, that links Grand River and Gratiot Aves, The Belt is part art installation and part nightlife destination…

  • Beacon Park

    Detroit

    A community gathering space across the street from the fortress-like GAR Building, Beacon Park always has something cool going on: food trucks on summer…

  • Renaissance Center

    Detroit

    General Motor's glossy, cloud-poking headquarters is a fine place to mooch off the free wi-fi, take a free hour-long tour (Monday through Friday at noon…

  • People Mover

    Detroit

    As mass transit, the monorail's 3-mile loop on elevated tracks around downtown won't get you very far. As a tourist attraction, it's a sweet ride…

  • Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

    Detroit

    MOCAD is set in an abandoned, graffiti-slathered auto dealership. Heat lamps hang from the ceiling over peculiar exhibits that change every few months…

  • Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

    Detroit

    Henry Ford cranked out the first Model T in this landmark factory. Admission includes a detailed tour by enthusiastic docents, plus loads of shiny…

  • Hart Plaza

    Detroit

    This is the site of many free summer weekend festivals and concerts. While there, check out the sculpture of Joe Louis' mighty fist.

  • Lincoln Street Art Park

    Detroit

    Vivid graffiti, murals and sculptures made from found objects adorn this stark industrial site that abuts a recycling facility. It’s a quintessential…

  • City Sculpture Park

    Detroit

    Local artist Robert Sestok bought a forlorn lot by the freeway where cars whizz by, and plunked down his hulking abstract sculptures welded from scrap…