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 a beach, zoo, aquarium and maritime museum, too. Once you pay the entry fee, the individual sights are free. The cycling here is terrific.
![Sunset over Detroit as seen from Belle Isle in the Detroit River.](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2021-09/LPT0917_012.jpg?auto=format&w=1920&h=640&fit=crop&crop=faces,edges&q=75)
©Aubrie Pick/Lonely Planet
Belle Isle Park
Detroit
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.43 MILES
The Henry Ford Museum contains a fascinating wealth of American culture. It’s comprised of two parts: the indoor Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation,…
2.29 MILES
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…
3.79 MILES
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…
4.63 MILES
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…
2.86 MILES
Sharing the building with the Art Gallery of Windsor, this remarkable museum unfolds the region's history in an inclusive and in-depth way, integrating…
12.26 MILES
Adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum (and part of its complex), outdoor Greenfield Village spreads across 80 acres and features historic buildings shipped in…
2.65 MILES
Commissioned as a 'cathedral of finance,' this distinctive, 40-story, redbrick building with green and white accents was the world's tallest masonry…
3.16 MILES
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…
Nearby Detroit attractions
1.87 MILES
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…
2.29 MILES
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…
2.32 MILES
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…
2.32 MILES
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…
2.58 MILES
This is the site of many free summer weekend festivals and concerts. While there, check out the sculpture of Joe Louis' mighty fist.
2.6 MILES
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…
2.64 MILES
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…
2.64 MILES
These beautiful gardens, on land once used by Detroit–Windsor ferries before the 1929 bridge and 1930 tunnel put them out of business, offer the best…