Michigan
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,…
Must-see attractions in Michigan
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Michigan
Adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum (and part of its complex), outdoor Greenfield Village spreads across 80 acres and features historic buildings shipped in…
Detroit
Commissioned as a 'cathedral of finance,' this distinctive, 40-story, redbrick building with green and white accents was the world's tallest masonry…
Michigan
Fort Mackinac sits atop limestone cliffs near downtown. Built by the British in 1780, it's one of the best-preserved military forts in the country…
Gold Coast
The forest-cloaked Manitou Islands provide an off-the-beaten-path adventure. They’re part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, hence the entrance…
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…
Gold Coast
The lakeside park is one of Michigan's largest and most popular playlots. Once inside, people simply pull over on the roadside and make a break for the…
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…
Upper Peninsula
Rugged Grand Island floats a half-mile offshore from Munising and is part of Hiawatha National Forest. Visitors can day trip over to hike and mountain…
Upper Peninsula
Sault Ste Marie is best known for its locks that raise and lower 1000ft-long freighters between the different lake levels. The downtown visitor center…
Michigan
This huge limestone arch curves 150ft above Lake Huron and provides dramatic photo opportunities. You can get here two ways: from stairs that lead up from…
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…
Michigan
See F-150 trucks roll off the assembly line where Henry Ford first perfected his self-sufficient, mass-production techniques. The self-guided tours start…
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…
Gold Coast
Round Barn goes beyond vino with its grapes – it also uses the fruit to make DiVine Vodka, a smoother elixir than the kind made with grains or potatoes…
Upper Peninsula
Lovely Tahquamenon Falls flow with tea-colored waters tinted by upstream hemlock leaves. The Upper Falls, 200ft across with a 50ft drop, wow onlookers –…
Michigan
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum features artifacts from well-known Arab Americans (like a typewriter from White House journalist…
Gold Coast
One of the state’s most visited parks, Holland offers a lovely huge beach on Lake Michigan that’s stellar for sunset gaping and lighthouse views. A cafe,…
Upper Peninsula
Miners Castle is one of the lakeshore’s most iconic rock formations. A short trail leads from the parking lot to an upper platform with great views…
Upper Peninsula
Stroll for 1.5 easy miles (one way) along a shore dotted with shipwreck skeletons to reach the 1874 lighthouse. In summer, ranger-guided tours ($3; 11am…
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area
Gold Coast
Nordhouse Dunes, a 3450-acre plot within the Huron-Manistee National Forest, features perhaps the wildest stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. Dunes rise…
Upper Peninsula
A relatively easy, 1.2-mile (one way) walk through woods rewards with views of the 60ft-high cascade. The trail winds by two viewing platforms: one at the…
Upper Peninsula
Beyond the town of Paradise is this fascinating museum, where the intriguing displays include items trawled up from sunken ships. Dozens of vessels –…
Gold Coast
Chinook Pier has a lot going on. There’s a seasonal mini-golf course (adult/child $3/2) and farmers market (8am to 1pm Wednesday and Saturday). Wet Mitten…
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Michigan
The 158-acre gardens feature impressive blooms and hulking works by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore and others. The sculpture park is star of the show,…
Michigan
Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC – created this round plaza in the heart of downtown. In summer it…
Michigan
Renowned architect Zaha Hadid designed this wild-looking parallelogram of stainless steel and glass. It holds everything from Greek ceramics to Salvador…
Gold Coast
Fans of Ernest Hemingway will recall the store, with its 'high false front,' from his short story 'Up in Michigan.' As a youth, Hemingway used to hang out…
Gold Coast
Everyone gathers for the musical fountain performance each evening in summer. It's a trippy tradition to watch water spray high in the sky while…
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…
Detroit
Vivid graffiti, murals and sculptures made from found objects adorn this stark industrial site that abuts a recycling facility. It’s a quintessential…
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…
Gold Coast
The 48-acre urban park is all beach – a wide, gorgeous one with squeaky clean sand. It’s mega popular in summer, especially for families, who appreciate…
Gold Coast
A quiet, Irish-influenced enclave of some 600 people, Beaver Island floats in Lake Michigan offshore from Charlevoix. Forest covers most of its 9-mile…
Michigan
The downtown museum is dedicated to Michigan's only president. Ford stepped into the Oval Office after Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew,…
