The Top 10 Museums in Detroit Everyone Must...

Detroit takes many a visitor by surprise with its vast array of excellent museums. While you may expect to find a decent auto museum in Motor City, you may not expect to see such beautiful cultural delights as can be found in the city’s art museums, or such important representation as in the number of heritage museums. Here are the 10 you must visit.

View All Trips

Detroit Institute of Arts

Museum

Detroit Institute of Arts

Where else to begin in Detroit? The Detroit Institute of Arts is one of the world’s finest art museums; its huge collection of art from across the globe features everything from Egyptian statuettes and suits of armor to paintings by Monet and Van Gogh. Set in 100 galleries, not forgetting Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry frescoes in the central court of the museum, you’ll need multiple visits to truly appreciate it all.

Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI, USA, +1 313 833 7900

DIA | © Quick fix / Flickr

The Henry Ford Museum

Museum

Far more than just a car museum, the Henry Ford Museum and adjacent Greenfield Village are full of historically significant objects, including the bus on which Rosa Parks defied segregation, the chair in which Lincoln was sitting when he was assassinated, and Thomas Edison’s laboratory. If you’re in Motor City for cars though, there’s the first car Ford ever built, and you can ride in a Ford from 1923.

Motown Museum

Building, Museum

The building where it all began is fittingly now a monument to the magic of Motown. Famously started with an $800 loan from his family, Berry Gordy’s Motown Records became one of the world’s favorite labels, and you can celebrate it all in this museum started by his sister in 1985. Tours include Berry’s apartment, the label’s offices, rooms of memorabilia, and even the legendary Studio A.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Museum

Set inside an old, abandoned car dealership, the repurposed industrial setting of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is perfect for reflecting not only the city but also the art on display. With no permanent collection, aside from maybe the graffiti outside, the art is always changing, and there are musical, literary and artistic events too, as well as educational programming. Admission is “pay what you can.”

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Museum, University

Founded in 1965 by Dr. Charles Wright, the Wright Museum exists to document, preserve and educate the public on the history, life, and culture of African American people. It’s home to over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and also features the largest exhibition on African American history in the world.

Detroit Historical Museum

Museum

The primary museum from the Detroit Historical Society has been around in one form or another since 1928 when it occupied a single room in a downtown skyscraper. Since then, it has grown significantly, with exhibits depicting over 300 years of Detroit history, demonstrating how it evolved from a French fur trading post into a major industrial center.

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

Building, Museum

The historic Ford Piquette Avenue Plant was the birthplace of the revolutionary Model T and became a museum in 2001 after the building was threatened with destruction. Guided tours teach you all about the early auto industry and what Detroit was like at the time; there are also plenty of classic cars to view.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Museum

Another free museum from the Detroit Historical Society, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle is dedicated to telling the story of the Great Lakes and the region’s rich maritime history. Permanent exhibits include a bow anchor from the famous SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the pilot house from a Great Lakes freighter, and a restored smoking lounge from the SS City of Detroit III.

Michigan Science Center (MiSci)

Museum, Theater

Michigan Science Center | © Jeff Dunn/Flickr

Michigan Science Center (MiSci)

If you prefer your museum a bit more hands-on, MiSci is a far more interactive experience, with live stage shows, a 4D theater, and lab activities and exhibitions with which to get involved. There’s also an IMAX® theatre, a planetarium, and After Dark events for those over the age of 21 to enjoy the museum with a drink or two.

Michigan Science Center, 5020 John R St, Detroit, MI, USA, +1 313 577 8400

Michigan Science Center | © Jeff Dunn / Flickr

Arab American National Museum

Museum

The Dearborn area has the greatest concentration of people of Arab descent in the U.S., so it’s a fitting place for the country’s only museum dedicated to Arab Americans. Its collection is broken into art and artifacts documenting experiences of coming to America, making an impact here, and preserving heritage.

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points

See Our Culture Trips

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.