A metro Detroit museum tour: Everything from the DIA to Hamtramck history to African beads

Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·6 min read
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Whether you're a visitor to metro Detroit or a longtime resident, there's always something new to learn, explore and experience at the city's rich array of museum offerings. Here are just 10 of what awaits you around the area.

1. Detroit Institute of Arts

For art lovers, the Detroit Institute of Arts is a must. Take in the stunning Diego Rivera murals that cover all four walls of the Rivera Court, a tribute to the city’s manufacturing history that depicts industrial equipment and workers. See works by masters such as Paul Cézanne, Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh (the DIA was the first American museum to acquire one of his works) and Robert S. Duncanson, the first Black artist to achieve international recognition. Ancient artifacts from Asia, Africa and more are also represented in the museum’s massive collection that can take an entire day, or even two, to pore over.

Additionally, general admission is free for members and residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-833-7900. www.dia.org.

A young visitor ponders "Starry Night Over the Rhone" at the "Van Gogh in America" exhibit earlier this year at the DIA.
A young visitor ponders "Starry Night Over the Rhone" at the "Van Gogh in America" exhibit earlier this year at the DIA.

2. The Henry Ford Museum

Another site that could easily fill an entire weekend is Dearborn’s Henry Ford Museum, a celebration of the men and women who dreamed big and changed American history. The Museum of American Innovation routinely hosts special exhibitions as well as being home to items such as the 1961 Lincoln Continental limousine in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the bus Rosa Parks rode on the day she protested by refusing to give her seat to a white passenger. Then there’s Greenfield Village, which features more than 80 acres that include Henry Ford’s birthplace, Thomas Edison’s laboratory, the Wright Brothers’ workshop, four working farms and Model T rides. During the winter holiday season, Greenfield Village transforms into a Christmas spectacle for the whole family.

20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn. 313-982-6001. www.thehenryford.org.

The limousine that carried President John F. Kennedy through Dallas the day he was assassinated in November 1963 is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
The limousine that carried President John F. Kennedy through Dallas the day he was assassinated in November 1963 is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.

3. The Motown Museum

One of Detroit’s cultural gemstones, the Motown Museum brings to life the magical era when some of Detroit’s greatest Black performers created the sounds that fueled the nation. Expect to sing, dance and laugh during guided, interactive tours that include memorabilia aplenty, curated exhibits, the apartment from which Berry Gordy, Jr. began the record label, the offices of Hitsville U.S.A. and the legendary Studio A, where history was made again and again by the Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Funk Brothers and so many other legends.

2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-875-2264. www.motownmuseum.org.

The legendary Studio A, where hits were made during the Detroit heyday of Motown Records, is among the attractions at the Motown Museum.
The legendary Studio A, where hits were made during the Detroit heyday of Motown Records, is among the attractions at the Motown Museum.

4. Detroit Historical Museum

The sprawling history of the great city of Detroit is honored at this institution. Exhibits celebrating Detroit pioneers, Indigenous people, and music and sports accomplishments are on hand, as well as an exciting look at an auto assembly line and a powerful and deeply moving segment devoted to the city’s 1967 riots. The basement holds the Streets of Old Detroit, a fully immersive, life-sized re-creation of parts of the city from the 1840s, 1870s and the 1900s.

5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-1805. www.detroithistorical.org.

"Streets of Old Detroit" is among the exhibits at the Detroit Historical Museum.
"Streets of Old Detroit" is among the exhibits at the Detroit Historical Museum.

5. Michigan Science Center

More than 220 displays and interactive exhibits covering everything from the human body, math, electricity and outer space await at the Michigan Science Center in Midtown Detroit. The STEM-focused museum emphasizes hands-on learning with items such as a walk-in kaleidoscope, science demonstrations, a 4D theater, a replica of the Mackinac Bridge, a planetarium and an immersive exhibit that lets visitors control the weather.

5020 John R St, Detroit. 313-577-8400. www.mi-sci.org.

A young visitor gets help from his mom with the vacuum lifter at the Michigan Science Center.
A young visitor gets help from his mom with the vacuum lifter at the Michigan Science Center.

6. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

One of Detroit’s most important cultural institutions, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History regularly hosts rotating special exhibitions that shine a light on all facets of Black history in America. The staggering long-term exhibit, “And Still We Rise,” is a 22,000-square-foot journey from ancient and early modern African civilizations all the way through the Underground Railroad, including views of Middle Passage slave ship living quarters and firsthand accounts of triumphs and tragedies endured by African Americans. The Wright’s packed event calendar also includes music and dance performances, lectures, film screenings and more.

315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit. 313-494-5800. www.thewright.org.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History features long-term exhibit "And Still We Rise."
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History features long-term exhibit "And Still We Rise."

7. Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum

The small but fascinating Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum, at the corner of Grand River Avenue and West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, tells the story of African societies through colorful beads collected by award-winning artist Olayami Dabls over the last four decades. The museum is part of a complex that occupies almost an entire city block that also includes an African Language Wall and 18 large and dazzling outdoor installations. Visitors are likely to encounter Dabls himself behind the museum counter, available to tell the stories of each bead.

6559 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 313-898-3007. www.mbad.org.

Olayami Dabls of the Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum in Detroit.
Olayami Dabls of the Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum in Detroit.

8. Arab American National Museum

The first and only museum dedicated to telling the Arab American story, the Arab American National Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate in Dearborn, which has the largest proportion of Arab Americans of any city in the U.S. The building’s first floor highlights the history and contributions of ancient Arab civilization from science and math to medicine, architecture and the arts. The second floor examines the Arab experience in America, including migration, culture, everyday life and prominent Arab Americans like Ralph Nader and Helen Thomas. The museum also regularly hosts events centered on everything from food to artist talks to workshops and children’s events.

13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. 313-429-2535. www.arabamericanmuseum.org.

The Arab American National Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate.
The Arab American National Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate.

9. Hamtramck Historical Museum

The metro Detroit city of Hamtramck is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with populations from almost every nation and culture living side by side in just over 2 square miles. It's so diverse, in fact, that groups regularly fly in from other states and countries to study the phenomenon. It was also one of America’s first integrated cities, with Black and white citizens together in the school system, city council and the police and fire departments. Hamtramck’s unique and rich history is preserved and celebrated at the small Hamtramck Historical Museum, which houses photos and artifacts that chronicle over a century of history and cultural evolution.

9525 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck. 313-893-5027. www.hamtramckhistory.com.

A mural made by artist Dennis Orlowski at the Hamtramck Historical Museum depicts the communities and history of the city.
A mural made by artist Dennis Orlowski at the Hamtramck Historical Museum depicts the communities and history of the city.

10. The Zekelman Holocaust Center

The stories of history’s greatest acts of inhumanity must always be told so that they are never revisited upon future generations. The heartbreaking tragedy and the triumphant survival of Europe’s Jewish population during World War II is laid bare at Farmington Hills’ Zekelman Holocaust Center, an important, must-see experience. Tears will inevitably be shed while exploring the collection, but perhaps the most affecting display comes at the end. It's a large room packed with modern-day portraits of descendants of Holocaust survivors who went on to populate and contribute to the metro Detroit region. In the end, the lesson is that hate never wins.

The museum’s permanent exhibit is under construction through December 2023; a temporary exhibit is on display during the renovation, with selections from the core collection and previews of the new exhibit, which will fully open in 2024.

28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills. 248-553-2400. www.holocaustcenter.org.

Volumes of Yiddish literature were available to be handled by visitors at the "Book Smugglers" exhibition in the Zekelman Holocaust Center last year. The exhibit told the story of people who hid Jewish books and documents the Nazis sought to destroy.
Volumes of Yiddish literature were available to be handled by visitors at the "Book Smugglers" exhibition in the Zekelman Holocaust Center last year. The exhibit told the story of people who hid Jewish books and documents the Nazis sought to destroy.

Did your favorite museum make the list? Did we miss something special? Let us know in the comments section!

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Metro Detroit museums explore everything from Henry Ford to African beads