NorthwestMom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 We are going to be in Detroit for one day. What is the one thing we should see? I am thinking about the auto industry, since it is so influential in Detroit's history, but am open to all suggestions. Help! BTW, the kids are 10, 7, and 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Henry Ford Museum. http://www.hfmgv.org/ We lived there for 15 years, and this is the one thing I would recommend. HTH Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 :iagree: It's great. Greenfield Village is cool too, for your age kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizam Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 we loved the Henry Ford Museum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I should add that it's not actually in Detroit. It's in Dearborn, about a half hour out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Yep, Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village. I'd go for the Village over the museum, if you have to pick one - but I am not a museum person. :) My dh used to work at the Village, and it's a lot of fun. It's lots of outdoor, historical stuff. ETA: Maybe you could decide when you get there - they are both at the same place. If the weather is yucky, do the museum. If it's nice, do the village. Just a thought. Here is the website, and it looks like they have lots of resources for planning a visit. Edited July 9, 2009 by 3lilreds in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Have a Turkey Leg there, it's the best...and the rest of it is fun, too!! Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessdmommy Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I would also highly recommend the Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village. They also offer a factory tour of the Ford Rouge plant where they make the F-150s (I think still). We enjoyed it very much but really one day can easily be taken up by either the Museum or the Greenfield Village. Enjoy! We, of course, have a zoo and many fine parks but the Ford Museum is pretty special to this area/history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 We are going to be in Detroit for one day. What is the one thing we should see? I am thinking about the auto industry, since it is so influential in Detroit's history, but am open to all suggestions. Help! BTW, the kids are 10, 7, and 4. If you are flying in or out of Detroit airport, leave a few hours to explore the airport - it's HUGE! A very long walking tunnel under one tarmac connecting the terminals, and a VERY long terminal with moving walkways and a train (tram?) to ride on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Must agree-Henry Ford/Greenfield Village is amazing!! I'd put that first on the list. The long tunnel at the airport even has a sound and light show! There is also the Art Institute and Edsel Ford's house is a museums now I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 We were just in Detroit and did the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village with my 16, 12, and 9 year olds. The 9 years olds did not get as much out of the museum. If I only had one day, I would do Greenfield Village. We spent two days there and still did not get to everything. Some of our favorites at the Village were making brass candlesticks ($5 extra and sign up by 4 p.m.) Oh, and there was a younger age limit - 6 I think. Your younger one could ride the carousel at that time. Sign up very early in the day and avoid a 45 minute wait - no one goes there inthe nmorning. In front of many of the houses they had 15 minute skits. They start right on time, so don't be late. In front of a planatation house there was a great skit about slavery, which included Brer Rabbit and involved the kids. Other skits were about Huck Finn, The Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and a lesson in an old fashioned school house (not a skit but you were a pupil). We rode a model T, the railroad, old fashioned buses, horse drawn carriages. There was a very nice young man who tells about he Forest Service in 1910 and about animals (not enough content in the one about the animals). He rides around on a horse. If you see him tell him he is getting a reputation as being very good. The kids made candles, which I don't recommend as they take 45 minutes - too long to miss other things. The brass candleholders hold birthday candles, not the ones they made at the village. The weaving of a book mark takes a while too. I would get there on time, start with the 35 minute train ride to get an overview of the place, and look at the map/schedule and plan out your day while on the train. It looks like you can bring food in, but I am not sure as we didn't try. I would certainly bring water bottles. We ate at the Taste of History - $5 to $8 meals with a lot of kid friendly choices like old fashioned macoroni and cheese. Anyway, if you decide to go, post in here and I can give you more details. Can you tell we loved Greenfield Village? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 We live near Detroit and I have to agree that Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum is a wonderful place to visit! We are members and go for a Sunday afternoon to watch baseball games played by the old rules. It's so much fun and relaxing! At the Village they have working farms and farmhouses. If you go on a Monday, it's laundry day and you can help with their laundry (it was Monday last time I went). If you go in the morning, the women are inside the house cooking the dinner for the men who are outside working the farm. There are live animals there too. They have Edison's lab, the Wright Brother's house, etc. Inside the Henry Ford, they have a lot of wonderful things too - presidential limos (including the one Kennedy was shot in), the chair Lincoln was shot in, a whole Wright Brother's exhibit, etc. If you happen to want to visit the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house http://www.fordhouse.org/ please PM me! I live right there and can take you on a tour of Grosse Pointe if you'd like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The Detroit Institute of Arts is amazing! The Detroit Zoo is also lots of fun. We never go to Detroit without having dinner in Greek Town, Pizza Popolis has terrific deep dish pizza! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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