brownie Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 We are heading to Detroit for a wedding in 2 weeks and will have from about 11AM until 5PM to spend at the Henry Ford museum if we decide it is worth the cost. My boys are 14,12 and 10. 14 year old is a physical science / computer science addict. But mostly I want to make sure the 10 year old enjoys it...he is very concerned about having a hands-on career where he actually gets to build stuff :) For example, he loved watching a documentary last week on building models of the Hindenburg and blowing them up to try and figure out what caused the explosion. That would be his dream job! He is also fascinated by Edison and spent this past spring making his own homemade lightbulb and testing filaments for the science fair so I was excited that they have "Menlo Park". However, I read here there some find Greenfield Village boring and I think this is where "Menlo Park" is? So which part would you recommend for us if we choose 1...museum, Greenfield Village, or factory tour? and can you tell me what exactly "Menlo Park" is? Is it a reproduction of Edison's labs? Is it a significant exhibit? Thanks so much! Brownie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 It's been awhile, but Menlo Park was in the village - a bunch of old buildings you could walk down the middle of (cordoned off so you couldn't get too close to anything) They did have lab equipment in them but you couldn't play with it. I felt the village was geared younger with a few "old colonial" type activities (carding wool, colonial toys, etc) strewn through it. The museum was more technical, but geared toward the Industrial Age - lots of trains, cars, huge gears, etc. I liked the museum more when I was 10. I haven't been there since 2000 but it didn't have any computer tech stuff at all then. This would be my choice. I've never been on the factory tour. I have a hard time imagining any hands - on stuff there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks in Ontario Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 We were just there again this spring. We've enjoyed the museum quite a bit. Some of my guys were impressed with the old generators that were there. Our guys were all about 6-12 when we visited. There are also a number of vintage cars and agricultural equipment there is this is of interest. The steam engines were also a hit. If we hadn't all ready done a tour of the Cami plant a few years ago, we would have done the tour as well. I seem to think that it was more of a video tour than an actual walk through the plant. I don't think there was much hands on activities. We've never been to Menlo Park, but there are some displays of Thomas Edison's lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 We haven't been but we recently went on a Mercedes factory tour in Germany. DS wants to be a car designer, so we planned our trip around making it work out. It was a HUGE hit. Of course nothing was hands on, but actually getting to see the production line in action was priceless. I would think any engineering minded kid would love that experience. Also listening in, as we keep thinking about going whenever we visit friends in Ohio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Flower Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I'm not sure if the museum is worth the cost. I think Greenfield Village is WAY more interesting but also over priced. We did the factory tour a few weeks ago and it was really interesting, too. Again, overpriced. We did the museum on a free entrance day, we did Greenfield Village with some friends who had a season pass and could get us in for free, and we did the factory tour with our homeschool group so it was half price. If you can get a group of 10 school age children you can get the educators discount making it more affordable. You have to reserve and pay in advance, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudboy Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I remember going to the Ford museum as a kid who loved science and mechanical stuff, and it was great. The Menlo Park part (transported/reconstructed Edison labs from New Jersey) wasn't as memorable as some of the bigger machinery (to me anyway). I remember spending a lot of time tracing out how this engine worked: https://www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/pic/2012/12_august.asp (If you see a source for the story of the engine inventor and the boy with the string on the valve, can you post it? I think I remember hearing it there. The story went something like: the engine required a valve to open at a certain time, so the engineer hired a boy to watch the flywheel and open and close the valve. The boy figured out how to tie a string to the valve and the wheel so that the engine would open its own valve and he could rest. Engineer found it, fired the boy, built a permanent version.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Just a heads up there is a groupon right now for Ford Piquette Ave Plant. https://www.groupon.com/deals/ford-piquette-plant-1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bobby Soxer Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 My son loved both the village and museum at that age. Sitting on the same bus seat as Rosa Parks, seeing the chair where Lincoln was assassinated and the limo JFK rode through the streets of Dallas is worth the overpriced tickets in my opinion. There are not many hands on exhibits. Many things he loves are an additional cost, especially in the village. Making mini brass candle sticks on the lathe, eating in the Tavern and riding in historical cars adds up quickly. Every family is different but if you go I hope your family has a great time too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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