Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

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Greektown in Detroit
Greektown in Detroit

Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a driving force for the economy. About 16 to 18 million people visit metro Detroit annually, spending an estimated $5 billion.[1]

Contents

[edit] Attractions

As the world's traditional automotive center, the city hosts the annual North American International Auto Show in January. The region's leading attraction is The Henry Ford, America's largest indoor-outdoor museum complex.[2] [3] More than a museum, it is a museum entertainment complex with an IMAX theater next to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. Another automotive attraction, the Chrysler Museum is in Auburn Hills. Many tour the mansions of the auto barons including Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester Hills, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate in Dearborn, and the Lawrence Fisher Mansion in Detroit. The Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak is an entertaining experience which has many featured attractions including a train which encircles the park. Many visit to shop at the upscale Somerset Collection mall in Troy and Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills.

The Detroit Historical Society at the Detroit Historical Museum provides information about tours of Detroit area churches, skyscrapers, and mansions. The Eastern Market farmer's distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty businesses.[4] On Saturdays, about 45,000 people shop the city's historic Eastern Market.[5]

The city's Greektown is a popular entertainment district. Other attractions include MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino, Greektown Casino, and Casino Windsor just across the river in Canada. Hart Plaza, between the Renaissance Center and Cobo Hall on the riverfront, is the site of many events including the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival in late June with one of the nation's largest displays of fireworks and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Within downtown, Campus Martius Park hosts events such as the Motown Winter Blast. Detroit's proximity to Windsor, Ontario, provides for spectacular views and nightlife, along with Ontario's 19-and-older drinking age.[6]

The Detroit Institute of Arts in the cultural center downtown is a leading attraction. Nearby, Midtown has about 50,000 residents, yet it attracts millions of visitors each year to its museums and cultural centers; for example, the Detroit Festival of the Arts in Midtown draws about 350,000 people.[7]

Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s bringing the city worldwide attention. The metropolitan area boasts two of the top live music venues in the United States: DTE Energy Music Theatre and The Palace of Auburn Hills[8] The Detroit Theatre District is the nation's second largest in terms of seats. Major theaters include the Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Fisher Theatre. Detroit's Orchestra Hall is the home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

The city hosts several annual music events, including the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Electronic Music Festival, the Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the Urban Organic Music Conference, the Concert of Colors, and the hip-hop Summer Jamz music festival.

The art museum and library of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, designed by world-renowned architect Eliel Saarinen.
The art museum and library of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, designed by world-renowned architect Eliel Saarinen.

Excellent attractions for first time visitors to metropolitan Detroit include The Henry Ford in Dearborn, the Detroit Institute of Arts downtown, the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House tour at 1100 Lakeshore Dr. a performance in the Detroit Theatre District, a sporting event at Comerica Park or Ford Field, attending an annual event or festival, the upscale Somerset Collection mall in Troy, and Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills.

Partial list:

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
Automotive Hall of Fame
Belle Isle (Michigan)
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Comerica Park
Cranbrook Educational Community
Chrysler Museum
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Theatre District
Detroit Zoo
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House tour
Ford Field
Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate tour
Kensington beach metropark
The Henry Ford
Lawrence Fisher Mansion tour
Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor
Meadowbrook Hall mansion tour
Metropolitan beach metropark
Motown Historical Museum
Renaissance Center
Stony Creek beach metropark
University of Michigan

[edit] Events

Events such as the Motown Winter Blast, the North American International Auto Show, and the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival can draw large crowds of hundreds of thousands to over one million people.

Partial list:

Ann Arbor Art Fairs.
APBA Gold Cup (Thunderfest hydroplane races).
CityFest sponsored by Comerica in the New Center area.
Detroit Electronic Music Festival.
Detroit Music Awards usually held in the spring.
Detroit Festival of the Arts in Midtown in early June.
Fash Bash, a major fashion event by the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance, a formal event and classic car show at Meadowbrook Hall in early August.
Meadowbrook Music Festival.
Motown Winter Blast in Campus Martius Park.
North American International Auto Show in January.
Old Car Festival in the Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford, typically the weekend after Labor Day.
Plymouth Ice Festival in January features an ice sculpture spectacular.
Tall Ships at the Dock of Detroit on Hart Plaza.
Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival the last week of June.
Woodward Dream Cruise.

[edit] Sports

Detroit has been called the "city of champions." There are professional and collegiate sports venues for every season. Outdoor activities in the metro region include downhill skiing at Mt. Brighton and Mt. Holly, Huron River kayaking and canoeing available at the metro parks, and the beaches (Kensington, Stony Creek, and Metropolitan). The area has a 24,000 acre network of "metro parks" which receives about 9 million visitors annually [9].

[edit] Hospitality

[edit] Cruise ships

View of Detroit from VU Bar at Casino Windsor
View of Detroit from VU Bar at Casino Windsor

.

The Dock of Detroit on Hart Plaza near the Renaissance Center receives major cruise ships and Tall Ships. The Great Lakes Cruising Coalition supports passenger ship cruises through a joint U.S-Canadian venture to Great Lakes Ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway.[10] Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor in downtown Detroit offers public docks for boaters. Local cruises are available:

Brays Charters, 16740 Mansfield, Detroit.
Calloway Helicopters, 18530 Mack Ave., Suite 244 Grosse Pointe.
Detroit Tour Connections, 1249 Washington Blvd., Detroit.
Detroit Tours by Stewart McMillan, 2136 Seminole, Detroit.
Diamond Jack's River Tours, 1 Hart Plaza., Detroit.
Great Lakes Cruise Company, 3270 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor.
Preservation Wayne, 4735 Cass Ave., Detroit.
Second Heaven Charters, 27487 Bristol Dr., Warren.

[edit] Hotels and resorts

 Westin Hotel at  Southfield Town Center
Westin Hotel at
Southfield Town Center

The Detroit area offers many luxury hotels and resorts with fine restaurants and entertainment. Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and downtown's Omni Riverplace Hotel feature spectacular waterfront views in the heart of Rivertown. Experience the city's historic charm at the restored Inn at Ferry Street in the cultural district or enjoy European style near downtown at the Detroit St. Regis Hotel adjacent to the Fisher Theatre in the New Center. The Anthenium Suite Hotel bridges the Greektown entertainment district, the Detroit Theatre District, and downtown stadiums. The Inn at St. Johns is a luxurious resort in the suburb of Plymouth. The Westin Hotel at the ultra modern Southfield Town Center is centrally located for the convenience of the metopolitan region while downtown's Westin Book Cadillac (2008) is a restored historic treasure. The Somerset Inn in the suburb of Troy offers visitors upscale shopping at the Somerset Collection. The luxurious Dearborn Inn Marriott, the Ritz Carleton, and the ultra modern Hyatt Regency are near the region's leading tourist attraction, The Henry Ford.

Partial list:

Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest.
Athenium Suite Hotel in Detroit's Greektown.
Casino Windsor & Resort Hotel just across the river.
Courtyard by Marriott Detroit Downtown.
Crown Plaza Hotel in Novi next to Twelve Oaks Mall.
Dearborn Inn Marriott.
Detroit Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center.
Detroit St. Regis Hotel across from Cadillac Place in the New Center.
Embassy Suites Hotel in Livonia.
Greektown Casino & Resort Hotel (2008).
Hotel Baronette in Novi next to Twelve Oaks Mall.
Hotel Ponchartrain in downtown Detroit across from Cobo Hall convention center.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn.
Inn at Ferry Street, a restored historic section of downtown Detroit.
Inn at St. Johns, a resort in Plymouth.
Livonia Marriott Hotel at the Laurel Park Place mall.
MGM Grand Detroit Casino & Resort Hotel (2008).
Motor City Casino & Resort Hotel (2008).
Omni Riverplace Hotel in downtown Detroit.
Ritz Carleton Hotel in Dearborn.
Royal Park Hotel in Rochester.
Somerset Inn across from Somerset Collection mall in Troy.
Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit (2008).
Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel.
Westin Hotel at the Southfield Town Center.

[edit] Restaurants

The Elwood Bar and Grill is an official National Register of Historic Places.
The Elwood Bar and Grill is an official National Register of Historic Places.

The Detroit area has many fine restaurants in addition to those provided by the luxury hotels. Near most hotels and tourist areas are restaurants. Dining is a choice of many experiences, with a mulitude of restaurants in Greektown, downtown, the Renaissance Center, Somerset Collection mall, Grosse Pointe, and the suburbs. For the first time visitor, sorting through the hundreds of restaurants in the city visitors' guide can be a daunting task. The hotel concierge is in important source of information. Hotel choice and itinerary ultimately influence the dining selection.

Partial list:

American Coney Island (hotdogs and chili), 114 W. Lafeyette, Detroit.
Andiamo Italia, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren .
Andiamo Riverfront, inside the Renaissance Center.
Andiamo Trattoria, 20930 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods.
Bates Hamburgers, 33406 5 Mile Rd, Livonia.
Benito's Pizza (19 locations), 1700 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak.
Capital Grille, inside Somerset Collection mall, Troy.
Carl's Chop House, 3020 Grand River, Detroit.
Coach Insignia Restaurant, top of the Renaissance Center.
Cuisine Restaurant (French), 670 Lothrop, Detroit (behind the Fisher Theatre).
Detroit’s Breakfast House & Grill at Merchants Row, 1241 Woodward Ave.
Elwood Bar & Grill, 300 E Adams Ave, besides Ford Field and Comerica Park.
Greektown restaurants, Detroit.
Hard Rock Cafe, across from Campus Martius Park, Detroit.
Hockeytown Cafe, across from Comerica Park.
McCormicks & Schmicks (Seafood), inside Somerset Collection mall, Troy
Morton's the Steakhouse, One Towne Square, Southfield
Mushashi International (Japanese), inside the Southfield Town Center
Opus One, 565 E. Larned St., Detroit (offers sporting and theatre packages).
Pizza Papalis (8 locations), 553 Monroe St., Greektown-Detroit.
Pizza Papalis, 3171 E. Jefferson, Rivertown-Detroit.
Rattlesnake Club, 300 Riverplace, Detroit.
Roostertail (waterfront entertainment), 100 Marquette Dr., Detroit.
Seldom Blues (upscale jazz club), inside the Renaissance Center.
Valentino's Pizza, 31200 5 Mile Rd., Livonia.
Vicente's Cuban Restaurant, 1250 Library St., Detroit.
The Hill - Seafood and Chop House, 123 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms.
Whitney House Restaurant (historic mansion), 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

[edit] Shopping

Metro Detroit features of a number of indoor shopping venues. Many visit to shop at the upscale Somerset Collection mall in Troy with its moving skywalk concourse and the Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills. The college town of Ann Arbor has Briarwood Mall, while Laurel Park Place mall adjoins the Livonia Marriott. The Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Hotel Baronette are next to the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.

Partial list

Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor
Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills
Laurel Park Place in Livonia
Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights
Somerset Collection in Troy
Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi
Fairlane Town Center in Detroit
Tower Center Mall in Detroit
Schaefer Square Mall in Detroit
Eastland Center in Detroit
Oakland Mall in Troy
Renaissance Center in Detroit

[edit] Transportation

Metro Detroit has an extensive freeway system. The region offers mass transit with bus services provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). Cross border service between the downtown areas of Windsor and Detroit is provided by Transit Windsor via the Tunnel Bus.[11] (See also: Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)). An automated guideway transit system known as the People Mover provides a 2.9 mile (4.6 km) loop in the downtown area and usually operates daily.[12] current passenger facility is north of downtown. Amtrak provides service to Detroit, operating its Wolverine service between Chicago, Illinois, and Pontiac. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases in addition to any "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment are allowed on board as carry-ons.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), the area's principal airport, is located in nearby Romulus and is a hub for Northwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines. Bishop International Airport in Flint and Toledo Express Airport in Toledo, Ohio are other commercial passenger airports. Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), previously called Detroit City Airport, is on Detroit's northeast side, and offers charter service.[13] Willow Run Airport in Yipsilanti is for commercial aviation.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau statistics (accessed 04-04-2007).
  2. ^ America's Story, Explore the States: Michigan (2006). Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village Library of Congress
  3. ^ State of Michigan: MI Kids (2006).Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
  4. ^ History of Eastern Market. Eastern Market Mechant's Association (accessed March 8, 2006).
  5. ^ Eastern MarketModel D Media accessed 3/11/2007.
  6. ^ La Canfora, Jason. Detroit's Big Party Next Door. In Windsor, Temptation Waits for Players, Fans (English). The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2 October, 2006.
  7. ^ Midtown Model D Media accessed 3/11/2007.
  8. ^ DTE Energy Music Theatre Listed as 2004 Top Attended Amphitheatre (1/25/05). DTE Energy Music Theatre.
  9. ^ Huron Clinton Metro Parks (accessed 04-04-2007).
  10. ^ Great Lakes Cruising Coalition(accessed 04-06-2007)
  11. ^ Transit Windsor.. Routes and Schedules (English). Retrieved on Sept 25th, 2006.
  12. ^ Detroit Area Transit Systems. focalhost.com (accessed 04-20-2006).
  13. ^ Sapte, Benjamin (2003). Southwest Airlines: Route Network Development since 1971. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (accessed 04-20-2006).

[edit] Further reading

  • Bridenstine, James (1988). Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Unknown binding. ASIN B0006EPVU4. 
  • Cantor, George (2005). Detroit: An Insiders Guide to Michigan. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030922. 
  • Fisher, Dale (1996). Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 096156234X. 
  • Fisher, Dale (2005). Southeast Michigan: Horizons of Growth. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 1891143255. 
  • Fisher, Dale (1994). Detroit: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 0-9615623-3-1. 
  • Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. 
  • Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4. 
  • Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6. 
  • Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit 1701-2001. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2914-4. 

[edit] External links


Southfield, Livonia, Novi, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, Auburn Hills, Flint, Saginaw Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, Warren, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township Lake Saint Clair (North America), Port Huron
Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Jackson North Windsor, Ontario
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Metro Detroit shopping malls

Briarwood Mall • Brighton Mall • Canterbury Village • Eastland Center • Fairlane Town Center • Fountain Walk • Great Lakes CrossingGreen Oak Village PlaceLakeside MallLaurel Park PlaceLivonia Mall • Macomb Mall • The Mall at Partridge CreekNorthland CenterOakland Mall • Pointe Plaza • Renaissance CenterSomerset CollectionSouthland CenterSummit Place Mall • Tower Center • Twelve Oaks MallUniversal Mall • Village of Rochester Hills • Westborn Mall • Westland Center