Detroit has a deep history here in America, from the industrial revolution to the center for Ford Automotive in Dearborn. The city is host to some surprisingly good art and cultural museums, besides the obvious automotive museums here in Motor City. To explore the history and art of the Detroit area a little more, we have put together a list of some of the must-see museums in the Dearborn and Detroit metro areas. 

The Henry Ford Museum

20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI

313-855-5048

Hours:

• Mon – Fri 9 am – 5 pm

• Sat 9 am – 3 pm

• Sun 9 am – 1 pm

Starting right here in Dearborn, we love the Henry Ford Museum and its partner Greenfield Village. Packed 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.

Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI

(313) 833-7900

Hours:

• Closed Mon – Tues

• Wed – Fri 9 am – 4 pm

• Sat – Sun 10 am – 5 pm

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 Historical Museum

5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI

(313) 833-1805

Hours:

• Thu – Sat 10 am – 5 pm

• Sun 1 pm – 5 pm

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.

Michigan Science Center (MiSci)

5020 John R. Street, Detroit

(313) 577-8400

Hours:

• Update: TEMPORARILY CLOSED

• While this is closed at the moment, it is a must-see and should reopen shortly!

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.

What are your favorite Detroit Museums? Tell us in the comments!

The post The Best Museums Around Dearborn and Detroit appeared first on Fairlane Woods Apartments Blog.

Detroit’s Thanksgiving parade is as much a part of the city’s history as Motown and the automotive industry. Next to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, America’s Thanksgiving Parade is arguably the country’s most famous, well-attended, and historical.

It began in 1924 and draws hundreds of spectators every fourth Thursday in November. It’s the parade’s world-famous vintage, papier-mâché heads and specialty performers that keep attendees interested and engaged along Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit each year.

Imaginative Beginnings

The story of how Detroit became a parade destination is as colorful and exciting as the spectacle itself. Detroit’s parade shares the title for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States, along with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It all began in 1924 when the display director of the J.L. Hudson Company department store, Charles Wendel, learned of the Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade in Toronto and thought a similar parade would make a great addition to Detroit, which at the time was at the forefront of the auto industry boom.

Interestingly, it was the American department store that catapulted the Thanksgiving parade tradition into cities throughout the country. Department stores like Macy’s drew in patrons through exciting holiday window displays. Philadelphia’s Gimbels started the tradition in 1920, with Macy’s and Detroit’s Hudson’s following suit just four years later.

Wendel had a reputation for creating unique, European-inspired department store window displays. After his initial idea for the parade gained support in the community, he collaborated with some Italian puppeteers to create papier-mâché heads, dubbed Big Heads.

The director got the idea for the oversized, wearable heads after seeing Italians wear them during Carnival in Italy. These iconic antiques have been well-preserved over the years and are still worn during the parade today.

With the exception of 1943 and 1944, there has been an America’s Thanksgiving Parade every year since 1924. During these years, the parade was suspended due to material shortages caused by World War II.

Hudson’s officially closed its flagship store on Woodward Avenue in 1998 and the rest of its stores by 2001. Luckily, Hudson’s turned operations over to the Detroit Renaissance Foundation — which later became the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation — much earlier, in 1979.   

The Parade Today

In 1990, the organization founded The Parade Company as a division to oversee operations and marketing of the parade. This non-profit still runs the annual parade today, as well as a summer fireworks show and two other Thanksgiving-themed events.

Curious parade-lovers can actually get up-close and personal with America’s Thanksgiving Parade on a parade studio tour, which includes the world’s largest collection of papier-mâché heads that resemble local icons and famous characters.

These original Big Heads are still a major part of the Thanksgiving parade today. In fact, some parade-goers and participants will note that some original Italian newsprint is still visible on the papier-mâché masks.

Now, a group of Detroit’s young professionals dons the masks — which include animals, flowers, and depictions of famous Detroiters like Rosa Parks, Bob Seger, and Diana Ross — as part of the Big Heads Corps. The heads that make their way down Woodward Avenue every Thanksgiving Day are still made in Viareggio, Italy.

How to Watch the Parade

The annual Detroit Thanksgiving parade takes place at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The parade route begins at Kirby and Woodward Ave. and culminates at Congress and Woodward Avenue. Visitors are welcome to watch the parade in real-time along the street. The introduction of Santa Claus, who appears to signify the start of the Christmas season, marks the end of the parade.

Some famous Grand Marshals of the parade include Keegan-Michael Key, Jessica Simpson, Mickey Mouse, and The Rockettes. You can watch the live broadcast on WDIV-TV Local 4 from 10 a.m. to noon. According to The Parade Company, over 65 million households will be able to watch it via WDIV.

For more information on America’s Thanksgiving Parade, be sure to pick up a copy of Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to learn more about this iconic holiday tradition.

The post A Brief History and Information on America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit appeared first on Fairlane Woods Apartments Blog.