The Detroit Institute of Arts... and other Detroit, MI Things to Do Tips

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA)
The DIA, the sixth largest fine art museum in the US, houses more than 60,000 works in more than 100 galleries. Although the collections often include minor works by major artists and major works by minor artists, there are many familiar names in the museum including Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Warhol, Riviera, Picasso and Monet. One of the most contraversial paintings is 'Martha and Mary Magdalene' by Caravaggio (see photo) that was purchased from a private collecter in the 1970s. Although the canvas dates to the correct period, it's not proven that the master painted this canvas. In addition, the adjacent Detroit Film Theatre shows an excellent series of foreign and independent films in a beautiful old-fashioned gilded movie palace complete with velvety seats.

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Address: 5200 Woodward, Detroit, MI
Other Contact: www.dia.org or 313. 833. 7900

Detroit has major league teams for baseball (Tigers), football (Lions), womens basketball (Shock), mens basketball (Pistons) and a suburban figure skating club where world champions Tara Lapinski and Todd Eldridge trained, but the success of the Detroit Red Wings is the reason why many locals affectionately call the city by its nickname: Hockeytown. Detroit has had a major league team since 1926 and Gordie Howe, one of the great players in American hockey, helped the team to win four Stanley Cup championships in the 50s. In 1989 Russian star Sergei Fedorov boldly defected to the Detroit team before a practice session when the Soviet National Team played in the Goodwill Games in Seattle. Four of his Russian pals later joined the Detroit team to form the infamous 'Russian Five' who helped propel the Detroit team to two additional Stanley Cup wins in '97 and '98. This season, the Wings are the most winning team in the country. Ten of the players represented the US, Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden and Canada at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. Their arena in Detroit has close to 20,000 seats and games are often sold out, but out-of-town visitors can check for seats online through Ticketmaster. Or, watch a live feed from the nearby Hockeytown Cafe, a popular themed restaurant in downtown Detroit. The Cafe is also filled with lots of memorabilia.

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Directions: Joe Louis Arena, 600 Civic Center Dr., Detroit, MI or Hockeytown Cafe, 2301 Woodward, 313. 965. 9500.
Other Contact: www.detroitredwings.com or www.h

Charles M. Wright Museum of African American History
The Museum of African American History is the largest of its kind in the world. The museum has been open for more than 30 years, but moved into its largest home near the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1997. The museum isn't overly stuffed with objects or artifacts, but rather a string of several thought-provoking exhibits that explain African life before the Middle Passage, the Middle Passage, Underground Railroad and post-slavery struggles as well as modern contributions of great African Americans. There are also some open areas in the museum that allow for reflection or quiet contemplation. In addition, there are temporary and local exhibits such as 'Detroit Jazz Before Motown', special events for Kwanzaa and other festivals, lectures and community outreach programs. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 17.

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Address: 315 E. Warren, Detroit, MI
Other Contact: 313. 494. 5800

Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO)
The DSO is one of the most aclaimed symphonic groups in the country and recognized throughout the world under the leadership of the great Maestro Neeme Jarvi, originally from Talinn, Estonia. The orchestra plays highly-accalimed concerts, tours abroad and records award-winning CDs. Ithak Perlman, one of the world's great violinists, is the principle guest conductor and Erich Kunzel, America's best classical pops virtuoso, is the resident pop music advisor. The DSO began in 1914 when ten society women gave $100 each and found another 100 people to donate $10 each. Ossip Gabilowitsch, an early conductor around 1917 who was also the son-in-law of Mark Twain, brought great prestige to the newly opened Orchestra Hall that housed the DSO when his friends Malher and Rachmaninoff performed there. In the 40s, Orchestra Hall was renamed as the Paradise Theatre (see photo) that specialized in jazz, bepop and blues with visits from Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne and many more. After a decade of decay, the acoustically-perfect Hall was marked for the wrecking ball in 1970, but a bassoonist in the orchestra protested by playing on the roof and refusing to leave. His plan worked and the DSO returned to its home in 1989. More than 450,000 people listen to the DSO every year.

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Address: 3711 Woodward, Detroit, MI
Other Contact: www.detroitsymphony.com or 313.

Diamond Jack offers two-hour narrated boat tours down the Detroit River. Visitors won't be wowed by castles, but it's a pleasant overview of the landmark Renaissance Center, yacht clubs, historic Fort Wayne, warehouse district as well as downtown Windsor on the neighboring Canadian side, etc.

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Address: Detroit River, Detroit, MI
Other Contact: www.diamondjack.com or 313. 843.

Pure Detroit specializes in locally made items such as historic photos and books, art from local artists, Pewabic tiles, memorabilia, Alinosi chocolates, vintage reproductions of automobile signs and the 'Made in Detroit' brand clothing that is especially popular with the techno crowd.

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Directions: Pure Detroit has two locations in downtown Detroit. One of them is located at 1 Fisher Building.
Other Contact: 313. 873. PURE or www.puredetroi

'Hitsville USA' also known as the Motown Museum
When Berry Gordy Jr. used an $800 loan from his parents to open 'Hitsville USA' in this home in 1959 (see photo), he probably didn't know that he would change the direction of music by creating the famous 'Motown Sound.' He initially lived upstairs and recorded artists for his Motown Records label in the studio on the first floor. Motown artists included Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and a young Diana Ross who grew up in a local public housing project. In 1969, Gordy Jr. moved into a larger building in the central downtown area and later left for Los Angeles in the early 70s. Today, the original 'Hitsville USA' museum features lots of costumes, memorabilia, the original Studio A recording studio and much more. There are also plans to renovate the larger studio downtown as part of a much needed new entertainment district. Many of the Motown artists have since left Detroit, but Aretha Franklin still returns during Christmas to sing in her father's church.

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Address: 2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI
Other Contact: 313. 875. 2264 or contact motown

Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
Henry Ford changed the way the world looked at production, but he was also a collecter. This was the foundation for the famous Henry Ford Museum (HFM) and Greenfield Village (GV), two truly American museums. HFM houses a huge collection of inventions, profiles of inventors as well as large collections of toys, art and crafts, furniture, jewelry and much more. Highlights include the car JFK was riding when he was assasinated and an entire home constructed by Buckminster Fuller. Greenfield Village is a type of open-air museum or'town' reconstructed on 88 acres that features Edison's entire Menlo Park Laboratory where he invented the lightbulb and phonograph, the Wright Brothers bicycle shop, Noah Webster's elaborate three-story home where he wrote the dictionary, the chair in which Lincoln was shot, farmhouses, businesses, a railroad and much more. Some of the buildings have costumed hosts/hostesses to answer questions or demonstrate period crafts, etc. Real weddings take place at the wedding chapel, but plan for a long engagement because the wait can be several years. GV has period restaurants, a penny arcade, carousel and plenty to keep the kids busy too. In addition, GV hosts special events such as Civil War reinactments and lavish decorating for Christmas. Last year, HFM also opened an IMAX Theatre to show films such as National Geographic's 'Mysteries of Egypt' on its six-story screen.

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Directions: These museums are located about 20 minutes from downtown Detroit in the nearby suburb of Dearborn and make a great day-trip. For those who are traveling on the train from Chicago or Detroit, there's a
Other Contact: www.hfmgv.org or 734. 982. 6100.