Detroit, Michigan · City Break
Motown, motors & the great American comeback
The birthplace of Motown, mass production and techno — Detroit's riverfront, museums, food and music scene make it one of the most surprising and rewarding city breaks in the USA.
Why Detroit
Your gateway to America's Heartland
Detroit is a destination for everyone — a city with one of America's great riverfronts, world-class museums, a fierce live-music tradition and some of the friendliest welcomes in the Midwest. Pair a few nights downtown with a Great Lakes loop, a Route 66 fly-drive or a cross-border escape into Canada.
Explore More · Top Tips
Top things to do in Detroit
Highlights drawn from Visit Detroit, the city's official destination organisation — tell us which appeal and we'll fold them into your itinerary.
Motown Museum (Hitsville U.S.A.)
Stand inside Studio A — the tiny room where Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Jackson 5 cut the records that changed popular music. The most moving 90 minutes in Detroit.
The Henry Ford & Greenfield Village
In Dearborn, 20 minutes from downtown: the bus Rosa Parks sat on, the chair Lincoln was shot in, the Wright Brothers' workshop and 80 acres of relocated historic buildings including Edison's Menlo Park lab. Easily a full day.
Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA)
One of America's great encyclopaedic museums and home to Diego Rivera's monumental 'Detroit Industry Murals' — a 27-panel masterpiece Rivera himself called his finest work. Free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Walk or cycle the Detroit Riverwalk
Repeatedly voted the best riverwalk in America — 3.5 miles of landscaped waterfront from Hart Plaza to Belle Isle, with views straight across to Windsor, Canada. Rent bikes or join an evening sunset stroll.
Eastern Market
The largest historic public market district in the United States — 150-year-old Saturday market, food halls, murals plastered over every wall and brilliant brunch spots. Go Saturday morning for the full Detroit experience.
Belle Isle Park
An Olmsted-designed 982-acre island park in the Detroit River with a free aquarium (the oldest in the U.S.), a conservatory, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and skyline views from the south shore.
Catch a game — Tigers, Lions, Red Wings or Pistons
Detroit is one of only a handful of U.S. cities with all four major league sports downtown — Comerica Park (baseball), Ford Field (NFL), and Little Caesars Arena (NHL Red Wings & NBA Pistons) all within walking distance.
Eat like a Detroiter
Square-pan Detroit-style pizza at Buddy's (the original) or Grandma Bob's; a Coney dog at American or Lafayette (you have to pick a side); paczki at New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck; and modern American at Selden Standard or Mabel Gray.
Live music — from blues to techno
Detroit is the birthplace of Motown, techno, and a serious live-music city. Catch jazz at Cliff Bell's, blues at the Northern Lights Lounge, big shows at the Fox Theatre or Fillmore, and summer festivals on the riverfront.
Explore Corktown & Michigan Central
Detroit's oldest neighbourhood is reborn around the beautifully restored Michigan Central Station — Ford's new mobility innovation district. Brunch at Folk, cocktails at the Sugar House and Irish pubs along Michigan Avenue.
Cross to Windsor, Canada
Detroit is the only major U.S. city where you look south to Canada. The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel or Ambassador Bridge puts you in a different country in 15 minutes — Caesars Windsor casino, riverside parks and a different skyline view back at the D.
Drive the start of Route 66… and the Woodward Dream Cruise
Detroit is America's Motor City — pick up scenic Woodward Avenue and head north, time a visit for August's Woodward Dream Cruise (the world's largest one-day classic car event), or use Detroit as a Great Lakes road trip launchpad.
Source: visitdetroit.com, Detroit's official destination marketing organisation.
Ready for Detroit?
Pair a few nights in the D with a Great Lakes road trip, a hop across to Chicago or the start of historic Route 66 — we'll build the hotel, the Motown tour, the ball game and the day trips around you.