Things To Do
Bakersfield DET
Modern Mexican with the best margs in town! We went here on our first date. Needless to say, we had a blast!
Ottava Via
A popular Italian restaurant in Detroit's Corktown known for its craft cocktails, delicious small plates, and authentic pizzas and pastas. One of our regular date night spots- we would grab a bite to eat before moving outside to play bocce ball in the back courtyard. Conveniently located right across the street from our hotel block!
The Yard at Corktown
A bar and entertainment venue in Detroit featuring indoor and outdoor bars, a food truck, axe throwing, and various yard games. One of our favorite spots to hang out in larger groups! And conveniently located right across the street from our hotel block!
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is located in the heart of Downtown Detroit, home to the MLB's Detroit Tigers. Catch a Tiger's home game while in town for our wedding weekend!
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a renowned public square in downtown Detroit, surrounded by fun bars, restaurants and shops. Campus Martius also offers year-round activities and events. The beach at Campus Martius is an urban beach experience that opens every summer where you can relax in the sand, enjoy seasonal drinks, live music and games. Some of our favorite walkable surrounding restaurants, bars and coffee shops include: Central Kitchen + Bar, Grand Trunk Pub, BESA, Parc, Dime Store, Adelina, Sweetgreen, Hudson Cafe, Bad Luck Bar, Prime + Proper, Cannelle Detroit, Iggy's Eggies, Cafe d'Mongo's Speakeasy, Eatori Market, Lafayette Coney Island, Gilly's Clubhouse & Rooftop, The Brakeman, The Monarch Club, Candy Bar (located in the Siren Hotel), Madcap Coffee There is also a main shopping district on Woodward Avenue just outside of Campus Martius with a good mix of local boutiques and brand name stores!
The BELT
The Belt is a redefined alley in the heart of downtown Detroit, known for its vibrant public art installations, bars, and galleries. Check out some of our favorite bars in The Belt: The Skip, Standby, Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, Deluxx Fluxx.
Eastern Market
Eastern Market is known for being the largest historic public market district in the United States. It features a Saturday market (6am-4pm) and Sunday market (10am-4pm) offering fresh produce, meats, and flowers, alongside numerous specialty shops, restaurants, and public art. During grad school, we were frequent flyers at Supino's pizza for a quick bite to eat in between studying for exams!
Belle Isle
Belle Isle is a 982-acre island park located in the Detroit River that is owned by the City of Detroit and managed as a Michigan state park. It features numerous attractions and outdoor areas to enjoy: Belle Isle Aquarium: The oldest public aquarium in the U.S., known for its extensive collection of air-breathing fish. Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory: Featuring a palm house, tropical house, cactus house and gardens. Dossin Great Lakes Museum: This museum highlights 300 years of Great Lakes maritime history. Belle Isle Nature Center: Operated in conjunction with the Detroit Zoo, it offers interactive exhibits and educational programs about local wildlife. Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse: The country's only marble lighthouse. Recreation: Visitors can swim at the designated beach, ride bicycles (rentals available), fish, paddle in the canals and lakes (rentals available), and play golf at the nine-hole course. Trails & Views: The island has several walking and hiking trails.
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a premier art museum in Midtown Detroit with a collection of over 65,000 works, including Diego Rivera's 'Detroit Industry' murals and the first Van Gogh painting acquired by a U.S. museum. While in grad school, we used to study at Kresge Court, an atrium coffee shop and cafe at the DIA.
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is a large indoor-outdoor history museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan, known for its vast collection of artifacts documenting American life and industry. The Henry Ford complex includes three main attractions: the indoor museum, the outdoor village, and the factory tour. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: This indoor space houses iconic artifacts such as the bus where Rosa Parks was arrested, the limousine John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated, and the chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot. Greenfield Village: This outdoor living history museum features relocated historic buildings, including the laboratory of Thomas Edison and the workshop of the Wright Brothers. Visitors can enjoy costumed interpreters, historic rides, and demonstrations. Ford Rouge Factory Tour: This tour provides an insider's look at a modern, working assembly plant where Ford F-150 trucks are built.
Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame is located in Dearborn, Michigan, adjacent to the The Henry Ford complex. The museum showcases the car's impact on society and celebrates the greats of auto racing through various exhibits. Carolyn's great-grandfather, Donnell Sullivan, was active in the Ford Engine Engineering program for 57 years. He became a confidante and personal engineer to the late Henry Ford Sr. and is featured in the Automotive Hall of Fame for his many achievements designing race car engines. In the words of Bill Stroppe, a world known racer, "If there was ever a Gold Medal given out for racing, Sully should be the one who gets it."
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
The historic lakeside estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford is a National Historic Landmark located in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. The estate features an English Cotswold-style main residence designed by architect Albert Kahn and landscapes by Jens Jensen. Visitors can take guided or self-guided tours of the house and 87 acres of grounds overlooking Lake Saint Clair. Shop in the gift shop or book a reservation at The Continental for lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch while in town!
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery, a National Historic Landmark founded in Detroit in 1903, is one of the oldest continually operating potteries in the country. Pewabic Pottery offers tile glazing workshops, where you learn the steps that go into creating ceramic tile. Docent-led pottery tours give you a glimpse into over a century of handcrafting in our 1907 building. Additionally, walking tours take you to historic and contemporary Pewabic tile installations in the city of Detroit.