History Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village, etc.

Hi all,
My wife and I are planning a trip in mid-September to Detroit, mostly to visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. I have been wanting to go up there for years. If we still have the energy (and she's not bored to tears), I'd like to see some other area attractions like the Chrysler museum and a couple of others. What I'm looking for is any tips or advice while in the area. (where to go and where NOT to go) We'll probably stay up close to the Henry Ford. I’ve never been to Detroit, but several people have told us to be very careful. I searched first, but most of the posts were about 2 years old.

Thanx for any help. Phil

 

You can easily spend a whole day at the Ford Museum. Their collection is very interesting and not entirely car related... I doubt the Missus will be bored. Just make sure you both have comfy shoes. And a camera with lots of batteries.
If you do decide to stray away from the Museum complex I would recommend lunch and/or dinner and La Fendi or the Sahara restaurant, both in Southfield. (i'll take a family combo to go please!)

 

Visit the village too,it'll probably take two days to do it right. The Woodward Dream Cruise is coming up also on Woodward Avenue.

 

================================
Nick thanx, that what Iv'e been telling her.
I'll remember those restaurants too. I figured the museum was at least a two dayer.
Phil

 

You do the Auburn Museum in Indiana yet? It's pretty neat.

 

CC.
I am sure you will have a great time. Henry Ford is great.
Other great places as well.

http://sloanmuseum.com/
http://automotivehalloffame.org/
http://detroithistorical.org/
http://hfmgv.org/
http://reoldsmuseum.org/


After Detroit you may consider visiting...
http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/

Also Dave Crane here on the HAMB has his own museum in Battle Creek.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398276&highlight=dave+crane

 

Ooooh yeah, did that one and the NATMUS 3 years ago. Both great musuems. A buddy and I spent all day long in those two. Makes it easy since they set side by side. Our wives went to the ACD festival, and we slobbered over Classics all day.
I had a friend in another club that was on the NATMUS museum board and he showed us around. Took us downstairs into the storage areas too. Man what a goldmine! I took some pix of some funny looking, badly rusted, little Bordens milk trucks and later posted them online to find out what they were. A guy out in Penn saw them and went nuts wanting to know how to get ahold of one to restore for HIS museum. He later worked out a deal with NATMUS and got one of them. It's now restored and in his museum after winning tons of awards. Last couple of winters it was on loan back at the NATMUS.

I can't get my own stuff done, but that deal worked out pretty good.
Before:



AFTER: no kidding!



http://www.jcristmuseum.org/walker.SHTML



NATMUS pix - http://www.flickr.com/photos/48701534@N03/sets/72157623692253418/

 

My wife loved Greenfield village. We only had a day but it's two day pass

 

Lots to look at that's not car related. Henry wanted to preserve how America looked, so many displays are how we lived 100 years ago. Plan to spend a day or two if you really want to look and learn. A couple hours west, in Hickory Corners, near Battle Creek, is the Gillmore museum. Lots of old, interesting cars, nicely displayed in restored barns. The property looks like a golf course that some one put a car museum on. Weds nights they have a cruise in. Locals gather and it's a casual show. Say hi to my in-laws, they live just up the road.

 

The HF (Museum ) is worth a day; the Village most of another. In the same neighborhood is Fairlane, Henry's mansion. It's a half day or less. These three are all in Dearborn where, depending on your budget, there's some nice to great lodging. The Dearborn Inn is $$$ but it has its roots in Henry Ford's development of Dearborn and air transportation. The Hampton Inn on Michigan is more reasonable and quite convenient to all the Ford attractions. The Edsel Ford Mansion is way over on the opposite side of town but you can get most of the way on expressway. Your wife will love it. If you have time, The Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills (North of town) is well worth it and also freeway accessible. The Detroit Historical Museum on Woodward is in a good neighborhood and worth the time-and not too far from the Ford Piquette Ave factory. Study up (use Google) and make sure you have all your locations mapped out in advance.














My wife and I are planning a trip in Sept to Detroit mostly to visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. I have been wanting to go up there for years. If we still have the energy (and she's not bored to tears), I'd like to see some other area attractions like the Chrysler museum and a couple of others. What I'm looking for is any tips or advice while in the area. (where to go and where NOT to go) We'll probably stay up close to the Henry Ford. I’ve never been to Detroit, but several people have told us to be very careful. I searched first, but most of the posts were about 2 years old.

Thanx for any help. Phil[/QUOTE]

 

Drove the roadster there in 1972, for the NATS, & will always remember the Ford museum, Ford foundry, Greenfeld museum, this was a lifetime adventure even that far back in time!!!!-------Don

 

On the way to the Chrysler Museum, exit I-75 at exit 69, Big Beaver Rd (no joke). Somerset Mall is just West of the freeway. Give your wife your credit card to keep her entertained while you happily run off to the WPC Museum. Really, how much could she spend??

It's an upscale mall, so if she wants to do some shopping be prepared.

 

We did this several years ago and loved it. Would like to get back there and spend more time.

We stayed at a Best Western across the road from Fords World Headquarters. It was extremely nice, catered to the VIP that came to Ford. Use the shuttle service to get from motel to museum. Door to door service, no traffic hassles and a great way to spend a day. We learned a lot from our shuttle driver about where to go....and not to go... in the area.

Have a nice trip,
SPark

 

The area around the henry ford is safe dearborn area, yuo will get good deals at the airport hotels and it a short ride to dearborn, but not much places to eat. Try the hotels along 1275 between ford rd and i696 safe and lots of eateries, the villiage is 20 min down i96, casino's go to soaring eagle

 

Since you're gonna be in the neighborhood, you might wanna take a tour of the Rouge plant where they build the F-150 Ford. Information is available at the museum.

 

This piece of history was still there when I went in July.

 

I was there as a family trip a few months ago. The Henry Ford is a full day. I was amazed at the stuff that is in that building, the huge Locomotive has to be seen.

Greenfield Village is another whole day. They offer rides around around the village in Model T's these days too. Lots of fun, lots to take in, well worth a few days

No problems with safety in that area of town.

 

there's a Holiday Inn Express close by that is clean where I stay when I go to Detroit

 

All good info above especially the part about staying at the Dearborn Inn. If you are staying over a weekend PLEASE make sure you attend their Sunday brunch. They only do it one or two sundays per month. Maybe you'll get lucky and they will be doing it while you're there. Trust me, you and your wife will be talking about that brunch for years.

Depending on when in Sept you are going to be here I'll point you in the right directions to some great cruz nights and perhaps we could meet for dinner.

 

You definitly want to go to henry's over buy the college lots of womanly stuff for the wife.
Also contact denise
Hotrodladycruiser on this site she lives around that area. I'm sure she would steer you in the rite direction

 

That's henry's house over by the college sorry

 

I would agree with Denise that Sunday brunch is rememberable! We should have a get together haha.

Also the Henry Ford estate is a must see with the power house and garage and the play house. I work over that way and go eat lunch in the garden sometimes. It's a great place. Also the Detroit historical museum is a must. And while you're over there you can drive by the art museum and science center. And if you go up Woodward a block or two you can stop and see my buddy dans place (showtime) he's the epitome of real Detroit.

 

Many years ago I lived in Detroit when I was working at WDRQ-FM Radio. I almost lived at the Henry Ford Museum AND Greenfield Village.

Ended up going there about once a month...seeing something new everytime I went ! NO ONE would ever be bored at either venue !! And the Dearborn Inn is as historic as you'll get. Also, check-out the Detroit Historical Society Museum...which is, if memory serves me right, across the street, or very close to, the Detroit Art Museum.

Enjoy your trip, and be sure to have some Vernor's Ginger Ale while you're in the Motor City.

JK

 

I went last may. I'm still excited.
great stuff and the people working there were great too.

 

I went last Feb and it was awesome. I've always wanted to go, so when the opportunity came along I jumped on it. Everything about the museum is incredible. The building itself is awesome. They had plenty of stuff your wife would love. I know I'm going back again someday!

Photos I took
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Wow, I just got on the board and can't believe all the responses overnight. I gotta run to a meeting but I'll digest these and get back later. Thanx a bunch, Phil

 

The Sloan Museum in Flint houses the Buick Historical Collection, both are a must. The same weekend of the Dream Cruise, A.K.A. Woodward parking lot, is Back To The Bricks in Flint, a large cruise in downtown. Flint is like Detroit, caution is good. The downtown has a lot of people and police around, you should have no problems.

Drive out Grand River through the cities of Brighton,Howell, Fowlerville, etc. The road was at one time US-16. Pass through East Lansing, home of MSU. Or take I-96 west. Lansing houses the Ransom Olds Museum. A little bland, but a lot of experimental Olds engines. Nearby is Clara's, a restaurant set in a 1800's railroad station. Ask, you can dine in the rail cars. And dead ahead is the state capitol building. Nearby is the State of Michigan Museum, free and worthwile.

A lot to do and see around here, just check with us......

 

Yeah, you're pretty far away from the sketchier parts of Detroit. I wouldn't worry about a thing. I went there twice last year and it was $69.00 for two people with passes for both the museum and the village. Like others have said, you could easily spend two days so keep that in mind.

If you do get a little adventurous you can still see the first Ford property on NW corner of Piquette Ave at Beaubien, birthplace of the model T. Or what remains of the Manchester Ave. plant, the place where the moving assembly line was born and revolutionized the world. Both places are right on or just off Woodward and easy to find. Have fun, here's a few pics. The first is the Piquette Ave, plant and the second is the Manchester. The rest are just a small sampling of what you can expect to see at the museum.

 

Now you guys an' gals got me wound up! I'm just minutes away from the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, the Ford Rouge Plant complex and Dearborn City Hall. I'm also within walking distance of Henry Ford's birthplace which for years used to be a soybean farm and now is a retirement home complex for the "well to do" folks. That's located on the corner of Greenfield and Ford Rd. Right across Ford Rd. from the complex is the Ford Woods Park where I used to hang out as a kid and go swimming in the pool during the hot summer months. I'm still trying to locate the exact place where the famous Ford Rotunda building used to stand before it burned down in?? 1962... If you guys want to set up a Sunday to go visit the museum, let me know please!!! We could meet up at BIG BOY'S on Michigan Ave. near Telegraph Rd. (US-24) and have brunch together.. The Henry Ford Museum is right down the block from BIG BOY'S.. Again, let's set something up! Thanks.

 

Some of my best hot rod memorys came from that area, there,s so much to do we went to hitsville usa and it was a treat, gillmore, just cruzin that , place is so cool many many lifetime friendships made with the hotroders of that area, heck Kzoo the same , the old Gibson guitar plant was a treat just a good time see it all and plan to spend some time it,s cool....,