THE
POPPULAR CITY IN USA
DETROIT
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Detroit
Travel Guide
The sprawling industrial city of Detroit, the oldest city in
America’s mid-west, began life as a trading post when French explorer Antoine de
la Mothe Cadillac landed on the banks of the Detroit River in 1701 and
established a fort. He was later removed because of bad conduct, but unlike its
outpost commander, the settlement of Detroit was flourishing. In 1796 Detroit
became American, and by the early 19th century had already earned a reputation
as a centre for the manufacturing industry, particularly kitchen ranges. As most
people now know, however, Detroit did not go on to become the stove-making
capital of the world. Today it is renowned as being the automotive centre of the
globe, birthplace of the motorcar and home to some of the nation’s top brands.
Originally automobile empires were established by Detroit families like Ford,
Olds, Chevrolet and Dodge, which have become household names, thanks to the
invention and perfection of the motor vehicle production assembly line, which
all began in Detroit.
It is not only hard work and industrial enterprise that
drives Detroit, however. The city in southeast Michigan is also famous for the
Motown record label, founded by former autoworker Berry Gordy Jr, which has
introduced the world to stars such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, the
Temptations and Diana Ross, to name but a few.
Modern ‘Motown’ Detroit is a
little decayed and shabby, but efforts are being made to increase the city’s
appeal as a tourist destination, and there are several attractions worth seeing.
In the downtown area new hotels and restaurants are appearing to complement a
new sports stadium, and there is a focus on the arts, particularly in the city’s
historic theatre district
Automotive Hall of Fame
Car buffs from the world over
are drawn to Detroit’s Automotive Hall of Fame, close to the Henry Ford Museum
in Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, which is the public program and exhibition
centre for the worldwide motor vehicle industry. The venue features entertaining
and enlightening exhibits about the people who drive the industry. Visitors can
indulge in interactive events like designing their own car and taking part in
safety demonstrations.
Henry Ford Estate
Visitors to Detroit can tour the
family home of renowned automotive pioneer Henry Ford and his wife, Clara, in
Dearborn. The estate is a National Historic Landmark that is now part of the
campus of the University of Michigan. The Fords lived on the estate, designed by
Jens Jensen, from 1915 until they died in 1947 and 1950 respectively. The
56-room stone mansion features elaborately-carved woodwork and contains many
personal artefacts. Also on site is Ford's personal garage and car collection
and magnificent gardens featuring waterscapes.
Detroit Historical Museum
The Detroit Historical Museum
in Downtown allows visitors the chance to tour the scope of the city’s history,
from Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac’s landing on the banks of the Detroit River
through the city’s emergence as an industrial capital. In the museum it is
possible to walk through the streets of Old Detroit and explore 19th-century
shops. Visitors can also find out about Detroit’s role in the ‘underground
railroad’ that helped slaves escape from the South. The interactive Glancy
Trains toy train exhibit delights young and old.
Detroit
Attractions
The Henry Ford
Henry Ford, son of a farmer, built his
first car in Detroit in 1896. There was nothing too amazing about this feat,
because cars had been around for some time. What was unique to Ford's invention
was the moving assembly line, which enabled him to literally put the world on
wheels. Henry Ford's legacy is found at every turn in his hometown, Detroit,
which is why the city's most popular and prominent tourist attraction was
founded by him in 1929. The Henry Ford is spread over more than 36 hectares (90
acres) in Dearborn just outside of metro-Detroit and encompasses five different
venues. Together they bring the whole American experience to life, using
exhibits, demonstrations, programmes and re-enactments to showcase American life
and its people. Ford amassed most of the exhibit collection, including tens of
thousands of ordinary objects, items associated with illustrious Americans, and
numerous inventions documenting technological advances. Among the exhibits is
the limousine in which John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Edgar Allan Poe's
writing desk, and George Washington's camp bed. It is located in Dearborn,
Michigan just west of the Southfield Freeway (M-39) and south of Michigan Avenue
(US-12).
Motown Historical Museum
Detroit’s Motown sound
originated in two simple buildings on West Grand Boulevard, Downtown, at
Hitsville U.S.A. Visitors can see the original control room and recording studio
where stars like the Jackson Five, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder made hit records
between 1959 and 1972. The Museum also contains some costumes worn by the stars
and Motown founder Berry Gordy’s apartment, still as it was in the
1960s.
Detroit Institute of Arts
America's fifth-largest fine
arts museum boasts more than 100 galleries displaying a collection of 65,000
works, ranging from mummies to Matisse, and Asian antiquities to American
Impressionists. The Museum is situated in Downtown Detroit. The highlights
include the masterpieces of Rembrandt, Rubens, Bureghel the Elder, Botticelli,
van Gogh, C?zanne, Picasso and Caravaggio.
THE GREAT
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OTHER
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