The Detroit Historical Museum was the perfect museum to give everyone a nice introduction to Motor City. It's not too big and gives a broad history of the various things Detroit is famous for.
The kids and I enjoyed the interesting displays, but they did look a little dated. Detroit is a city that has faced some really difficult times so it wasn't a surprise to find the museum in the condition that it was in. We wandered at our own pace and learned about how the city was built even exploring an 1800's street scene vignette. We got a taste of Motown music and the famous artists who emerged from that scene and then we got our first taste of car culture and the assembly line concept that made Detroit the home of the automotive industry.
This museum was low on glamour but had a lot of heart. You could see it in the displays and feel it from the folks that worked here and I think that's what my kids and I really responded to. It doesn't take over the top, state of the art displays to convey a message. Sometimes simplicity is best and you could just tell that when this museum was built, the people who put it together did it with pride. The staff were really kind to answer all our questions and were really proud to talk about their home city of Detroit. Detroit may be down, but I believe it will rise again, and one day the museum will get the makeover it richly deserves. But in the meantime, it's definitely worth your time to learn about this history of this dynamic city.
