By Nicholas Katers
Things to Do in Detroit
's identity as the Motor City has evolved over time with the outsourcing of auto industry jobs. The city has invested in new sports arenas to accommodate its four major sports franchises. Detroit is also home to art and history museums that celebrate the city's role as an early crossroads of the
United States. Visitors can observe the evolution of Detroit firsthand by planning diverse travel itineraries.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers play 81 home games during the MLB regular season at the 41,782-seat Comerica Park. The team schedules fireworks shows for every Friday and Saturday home game during the season. Tigers fans can take breaks from the game by heading to the baseball-themed Ferris wheel behind the left field foul pole. Tourists interested in photo opportunities can head to the statues of Tigers legends like Al Kaline and Ty Cobb in the left-center field area of Comerica Park.
Detroit Tigers
2100 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, Michigan 48201
(313) 962-4000
The Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts houses 60,000 works of art in multiple centers, such as the General Motors Center for African American Art. The art museum maintains special exhibitions of video installations, paintings, sculptures and other media. Parents can enroll their children in summer camps at the Detroit Institute of Arts to encourage art appreciation. The Detroit Institute of Arts also offers adult courses like The Potter's Wheel to encourage hands-on arts learning at all ages.
The Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, Michigan 48202
(313) 833-7900
The Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo allows visitors to get close to the animals with the Giraffe Encounter, a daily feeding session for the zoo's giraffes. Visitors are immersed in indoor habitats for 30 bird species at the Matilda Wilson Free-Flight Aviary. The two-acre Amphibiville habitat showcases amphibians and exhibits to educate visitors on the differences between amphibians and reptiles. The zoo's Australian Outback Adventure simulates the Australian outback with authentic shanties, kangaroos and exhibits about the continent's aboriginal people.
The Detroit Zoo
8450 W 10 Mile Road
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
(248) 541-5717
North American International Auto Show
Detroit's international auto show started in 1907 but turned into the North American International Auto Show in 1989. The annual event brings together automakers, industry experts, journalists and consumers in an exhibition of the future of automobiles. The Cobo Center's 1 million square feet of exhibition space is filled with sleek prototype, next generation hybrids and alternative fuel cars on the horizon of the auto market. The show features dozens of world premieres for American and foreign automakers trying to make a splash in a competitive industry.
North American International Auto Show
1 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 262-1040
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Kevin Ward (Flickr)
