All eventsConcerts, festivals and markets, tonight and this weekend
Annual festivalsJazz, techno, cars and parades: Michigan’s year, festival by festival
Holidays & seasonsPumpkin season, Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, the Fourth
Sports: games & scoresLions, Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers: live scores and trophies
ItinerariesReady-made day plans, stop by stop
Places to exploreMuseums, parks, neighborhoods and icons
Metro Detroit mapWhat Metro Detroit is, and what every town is about
The Henry FordRosa Parks’ bus, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory
RenCen: live trackerThe Renaissance Center’s past, present and future, up to the minute
Gordie Howe BridgeThe new bridge to Canada: live waits, tolls, and yes, you can walk it
ToursBy boat, by bike or on foot, with a local guide
Escape roomsOne hour, one lock and your crew
Plan a meetingVenues, hotels and what’s on in town on your dates
Detroit A–ZFrom limos to chambers of commerce: every business and service in one place
ShoppingDetroit-made brands, markets and shopping streets
Detroit with kidsZoo, science center and rainy-day ideas
Motor City cultureFactories, museums and car events
Wellness & rechargeA riverside sauna, spas, yoga and running trails
Romance · Weekend
A firehouse turned hotel, dinner on the 72nd floor, a fireplace cocktail bar, a marble lighthouse and an evening river cruise.
Anniversary coming up and you want more than the usual dinner out? Detroit is surprisingly romantic when you know where to go. Saturday starts at a hotel in the old fire department headquarters, takes you along the river at sunset and puts dinner high above the city. Sunday brings Belle Isle's glass dome, a marble lighthouse designed by a Hungarian artist, and an evening on the water.
15:00
Downtown · Financial District (near Huntington Place)
Hans Gehrke designed this 1929 fire department headquarters, which served the city for more than 80 years before reopening in 2017 as a 100-room hotel. The old truck bays now hold a restaurant and bar, and the brass fire poles are still in place.
A few minutes' walk to the river, then east on the Riverwalk toward the Renaissance Center.
16:30
Riverfront
Hand in hand along the Detroit River, with Windsor and Canada across the water. No need to do it all: pick a stretch and leave time for the view. It's cooler by the water, so bring a jacket.
Walk from the Riverwalk into the Renaissance Center and take the elevator to the 71st floor.
18:30
Downtown
Dinner and evening drinks on the 71st and 72nd floors of the Renaissance Center, where the view steals the show. Reserve ahead and check which dining options are running that night.
People Mover from the Renaissance Center station to Broadway, then a 3-minute walk; or a short rideshare.
21:00
Downtown / Parker's Alley
A discreet cocktail lounge on the ground floor of the Shinola Hotel, entered from Parker's Alley. Sofas, a fireplace, warm light and cocktails built on classic recipes: the perfect spot for a toast for two.
Next morning, drive over the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle.
10:00
Belle Isle
A conservatory that opened in 1904 in the heart of Belle Isle, with palms and light under its central dome. It's named for Anna Scripps Whitcomb, who gave Detroit a major orchid collection, and Marshall Fredericks' leaping gazelle stands out front.
Drive or bike to the island's northeastern tip.
11:15
Detroit – Belle Isle
The only marble lighthouse in the United States, built in 1930 facing Lake St. Clair. Hungarian artist Géza Maróti designed it with Albert Kahn and carved the relief above the door. The light still burns around the clock, and you won't find a more romantic photo backdrop.
Back over the bridge, then a few minutes east on Jefferson Avenue.
13:00
East Side
A working Detroit pottery since 1903, famous for its iridescent glazes. Pick out a piece together to remember the day, or if you've registered ahead, make something side by side in a workshop. A roof restoration is underway, so check access first.
A few minutes' drive west to West Village.
15:00
West Village
A slice of pie from this West Village bakery, just because it's a special day. Check the bakery's own channels for the day's lineup and pickup options.
Drive to the downtown riverfront near Hart Plaza.
18:30
Downtown riverfront (near Hart Plaza)
Finish on the Detroit River: this five-deck dinner riverboat bills itself as the largest in the Midwest and has several full bars on board. Pick a DJ dinner-and-dance, Motown revue or live-band cruise, with Detroit's and Windsor's skylines lit up behind you.
14 stops
Detroit in 48 hours: the classics and the brand-new citySaturday market, the riverfront, Art Deco lobbies and the newest Detroit: a two-day plan you can mostly do on foot.
10 stops
Where's Detroit's art? A whole weekend's worthRivera's murals, a bead-covered sculpture garden, houses turned into art and big street murals: a weekend from museum halls to alleys.
9 stops
The Dad weekend: cars, barbecue, bowling and a little luckThe Model T's birthplace, a ballpark, whiskey, barbecue, bowling and The Henry Ford: two days Dad will be talking about for years.We built these plans from our own checked place pages. Hours and prices change, so check each place’s page before you go.
