Breakfast plate with sunny-side-up eggs, bacon and potatoes

Neighborhood · One day

A Saturday in Royal Oak: Zoo, an Art Deco Tower and a Night Out

Brunch, the Detroit Zoo's Arctic and penguin habitats, Father Coughlin's Art Deco tower, an indie bookstore, Michigan-made gifts, live-music dinner and stand-up.

stops: 8
length: One day
areas: 2

Royal Oak, Detroit's neighbor to the north, has just enough city in it to fill a whole day. Brunch downtown, then the Detroit Zoo (which is actually here, not in Detroit), an afternoon with a historic basilica and a couple of great shops, and live music plus Michigan's oldest comedy club at night. The downtown stops are walkable; you'll want a car for the zoo and the basilica.

Saturday

09:00
Café Muse
Royal Oak
A European-style breakfast and brunch spot downtown since 2006, known for creative comfort dishes, with live music on Saturdays. It's a daytime place that closes early afternoon, so come in the morning.

Short drive south to 10 Mile Road.
10:00
Detroit Zoo
Royal Oak
On the Detroit Zoo's big campus, the Arctic and penguin habitats are among the best-known stops, and conservation and animal care are woven through the visit. Plan on half a day at least.

Drive north on Woodward to 12 Mile Road.
14:00
National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica
Royal Oak
Father Charles Coughlin founded a small church here in 1926, and soon after the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on the grounds. He answered with radio: broadcasts that reached millions paid for the 1931 limestone Art Deco Charity Crucifixion Tower and the octagonal church of 1936. His sermons later turned into antisemitic political tirades; the church became a minor basilica in 2015.

Back into downtown Royal Oak, to Washington Avenue.
15:15
Sidetrack Bookshop
Royal Oak
A proudly LGBTQ-owned independent bookstore with a big queer section and a children's shop called The Caboose. It also hosts book clubs and open mics, and it's a great browse any time.

A few minutes' walk south on Washington Avenue.
16:00
Made in the Mitten
Royal Oak
A gift shop full of Michigan-made cards, souvenirs, decals and local snacks. If you want to take home something that's actually from here, this is the place.

Short walk over to 6th Street.
17:30
Oak City Grille
Downtown Royal Oak
Dinner at an American bar and grill with steaks, tacos, bar food and a kids' menu. Tuesday through Sunday there's live music from 8pm with no cover, from acoustic acts to jazz and blues.

A few minutes' walk to South Troy Street.
20:00
Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle
Royal Oak
The 400-seat Comedy Castle has been in Royal Oak since 1990: Dave Coulier started on its first stage and met Bob Saget there, and Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres have all played the club. Book ahead.

A few minutes' walk to Sherman Drive.
22:00
Goodnite Gracie Jazz & Martini Bar
Downtown Royal Oak
Nightcap time: a vintage-style martini lounge attached to D'Amato's Italian restaurant, with its own entrance on Sherman Drive. Weekends are all about cocktails; live jazz plays Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Cab or walk back to your hotel from here.

Good to know

Give the Detroit Zoo at least half a day and expect plenty of walking; check tickets and parking on the official site.
Café Muse is closed Mondays and Made in the Mitten closes Wednesdays; both are open Saturdays, but double-check before you go.
Rather see a concert? Check what's on at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, a 1928 theater building downtown.
Comedy Castle tickets and lineups are on the club's own site.