We made it to Michigan!!! 

One of our first stops on our three week long Michigan trip this summer was to explore the Henry Ford Experience. Bobby has always been a huge Ford fan so we knew we had to come check out the birth place of the Ford vehicles. Upon my research of this place I quickly realized just how huge it was. The Henry Ford Experience offers four different attractions; the museum, the village, the factory tour and the giant screen experience.

We decided to explore the museum and the village since we were short on time. But we definitely will be back for the factory tour where you can get an inside look at the manufacturing and innovation of Ford vehicles. Our day was filled with wonder as we got to see some of the coolest preserved American artifacts like the Rosa Parks bus, Presidential Cars and so much more! In my opinion, if you have more time than we did you could definitely spend just a whole day exploring the museum itself since there truly is so much to see and do – same goes for the village as well. We some how managed to pack it all in one day and it really did work out perfectly! Below is what you can expect from a day exploring the The Henry Ford Experience.

The Henry Ford Museum ——————————

Located just 30 minutes from Downtown Detroit – the Henry Ford Museum offers an amazing experience into Americas past innovations. We started our day here and walked around through every exhibit offered like:

  • Racing America – a display of sports cars through out the years
  • Agriculture and Manufacturing – showcasing some of the most spectacular equipment
  • American Furniture – a collection of extraordinary American furniture from 1690 to present
  • Heroes of the Sky – a display of planes through out the years including the Amelia Earhart plane
  • Driving America – a collection of classic vehicles that shaped the automotive industry
  • Presidential Vehicles – showcasing some prominent presidential travel through out the years (including the eerie JFK assassination vehicle)
  • Railroads – a collection of giant steam-engine locomotives
  • Disney’s Archives Exhibit – showcasing the art of Disney costumes for on-screen heroic and villainous characters (on display for a limited time)

Some of my favorite things to see was the infamous Oscar Mayer Weiner car, the detailed doll houses of America, the Disney costumes and of course non other than all the amazing vehicles over the years. This museum had us in awe with every corner we turned to see something new. I highly recommend checking it out! It truly is more than just Henry Ford vehicles and a great place to learn and discover new things about our country. I also really enjoyed the “Your Place in Time” exhibit where they showcased an inside look at what life was like for 4 generations from 1890 to early 2000’s.

Another great addition to the museum is the food court inside and the old Lamy’s Diner where you can take a break from exploring and grab a bite to eat. I would definitely recommend getting a table at Lamy’s Diner to fully get the experience of that 1940’s feel. You can even sit inside the old diner cab and eat in there too! The cafe/food court area is a great alternative as well if Lamy’s is booked. There is even an outdoor patio section to enjoy a meal on a beautiful day. We ended our museum exploration with a trip to the gift shop for some souvenirs before we headed to the village next!

You can view/purchase tickets to the museum HERE.

The Henry Ford Greenfield Village ——————————

After exploring the museum we spent the second half of the day at the infamous colonial town of Greenfield Village. This village is a replica of Henry Ford’s birthplace complete with that old Americana/colonial vibe and aesthetic. The village truly is the most charming little place and takes you back to simpler times in American history. There is so much to do and see in this village – at first we didn’t know where to begin. Every single house along main street has something unique inside to offer, explore and learn from. Some of the must see houses are Henry Ford’s childhood home and the Wright Brother’s home. With over 80 acres to explore in this village like I mentioned above you truly could spend the whole day here.

We started by visiting some of the farm animals which led us to Henry Ford’s model T car where you can catch a ride in one and get a quick tour of the village. You can also take a ride on the junction Railroad which takes you around the entire campus. I will say Main Street was perhaps my favorite part of the village complete with shops and eateries. During our time here in the summer it was adorned with American flags and bunting flags across every window on the buildings. Main street is where you can get a bite to eat like a classic hotdog or pretzel or even the delicious custard!

Past Main Street is some of the most innovative replicas of Thomas Edisons laboratory, The Ford Motor Company and craftsmen shops like pottery, glass blowing and weaving. This is where you can learn a lot about America’s innovations through out the years. The village was truly such a fun experience and feeling like you stepped back in time to the 1800’s was a treat! We had the best day and can’t recommend seeing this place enough if you’re ever in the Detroit, Michigan area.

You can view/purchase tickets to the village HERE.

I hope this blog post was helpful and gave some insight on what to expect at the Henry Ford Experience. I cant wait to see what else Michigan has to offer during our stay! Check back for more travel tips this summer.

Love,
Nickole