Woodward Avenue (M-1) - Automotive Heritage Trail
Downtown Detroit Tour
| Departure: | Hart Plaza, Michigan |
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| Destination: | Fox Theatre, Michigan |
| Time to allow: | 1 day |
Spend the day in vibrant downtown Detroit. Walk along the Detroit River and read about the history of the area. People-watch among the statues and musical dancing fountains in Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Parks. Into sports? Take tours at the homes of the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Tigers. All this and more in a compact area of downtown Detroit.
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Start: Hart Plaza
Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Start your visit to the heart of Detroit's downtown at Hart Plaza at the southern end of Woodward Avenue. If you drove, park your car at one of the metered areas between Hart Plaza and General Motors Renaissance Plaza, then stroll down to the Detroit International Riverfront, newly opened in the summer of 2007. Sculptures, a charming carousel, and dancing musical fountains will add color and music to your walk along the Detroit River.
Major festival events held here have included the Electronic Music/Techno Festival, Praise Fest, African World Festival, and the Detroit International Jazz Festival.
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Stop 2: General Motors Renaissance Center
Directions from previous place: Right next door to Hart Plaza.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.25 miles / 0.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour From Hart Plaza stroll up through the first floor of the five-story Wintergarden atrium to the General Motors Renaissance Center. Here you can browse the many specialty stores, pick up a bite or two at one of the restaurants and admire the central tower, the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere (the Detroit Marriott.)
While you are here take a tour of GM World, a showcase of GM vehicles. Admission is free to this interactive exhibit. Of the 26 vehicles displayed there, many have never been seen in North America.
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Stop 3: Joe Lewis Fist Sculpture
Directions from previous place: Walk west 1 block on Jefferson to its intersection with Woodward Ave.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.25 miles / 0.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 5 minutes On your walk to Woodward Avenue, you can't help seeing this eye-catching 24-foot sculpture situated on an island in the middle of the intersection. This sculpture of a long arm and fist suspended above street level was done in 1986 by Robert Graham to honor heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. Sports Illustrated donated it to the City of Detroit.
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Stop 4: Spirit of Detroit Monument
Directions from previous place: Cross Jefferson Avenue on Woodward Avenue to reach the northeast corner of the intersection.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.1 miles / 0.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 minute Suggested Time at This Site: 5 minutes On the corner of the intersection stands Detroit's best-known outdoor sculpture. Usually the sculpture is unadorned, but when sports fever is high, you may see this statue wearing an over-sized team jersey from one of the local teams.
This $40,000 bronze statue was created by Marshall Fredericks, commissioned in 1955, and dedicated in 1958. The huge seated figure holds in his left hand a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God, and in his right hand, a family group symbolic of all human relationships. Fredericks never named the Spirit of Detroit, but as his theme he used a verse from the Bible (2 Corinthians 3:17): "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
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Stop 5: Campus Martius Park
Directions from previous place: Walk three blocks north on Woodward Avenue.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.5 miles / 0.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 10 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Many roads converge at this large park which is surrounded by Woodward Avenue. If you arrive at lunchtime or on the weekend, chances are you'll find something going on, even in the winter. Depending on the season, you can enjoy themed gardens, refreshing musical fountains, free concerts, ice skating, and the many monuments, statues and sculptures.
The next stop is several blocks away. At this point in this tour, you may want to return to your car and move it.
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Stop 6: Grand Circus Park
Directions from previous place: Drive north on Woodward Avenue past Campus Martius Park for four blocks. Park at street-side parking or one of the nearby parking garages.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.3 miles / 0.5 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 30 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 30 minutes Completely surrounded by buildings, this large, semi-circular park provides a welcome break from the glass and steel of downtown Detroit. Along with trees and flowers, the park has many statues of civic figures, such as the first mayor of Detroit, as well as fountains, walkways and benches.
Walk south to the corner of Woodward Ave. and Witherall St.
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Stop 7: Detroit Opera House
Directions from previous place: Go to the intersection of Woodward Ave. and Witherell Street. Cross Witherell Street. The Detroit Opera House is on Witherell Street and faces Grand Circus Park.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.1 miles / 0.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 15 minutes If you visit during the day, the Opera House may not be open. Walk by and see what is playing, or admire the brick and concrete structure, which was designed by Detroit-based architect C. Howard Crane. Crane also designed the Fox Theatre, which is a few blocks north of here.
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Stop 8: Ford Field
Directions from previous place: Walk along Witherell Street which curves to the north. Turn right at Adams Avenue. Walk two blocks east to Brush Street.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.25 miles / 0.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 15 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes Here two sports venues face each other across Brush Street. On the east is Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. On the west is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.
At Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions NFL team, you can purchase tickets to attend a football game or a concert, or take a tour. Get a peek at a Ford Field suite, an NFL locker room, and walk down the tunnel to the field and stand on the turf for a player's view of the stadium. The tours are held twice daily, check http://www.fordfield.com for times and prices.
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Stop 9: Comerica Park
Directions from previous place: Walk across Brush Street to the west.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.12 miles / 0.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours This new baseball stadium is home to the Detroit Tigers and features the largest scoreboard in baseball. There's plenty to do here besides watching a baseball game! You and your kids can ride the carousel or the Ferris wheel, browse Tigers merchandise, dine at one of the many restaurants, look at the statues of sports figures, walk through the Walk of Fame, or watch the amazing water fountain on the centerfield wall. Take the public tour to see the visitor’s clubhouse and dugout, the Ernie Harwell Media Center, the Party Suite, the batting tunnel, and more. The tours run three days a week from June through September.
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End: Fox Theatre
Directions from previous place: Starting at Adams and Brush, walk west two blocks and cross Woodward Avenue. Go north two blocks and turn left (west) on Montcalm St.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.5 miles / 0.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 10 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 15 minutes Facing Montcalm Street to the north is the Fox Theater, your final stop on this tour of downtown.
This elegant theater was built in 1928 and is the largest surviving "motion picture palace" in the U.S. It has been a venue of American entertainment history, holding the distinction of being the Nation's largest continuously operating theater.
If you parked at Grand Circus Park, walk south on Woodward Avenue to return to your car and the end of this tour of downtown Detroit.
