Detroit's automotive barons produced lots of great things: automobiles, mansions, wealth. But one of their most valuable legacies was culture. With prestige on the line, the city's elite helped create and support some of the finest museums and theaters in the nation. And now we benefit from it. Today, the range of cultural options in Detroit is incredibly comprehensive, encompassing everything from maritime history to modern art.
Midtown is home to most. Within just a few blocks, this vibrant neighborhood features the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum and the newest addition, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. A few miles west in Dearborn is also The Henry Ford, the world's largest indoor/outdoor American history attraction. A few miles north is Cranbrook, one of the world's leading centers for education, science and art.
Theaters also abound. The Detroit Theater District is the nation's second largest in terms of seats and features most major musical and theatrical performances. It's home to the elaborately designed Fox Theatre, the second largest theater in the country after Radio City Music Hall, as well as the world's largest Masonic Temple. Detroit also features more contemporary performances at Wayne State University's repertory theaters, or at the edgier Planet Ant Theater and Matrix Theater.
Museums
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Arab American National Museum
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Cranbrook Art Museum
Cranbrook Institute of Science
Cranbrook House and Gardens
Detroit Historical Museum
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Science Center
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Henry Ford
Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus
Motown Historical Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit (MOCAD)
Walter P. Chrysler Museum
More museums in metro Detroit
Theaters
Bonstelle Theatre
City Theatre
Detroit Film Theatre (at the Detroit Institute of Arts)
Detroit Opera House/Michigan Opera Theatre
Detroit Repertory Theatre
Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Max M. Fisher Music Center
The Fillmore Detroit (formerly the State Theater)
Fisher Theatre
Fox Theatre
Gem and Century Theatres
Hilberry Theatre
Majestic Theatre
Meadow Brook Theatre
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
More theaters in metro Detroit