Start the day at The New Detroit Science Center (5020 John R St., Detroit), one of the nation’s foremost centers for science education, although it’s well-disguised as a quirky, colorful place where kids and adults are guaranteed to have a good time. Besides an exhibit floor with plenty of hands-on activities, the center has an IMAX dome theater, digital planetarium and five exhibit laboratories.
Hop in the car and head southwest to Detroit’s vibrant Mexicantown neighborhood, centered mainly on Bagley Avenue, near the base of the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. Here you’ll find a multitude of fantastic authentic Mexican restaurants, markets, bakeries and shops, as well as a recently-opened $17 million welcome center and mercado.
Enjoy a meal at Los Galanes (3362 Bagley, Detroit) where mom and dad can dig into traditional specialties like cabrito (roasted baby goat) while the kids can stick with basic tacos. Pick up some authentic Mexican pastries for dessert at the nearby Mexicantown Bakery, (4300 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit).
If everyone’s still raring to go come evening, the Fox Theater (2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit) often has kid-centric entertainment on tap, or depending on the season, take in a game at Comerica Park (2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit), Joe Louis Arena (600 Civic Center Drive, Detroit) or Ford Field (2000 Brush St., Detroit).
Western Suburbs
This itinerary works best with an Oakland County hotel as a base.
Regardless of the season, start your day at the Detroit Zoo (8450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak), which is open year-round and often has special exhibits and kid-friendly events. One of the best newer exhibits is the Australian Outback Adventure — which gives guests an up-close look at 17 red kangaroos — and the four-acre, indoor/outdoor Arctic Ring of Life, the world’s largest polar bear exhibit.
Grab a snack at the zoo, because now you’re going to one of the world’s leading centers of education, science and art — Cranbrook. The enormous complex consists of an art museum, house and gardens, natural history museum, and both a graduate academy and college preparatory school. All of these are enticing, but the Cranbrook Institute of Sciences (39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills) is probably the best suited for kids of all ages, from little ones to teenagers. Here you can see a full-size T. Rex skeleton, a digital planetarium, the skeletal remains of a mastodon discovered locally in 2006, The Bat Zone and plenty of rotating exhibits.
Drive about 15 miles north to Great Lakes Crossing (4300 Baldwin Rd., Auburn Hills), the perfect family destination with 1.4 million-square-feet of entertainment, including more than 200 stores, a 25-screen movie theater and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World — nearly five-football-fields-worth of outdoor enthusiasts’ gear.
The kids will love a break at the Rainforest Café a tropical-themed restaurant with live and animated animals; periodic rainstorms; a talking tree; and salt-water aquariums. They often have special promotions and events, so check the web site before you go.
Also in Auburn Hills is The Palace of Auburn Hills (4 Championship Dr., Auburn Hills), home of the Detroit Pistons basketball team and host to concerts, sporting events and lots of kids entertainment.
