How to Spend a Day in Dearborn/Wayne

Story by Michelle Fusco | Photos by Arab American National Museum, Ford Rouge Factory

Filling a day in Wayne County — part of metro Detroit — is an easy task.

It’s finding the time to fit it all in that’s the challenge. Here are some suggestions for making the most of your day in Wayne County.

What's the attraction(s)?

You'll find metro Detroit's most popular tourism attraction, The Henry Ford, located in Wayne County—Dearborn, to be exact. The Henry Ford consists of the expansive Henry Ford Museum, The Henry Ford Giant Screen Experience, the outdoor Greenfield Village (open seasonally April through December) and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. Visitors come from all over the world to tour the museum and village, which bring 300 years of American history and innovation to life. A tour of the Ford Rouge Factory, where the Ford F-150 pickup truck is produced, offers a glimpse of American auto manufacturing in action. These attractions on their own can easily fill your whole day. But wait, there's more...

The Arab American National Museum marked its 10th anniversary in 2016. A new 4,700 square foot addition was a great way to celebrate. This is the only museum in the United States that tells the story and celebrates the contributions of Arab Americans.

Eat It Up

Speaking of Arab American contributions, you'll find some of the most authentic and delicious Middle Eastern cuisine around in restaurants and bakeries along Dearborn's Warren Avenue. Detroit's landmark Dakota Inn Rathskeller has been serving up German fare with a side of entertainment for more than 80 years. And Giovanni's Ristorante, a Detroit staple for Italian food since 1968, is worth the trip for house made pasta and fresh seafood in an intimate atmosphere.

Shop Around

Fun and unique places to shop in Wayne County include The Glass Academy, a working artist studio that sells both functional glassware and glass sculptures. Michigan's only IKEA store is located in Canton. And Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn is a large shopping mall full of national retailers.

More to Explore

More stops in Wayne County to add to your travels: Wyandotte boasts art galleries, quaint shops, restaurants and beautiful waterfront parks, outdoor sculptures, street fairs and other special events. Weather willing, a bike ride on a trail through three of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks is an ideal way to spend an afternoon. The trail, which loosely follows the Huron River, runs through Oakwoods Metropark, Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark and allows users to travel uninterrupted for a 30-mile round trip. Save time to check out a skate park, disc golf, a butterfly trail, and nature center along the way.

Read more about places to visit in Detroit.

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