Things to Do on Detroit's Six Main Avenues: Jefferson, Gratiot, Woodward, Grand River, Michigan and Fort

Running parallel with the Detroit River, Jefferson Avenue starts in downtown Detroit at the Renaissance Center’s doorstep and takes travelers east through the Grosse Pointes. From downtown, it’s a direct route to the side streets that lead to riverfront destinations such as Milliken State Park and Harbor, the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater, and the Rivertown-Warehouse District.

A few blocks further, look for the MacArthur Bridge and spend an afternoon on Belle Isle. The island park, larger than New York’s Central Park, offers an aquarium, a nature center, the renowned James Scott Memorial Fountain, miles of riverfront fishing, and spectacular skyline views of downtown Detroit.

Once past the Detroit city limit, Jefferson rolls through the Grosse Pointes, where it fittingly changes names to Lakeshore Drive. The view overlooking Lake St. Clair on one side is breathtaking. The view of the lakefront mansions on the other side is equally memorable. Lakeshore Drive flips back to Jefferson Avenue roughly where you’ll see the Ford House, former estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford. The magnificent estate is open for tours, and during summer months features a weekly summer concert series on the lawn.

Jefferson continues along the Lake St. Clair shoreline through St. Clair Shores and its “Nautical Mile,” eventually reaching its end point in Mt. Clemens when it meets the grounds of Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

The main thoroughfare in Detroit shares a name with the man whose vision helped create the city’s street layout. It once continued south to the shores of the Detroit River, land now occupied by Hart Plaza. If Campus Martius is the heart of the city, Woodward is the carotid.

Bob Seger may have cruised it in a muscle car, but these days you can tour a little more than three miles of Woodward in a Q-Line streetcar. From downtown Detroit out to New Center, the Q-Line is a quick and convenient way to get from Campus Martius to places like Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Fisher Building.

For those traveling on foot downtown, don’t miss the start of the Woodward Cultural Heritage Tour, a series of placards marking cultural institutions, architectural masterpieces, and automotive landmarks. Markers flag points of interest such as the original Vernor’s location, where James Vernor created his now-famous ginger ale.

Further north into Midtown, the Magic Stick has become one of the city’s top live music venues, specializing in garage rock and techno music. The Magic Stick is part of the broader Majestic complex that offers a variety of entertainment options, including Garden Bowl, the Alley Deck, and Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza.

A half-mile north, the Detroit Institute of Arts remains one of Detroit’s most world-renowned attractions and the center of the city’s Cultural District, with a collection of more than 65,000 works. The diverse collection includes American, European, African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic and Ancient works.

Neighboring the DIA are notable family-friendly cultural attractions such as the Detroit Historical Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Michigan Science Center.

Across the Woodward from the DIA, the Detroit Historical Museum brings the city’s history to life with interactive exhibits, engaging displays, and experiences that celebrate the industries, culture and stories of Detroit history.

Behind the DIA, the Wright Museum explores the rich cultural legacy of African Americans, in Detroit and across the country, while the Science Center provides a great adventure for kids and adults alike with live shows, an immersive dome, a 4D theater, a planetarium, an 8,700-square-foot special exhibit hall and more than 220 interactive exhibits.

Woodward extends north nearly 30 miles to Pontiac, and runs through vibrant suburban towns such as Ferndale, Royal Oak and Birmingham. Among some of the notable destinations that boast a Woodward address include the Rust Belt Market in Ferndale and the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.

Originally built in the 1820s and ‘30s as a military road connecting Fort Detroit with Fort Dearborn in Chicago, Michigan Avenue has historic roots in one of Detroit’s most thriving areas: Corktown.

Portions of the original red-brick surface remain, even as recent developments have turned the city’s oldest neighborhood into a high-demand residential destination for tech professionals working out of Michigan Central. The Ford-led redevelopment project turned the abandoned Michigan Central Station into new headquarters for its electric-vehicle division, the crown jewel of a campus that blankets a large swath of Corktown.

Hints of yesterday’s Corktown do remain, at places like Nemo’s Bar. A longtime Detroit Tigers fan favorite hangout, Nemo’s for many is a treasure that holds memories of the former Tiger Stadium that stood at Michigan and Trumbull for decades.

A new brand of bar lives just across the street, at I|O Rooftop Lounge. Perched atop The Godfrey Hotel Detroit, the I|O Rooftop Lounge serves up skyline views and boutique beverages.

Michigan Ave., as it’s known locally, runs straight west before veering slightly south through downtown Dearborn and the nearby Ford global headquarters. It meets up again with Ford in Wayne, where the Michigan Assembly Plant cranks out hundreds of Bronco SUVs and Ranger pickup trucks every day.

Often paralleling I-94 as it works its way west across the state, Michigan Avenue - sometimes wearing different names such as Chicago Road - swerves through Michigan’s Irish Hills before continuing on to the state border with Indiana and into Chicago.