Detroit on a Dime | Free Things to Do in Detroit

The best vacation is one that doesn’t break the bank. Follow our “Detroit on a Dime” itinerary for a memorable, budget-friendly day in The D. All activities listed are $10 or less.

1. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: MORNING
2. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: AFTERNOON
3. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: NIGHT

1 DAY | 24 HOURS

1. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: MORNING

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FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: AFTERNOON

Carb up with breakfast at Hudson Café, where artistically plated pancakes, French toast, waffles or crepes await. Then, get the lay of the downtown land with a 75 cents ride on the Detroit People Mover or ride the new QLine streetcar, which opened spring 2017. Since Detroit is a huge sports city, take a guided $7 tour of Ford Field, home to the Detroit Lions. Go behind-the-scenes for a peek at an NFL locker room, guest suite and even a chance to walk through the tunnel and onto the football field. The first public tour is at 11 a.m. Mondays and Fridays (seasonally on Thursdays). Alternatively, the GM Renaissance Center offers free one-hour tours Monday through Friday at noon and 2 p.m.

2. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: AFTERNOON

Detroit Institute of Arts

For lunch on the cheap, choose from a seemingly endless list of gourmet sliders at Green Dot Stables or grab a Coney dog at side-by-side Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island. Find inspiration at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where for the $8 admission (free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents), you’ll take in some of the world’s greatest masterpieces. Insider tip: The museum stays open late on Friday nights. Just across Woodward Avenue is the Detroit Historical Museum. Admission is free. From late November through early March, you can also glide over to the ice rink at Campus Martius Park in the heart of downtown. Admission is $8. Skate rental is extra.

3. FREE THINGS TO DO IN DETROIT: NIGHT

Experience sports fusion at the Fowling Warehouse

Think authentic ethnic food for dinner. Try Sala Thai in Eastern Market; Los Galanes in Mexicantown; Bucharest Grill for Romanian in Corktown, Rivertown or on Piquette St.; or Golden Fleece in Greektown. For your evening’s entertainment, the Fowling Warehouse, headquartered in Hamtramck, is an authentically Detroit experience. Fowling combines elements of football, bowling and horseshoes. $10 per head for unlimited games. Feel like dancing? Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine, a Cuban restaurant in Detroit, offers free salsa lessons on Friday and Saturday nights.

Photo Credits: QLine 2014 QLINE; Detroit Institute of Arts and Green Dot Stables by Bill Bowen; Bucharest Grill by Cybelle Codish; Fowling Warehouse by Jan-Niklas Meier