What You Will Do
Ready to venture beyond the history books and uncover the hidden past of Detroit? Join our historian-led, 90-minute tour and dive into the Motor City’s most gripping tales—stories that shaped a legend, told as you stroll through North America’s most stunning architectural gems.
- Intimate small-group atmosphere and plenty of time for questions
- Tour is perfect for history buffs and first-time visitors
- Walking tour lets you get to know the city intimately
- Hear 8 unique historical stories from Detroit’s past
For those hungry for more, an optional 30-minute extension reveals Detroit’s strangest and most enigmatic legends—mysteries that linger in the shadows, waiting to be explored.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
Meeting Point
We meet at Grand Circus Park on Woodward Ave, right across from the People Mover Station. Your guide will be waiting at the stone pillar at the corner of Woodward and Park Ave.
1
Grand Circus Park
10 minutes
Our tour begins at Grand Circus Park, in the center of Downtown Detroit. We will introduce our tour and familiarize you to one of the most impressive bearded statues in Detroit. We will also discuss potatoes.
2
Michigan Theater Building
7 minutes
When a relentless tinkerer rolled his first horseless carriage out of a Detroit garage, he couldn’t have foreseen the revolution he’d ignite. Henry Ford crowned Detroit the Motor City—but did his legacy also sow the seeds of its unraveling?
3
7 minutes
When Thornton Blackburn and his wife arrived in Detroit they probably assumed the worst was behind them. Little did they know a slave hunter was hot on their trail and the ensuing struggle for freedom would push a city already on the edge into destruction.
4
Campus Martius Park
7 minutes
Augustus Brevoort Woodward was nobody’s idea of normal – naming himself after a Roman Emperor was just one example – but he had a vision to turn Detroit into the greatest city in the world. Unfortunately the most powerful men in Michigan had other ideas.
5
The Spirit of Detroit
7 minutes
When Detroit’s own Joe Louis faced off against the undefeated German Max Schmeling in their second iconic bout, Americans—Black and White alike—saw more than a boxing match: it was a clash of freedom against fascism. Fewer know what unfolded after the final bell, when a rivalry became one of sports history’s most unexpected and enduring friendships.
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