These four Detroit museums find their home on or near Woodward Avenue, nicknamed “Detroit’s Main Street.” The nearby Wayne State University is Michigan’s third-largest.

It makes sense that this area is called the Art Center district. You can barely walk a block without bumping into a museum, a building of cultural significance, a publishing house or an independent gallery.

If you’re looking for things to do in Detroit, you’ll definitely want to stop at these Detroit museums.

Detroit Historical Museum

When I visited the Detroit Historical Museum, I knew Motor City was an important place for American music, industry and civil rights. Almost all of my knowledge of Detroit history was from the 1950s onward. Well I can tell you I learned a lot more at the Detroit Historical Museum.

You’ll want to start from the museum’s lower level, where it has recreated street scenes from the 1840s, 1870s and 1900s. You can walk inside storefronts that actually existed in long-ago Detroit, imagining what it would be like to order a few yards of cloth or get a shave from an old-time barber.

The museum’s main floor takes you along a timeline of the 20th century in the Allesee Gallery of Culture, highlighting important moments in sports, music, television and of course cars. Kids in particular will love the Kid Rock Music Lab, which includes displays of famous Detroit musicians, and where you can try your own hand at mixing the next hit.

Detroit wouldn’t be Detroit without the auto industry, so it makes sense that the Detroit Historical Museum includes a two-story display about Motor City. My favorite part: the assembly line with several cars mid-assembly. It was so cool to look inside the “guts” of these cars. I find I take my own car for granted sometimes, which makes it doubly cool to see all the intricate work that goes into making one run!

Finally, you’ll go upstairs. This area includes room for special exhibits. When I visited the Detroit Historical Museum, it reflected on 1967, the contentious year of protests and demonstrations in Downtown Detroit. I thought it did an excellent job of critically looking at the context of the so-called Detroit Riot, and encouraging visitors to consider what we want Detroit to be like 67 years from now.

Visiting Detroit Historical Museum: Details

Address: 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI

Admission: $10 for adults, $6 for children

Hours: Museum closed Mondays. See museum hours for other details.

African American Museum in Detroit

The Charles Wright Museum of African American History celebrates the culture and highlights the history of African Americans. From the moment you step inside this Detroit museum, you’ll feel the magnitude of its mission. The Freedom Rotunda lets in sunlight that illuminates the flags of countries from which African Americans can trace their ancestry.

I took about an hour and a half to go through the African American Museum in Detroit. Most of that was in its current main exhibition, “And Still We Rise.” This thorough, immersive exhibition traces the history of African Americans from the inhumanity of the Middle Passage to present-day. “Enslaved but never mastered” perfectly summed up this exhibition.

One thing that stood out in this exhibition was its use of sound. Museums tend to be hushed spaces, but the Wright used recorded music, dialogue and environmental noise to transport visitors back in time. You might hear the noises of a bustling market in West Africa or the shouts of a slave auction as you walk throughout this African American Museum in Detroit.

A word to the wise: Some parts of “And Still We Rise” were, understandably, disturbing and graphic. (You can’t exactly explore the history of slavery without going into its horrific details, can you?) Still, I would have thought twice before bringing very young children through. For example, one part played a recording of a man screaming as his skin was branded. Teaching all children our country’s history—the proud and the ugly parts equally—is critical. I also want to teach them in a way that’s age-appropriate and share details they have the tools and language to process.

I loved the “Personal to Political” exhibition, too. This showcased prints and other media from African American artists, including stunning quilts from an artist of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. I loved seeing artists who favored a particular medium (like fabric for quilt-making) explore other modes of expression.

The Wright Museum of African American History continually updates its exhibition. I’m bummed that “Queen,” showcasing artwork of African American women, wasn’t yet installed when I visited. Oh well—it’s just another reason to return to this Detroit museum!

Wright Museum of African American History: Details

Address: 315 East Warren Ave., Detroit, MI

Admission: $8 for adults, $5 for children, free for children under 3

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 9am to 5pm. Sunday 1 – 5pm. Museum closed Mondays except for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Mondays in February.

DIA: Detroit Institute of Arts

The Detroit Institute of Arts is home to some of the most famous art in Detroit. The famous murals by Diego Rivera that take up an expansive room draw visitors from all over. These Detroit-centric murals highlight the auto industry, the WWII war effort and the artist’s worker-centric politics.

Although its 27 panels aren’t as controversial today, Detroit leaders called for the entire artwork to be destroyed. The head of the museum, as well as Henry Ford’s son Edsel (who provided some of the commission for the work), refused to give in. Thank goodness.

(Do you love murals—and want more? Then you’ll want to read my post on the best place to see street art in Detroit. This spot has murals on every block, so you’ll see dozens of them in one concentrated area.)

This Detroit art museum has much more than Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals, of course. Art from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as iconic pieces from the Americas and Europe, draw thousands of visitors each day. And the General Motors Center for African American Art puts a special emphasis on Black artwork, which was too long marginalized by museums.

Finally, if you visit DIA with kids, keep an eye on family-friendly activities and events. For example, look for a cart next to a statue of a donkey, called Artie, in the Prentis Court. This cart has free games kids can play throughout the museum. And on the weekends, volunteers lead kids’ activities throughout the museum. Finally, occasional workshops (like one making crayon rubbings and another stitching handmade books) are free with museum admission.

Detroit Institute of Arts: Details

Address: 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI

Admission: $14 for adults, $56 for children, free for children 5 and under

Hours: Open 7 days a week, most mornings at 9am. See the museum’s hours page for more details.

Michigan Science Center

Full disclosure: I haven’t visited this Detroit science museum—yet. But y’all know how much I love a good hands-on children’s museum! I know that the next time my kids and I are in Detroit, we’ll be spending a day at the Michigan Science Center.

This Detroit museum is directly next to the Detroit African American museum so I couldn’t resist including it. Like all the best children’s museum, the Science Center is interactive and hands-on. Kids can build model satellites, drive toy rovers over a pretend Mars, build an epic marble track and tinker in the Spark!Lab to invent new creations.

The Michigan Science Center also has a play area designed for preschoolers called Kid Town. It’s an area modeled after a city, with plenty of ways kids can use their imaginations and their sense of play, of course. Science-themed play dates with stories and guided activities take place here Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11am.

Where to eat near these Detroit museums

Going to museums makes me *hungry*! If you’re the same, here’s where to fill up.

For lunch, I recommend Seva, an all-vegetarian restaurant with hearty, seriously delicious fare. Meat-eaters and vegans alike will find plenty to love here. It took me ages to decide on what to order because I wanted it all. And every time a server brought out someone else’s meal, I changed my mind because it all looked so good!

In the end, I ordered vegan “cheese” dip with homemade tortilla chips, the parsnip chowder (which was featured in Vegetarian Times) and a mega satisfying vegan kale Caesar salad.

For dinner, head to Chartreuse, which was voted Detroit restaurant of the year in 2017. Its menu changes regularly to make the best use of what’s in season, so you know you’re always getting the freshest ingredients in whatever you order. To wit: A selection of just-picked vegetables from Recovery Park, the organization that turns vacant lots into urban gardens, is always on the menu.

You’ll also want to try chartreuse, the green liqueur this little restaurant is named after. You can taste a few of the varieties or order a cocktail mixed with this distinctive, herby liqueur. Finally, don’t forget to check out the living wall and flower installation at Chartreuse—definitely inspired by its green name!

So many Detroit museums!

I can’t imagine seeing all these Detroit museums in one day. (Just the thought of hitting up four museums at once makes me exhausted.) So when you’re in Detroit’s Art Center district, you’ll have to either pick which museums most interest you or pace yourself over a few days.

Have you been to any of these Detroit museums? Do you have other must-do recommendations for Motor City? Let me know in the comments!

The post Detroit museums: African American, art & historical museums appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

TBH, I was shocked that admission is free to this hands-on children’s science museum. The quality of the exhibits, the care taken with the displays and the overall fun of the museum were top-notch. Also, Kalamazoo, Michigan isn’t exactly a tourist mecca, but the city really outdid itself with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

If you’re traveling in the Midwest with family, I highly recommend adding this Kalamazoo children’s museum to your list of things to do in Kalamazoo. (And if you want to appear super-hip to the local lingo, you can call it “K-zoo.”)

At the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, your littles will get to sculpt mountains with an interactive topography map, compose a song that will play on its own, manipulate a mini tornado, learn from real mummies, create a wind turbine—and more!

Read on to learn about how to make the most of visiting the Kalamazoo Valley Museum with kids. My review of this free Kalamazoo children’s museum in Michigan covers the best exhibits, logistics, live events and even sensory friendly aspects for if your children have special needs.

Enjoy Kalamazoo!

Why visit the Kalamazoo Valley Museum with kids?

In the spring, my family went to Kalamazoo, Michigan for our cousin’s wedding. We had an amazing time at the wedding, celebrating two wonderful humans joining their lives together. Once the wedding finished, my kids needed things to do in Kalamazoo where they could be their usual zany, active selves without being shushed.

So I researched things to do in Kalamazoo, and we found this free children’s museum. Without a doubt, we were going to the Kalamazoo children’s museum!

We spent two hours at this hands-on science and learning museum—and could have explored longer. But we literally stayed until the last possible moment before closing, and even then I had to pretty much drag the kids away from the fun, family-friendly science activities!

Here are the features that make the Kalamazoo Valley Museum so spectacular.

Kid-friendly features of this Kalamazoo children’s museum

Sensory play to the max

Search on Pinterest and everything is all about sensory play, and for good reason: Small children learn by doing, and manipulating materials in a way that engages multiple senses is terrific for their development. Sensory play stimulates the growth of new neural pathways, strengthens creativity, encourages exploration and innovation, and increases motor skills.

Plus, sensory play is fun!

The Kalamazoo children’s museum incorporates sensory play throughout the three-story space. My girls’ favorite example of sensory play at this hands-on children’s museum was the topography activity: By moving kinetic sand, they sculpted mountains, valleys and rivers. And by creating shadows with their hands, they could spark thunderstorms and watch how the water moved over the landscape.

Open-ended play that teaches science (sneakily)

Have you ever tried to explain a science concept to your kids? Chances are, you got a blank stare right before they changed the subject. That’s because trying to explain abstract concepts doesn’t work well for children; they need to understand science by experimenting and doing.

At this Kalamazoo children’s museum, exhibits are designed so kids see science concepts in action.

Take, for example, an area dedicated to shadows. My girls weren’t attracted to this exhibit to learn about how the size of shadows changes based on how close an object is to the light source. (*snooze*) Rather, they wanted to play with all the figurines!

However, through this open-ended play, they saw that moving a little bear close to a light made its shadow bigger than the large bear. They had great fun creating a whole story about a bear family living in the woods. It turns out they were inspired, too: Since returning from Kalamazoo, Michigan, they’ve been putting on puppet shadow shows almost every night!

Family activities for a range of ages

I love that this Kalamazoo children’s museum included activities designed for a range of ages, from babies to early middle school. My girls are 3 and 5—fairly close in age—but still have different interests and skills. They settled into different activities and even found their own, age-appropriate ways to interact with the same exhibits.

Space for babies and toddlers to explore science

If you’re looking for things to do in Kalamazoo with toddlers, you’ve found it: The Children’s Landscape preschooler room on the second floor of this Kalamazoo, MI museum offers a quiet area designed for kids 5 and under. This is where your baby and toddler will love to hang out.

A rocket and a bus encourage imaginative play and make-believe. A puppet show theater lets kids explore storytelling. The make-your-own hopscotch area got my younger daughter hopping for ages. And a coloring station is tucked into a cozy area that is perfect for babies and toddlers who are feeling overwhelmed by the big-kid energy of the rest of the children’s museum.

Physical activity at the museum

Have you ever been to a museum with kids when they weren’t supposed to jump, skip and move their bodies? It’s hard. That’s why I love that the Kalamazoo Valley Museum incorporates physical activity into the science activities.

For example, my girls and I spent roughly a half-hour on one kid-friendly activity where we ran and jumped along a track to make line graphs on a screen. It was so fun!

Kalamazoo Valley Museum – children’s museum in Michigan from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

Experimentation, failure, persistence (aka science!)

The scientific method is inherently based on experimentation—and failure. Teaching kids that this is a totally normal part of learning and understanding makes a huge difference in their capacity for perseverance.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum offers plenty of “problems” for kids to solve—and doesn’t give the answers! This allows kids to try things out on their own and figure out what works.

My girls, for example, loved engineering structures with rods, balls and rubber bands. Then they pushed a button to simulate different types of earthquakes. Their structures often toppled over—and that’s the point! They saw that some designs couldn’t withstand an earthquake, then figured out how to build sturdier ones.

Hands-on activities like this one at this Kalamazoo children’s museum are the best way to develop grit—a key characteristic among future scientists.

Connection between science and history

This hands-on science museum incorporates history, too. Certain exhibits and features, such as the Kalamazoo city history area and the gallery wall, ground science in time. This is also a terrific opportunity to talk to your kids about how our ideas, including our ideas of science, change over time.

For example, my girls and I talked about how women weren’t always welcome in the scientific community. (They were horrified. And confused.) Talking about history also allows us to discuss the evolution of social ideas—like how people in power in our country wanted to keep black and white folks separate. These are terrific learning opportunities for kids. I’m grateful for places like this Kalamazoo museum that give parents a way in to discuss challenging topics like sexism and racism.

Live events at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum

When we visited the Kalamazoo Valley Museum with kids, we didn’t see any special events—but check out the museum’s calendar to see if you can catch one! The children’s museum hosts story times, live music and even a chili cook-off.

Planetarium shows

We didn’t attend a planetarium show, but this is definitely on my list of things to do in Kalamazoo with kids for the next time we visit. Yes, these shows include explorations of the universe—but other ones take you back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the planet or even to the bottom of Michigan’s Great Lakes.

Planetarium tickets are just $3 per person—an affordable add-on, especially considering this children’s museum is free otherwise.

Sensory friendly for families with special needs

This Kalamazoo science museum is one of the most sensory-friendly children’s activities I’ve seen for kids on the autism spectrum or those with other sensory needs.

You can get a “sensory tool kit” from the front desk. It includes items that will make a museum visit easier for kids who need accommodations, including fidget bands, noise canceling headphones and other tools to help children navigate the museum. In addition, on Sensory Saturdays, planetarium shows run on lower volume, and free classes for families cover topics like childhood development, parenting skills and autism.

Science is a part of everything

Sometimes we think of science as a subject separate from language, math—everything. (After all, these courses are distinct all through school.) But this hands-on museum shows that science relates to just about every field, including music, food—and even hockey!

Visiting the Kalamazoo Valley Museum: The details you need

If you’ve been wondering what to do in Kalamazoo with kids, I know this post has been helpful! By now you’re excited to bring your kids to this Kalamazoo children’s museum. Heck, you’re probably itching to play with the hands-on museum exhibits yourself! (No judgement, I was doing it too!)

Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your visit to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

Bathrooms: Restrooms are located on the first and second floors.

Coat check: You can stash coats and bags in lockers on the first floor, to the left of the front desk. You just need a quarter to use the lockers, which you’ll get back you when you return the key.

Parking: Street parking in downtown Kalamazoo is extremely limited. I recommend using a parking garage. There’s one just a block away from the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Use this site to find nearby parking.

Food + drink: This children’s museum doesn’t have a cafe, but you can bring in your own food and drink. However, you can only eat and drink on the ground floor. There are picnic tables nearby in the park; you can also sit in the plaza at the museum’s entrance.

Playground: If your kids still have energy to burn after playing at this Kalamazoo children’s museum, head to the playground at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place. Just a block away from the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, you’ll find this city park with a fountain—and a play structure, of course.

Donations: I was so blown away by this wonderful children’s museum in Kalamazoo that I couldn’t believe that it was free. I’m grateful that such a wonderful museum is affordable to all. I wanted to support its work and ensure it continues to be something every family can enjoy, regardless of their finances, so we donated to the museum before we left. You can do the same if you’re financially able; you can also become a supporting member.

Ready to explore this kid-friendly museum in Kalamazoo

Now that you know the Kalamazoo Valley Museum is one of the best things to do in Kalamazoo with toddlers and big kids, I’m pretty sure it’s on your itinerary. After all, it’s free, so you lose nothing by trying it out!

Once you go beyond the free admission, though, I’m confident you’ll agree that this children’s museum in Kalamazoo is a wonderful place to spend the day with kids.

PS – While you’re in Michigan with the family, check out Detroit’s incredible street art! The murals in Eastern Market are concentrated in just a few blocks, making it easy to see a ton of street art with minimal walking—ideal for families.

The post Kalamazoo Children’s Museum: Free things to do in Kalamazoo, MI appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

Eastern Market is a small neighborhood just north of Downtown Detroit and Ford Field that hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday (the longest-running year-round farmer’s market in the country). In 1969, an artist commissioned the neighborhood’s first murals, and the Detroit street art scene here blossomed since. In just the last six years, more than 100 new murals have been added, thanks to the organization Murals in the Market.

I didn’t know any of this when I chanced upon Eastern Market; I was writing at a café nearby when I spied a mural across a highway and made my way over to investigate. I ended up spending a half-day exploring the Eastern Market murals and absolutely fell in love with this Detroit street art neighborhood.

Don’t leave finding street art during your Detroit trip to chance; head over to Eastern Market and see this vibrant street art scene for yourself.

Detroit street art’s Eastern Market murals

All you need to do to find the Eastern Market murals is open your eyes—it’s literally impossible not to find this Detroit street art.

Murals are painted on just about every vertical surface, from walls of wholesale meat markets to abandoned, crumbling buildings.

One of the reasons I recommend Eastern Market as one must-do activity in Detroit is the concentration of amazing murals here. You can’t walk a block without coming upon a remarkable piece of public art—or several!

What’s more, the number of Eastern Market murals grows every year. The annual Murals in the Market festival, which happens every September, combines murals with a block party-like series of events to celebrate this uniquely Detroit neighborhood.

In fact, Smithsonian Magazine named Murals in the Market one of the best street art festivals around the globe (and was the only one in the US).

My favorite Eastern Market murals

Ok, so I actually can’t pick a favorite among this Detroit street art. But I filled up my camera’s memory card with snaps of nearly every mural I saw.

I even wandered a little farther afield than the central Eastern Market spot. I found murals on abandoned buildings and some street art I had to view through chain link fences.

This Detroit street art isn’t sanitized. It has a point of view. It embraces Detroit’s gritty identity, and it doesn’t sugarcoat the very real issues residents of Motown face.

That’s one of the reasons I love Eastern Market murals, and why you’ll adore them, too.

What to do in Eastern Market

When you’ve had your fill of seeing Detroit street art, hang for a little longer in Eastern Market. Here’s what to do in this Detroit neighborhood.

Taste Detroit at the farmer’s market

If you visit Eastern Market on a Saturday, taste locally grown produce and other goodies from roughly 225 vendors. This year-round, indoor farmer’s market has been running for 125 years!

Support local artisans

On Sundays, local jewelers, artists, crafters, musicians, cooks and more gather in Eastern Market’s high-ceilinged buildings to share their wares. June through September, support Michigan makers and bring home something unique to Detroit.

Sip specialty coffee

Stop in at Germack, the nearly 100-year-old craft coffee roaster in Eastern Market. They take coffee seriously (and you can walk past their roasting operation on your way to the bathroom). While you’re there, pick up specialty spices, loose leaf tea and their custom snack mixes as gifts for the folks back home (or for yourself!).

Buy art for your own walls

Now that you’re totally inspired by all the Detroit street art, take some local art home. Find letterpress posters, handmade postcards and more at the printer’s co-op Signal-Return. I spent nearly an hour in here narrowing down which posters and prints I would buy. They’ll happily roll them up in a cardboard tube so you can safely transport them home.

If you’re looking for other things in Michigan to do as a family, don’t miss this comprehensive guide of things to do in Michigan with kids over on DQ Family Travel. A bunch of bloggers, including me, suggested our favorite Michigan family activities!

Have you ever been to Detroit? Did you see any Detroit street art? What did you think of the city?

The post The #1 spot for Detroit street art: Eastern Market murals appeared first on To & Fro Fam.