Check Out These New Automotive History Tours Around Detroit

METRO DETROIT, MI — Calling all history buffs and car fans, a new set of tours around the area have the front-row look at the automotive roots in the region.

The MotorCities National Heritage Area, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving automotive heritage, is partnering with seven Detroit-area tour operators to offer public tours about the state’s automotive and labor heritage beginning this summer.

The partnerships are intended to serve as a pilot program that can be expanded in future years both in metro Detroit and in other communities around the 16-county National Heritage Area, organizers say.

Tour experiences vary from riding in a vintage Ford Model A to pedaling a bicycle or even kayaking in the Detroit River – all while visiting key automotive historical sites and learning the story of how the region put the world on wheels.

“We’re excited to be partnering with these companies to offer additional tour options and bring more of our amazing automotive heritage to both metro Detroit residents and out-of-town tourists alike,” said Shawn Pomaville-Size, MotorCities’ executive director.

Here's a look at the tours offered:

• Antique Touring Company- Tinkerers to Titans in the Auto Age Tour- Hop in a Ford Model A and explore the "coming of age" story of the automobile during the first decades of the 20th Century from the vantage point of Detroit’s Woodward Corridor. Tours are offered every day, except Tuesdays, now through October 31. Additional information can be found at https://antiquetouring.com/book/
• City Tour Detroit- MotorCities Car Culture Tour- A walking/ Detroit People Mover/ QLine tour showcases Detroit’s automotive heritage in the Downtown and Midtown areas. The four-hour tour begins in Hart Plaza and stops by many significant sites in the city. These tours will be offered on a seasonal basis once a week beginning mid-June through September. https://citytourdetroit.com/

• Detroit Experience Factory- MotorCities Auto Heritage New Center Walking Tour- On this walking tour, guests will experience the past, present and future of the Detroit area, going back in time with a visit to the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant and speak with some of the innovators who now call these neighborhoods home. This tour is offered June 25, July 30, August 27, and September 24. For more information please visit http://detroitexperiencefactory.org/public-tours

• Magical Michigan Tours- Henry Ford: From Farm to Factory Tour- This bus tour connects visitors to actual historic sites that reveal Henry Ford’s life from his farming roots to becoming an industrial magnate. Guests will visit locations important to his story and gain a personal view of his life and the impact on society in the 20th century. The tour is being offered year- round, twice a month. https://magicalmichigantours.webs.com/

• Preservation Detroit- MotorCities Downtown Auto History Tour- This tour will take guests on a walking history lesson, brought to life by characters that populated Detroit’s early 20th Century streets. Normally, the tour will be a 2.5 hour walking experience, however it can also be conducted via People Mover if requested by private groups. Public tours will be available on the second Sunday of each month from May through September.https://preservationdetroit.org/preservationdetroittours
• Riverside Kayak Collection - MotorCities Detroit Historical Canal Tour - Explorers are going to kayak through Detroit’s Eastside. Highlights of this tour include the Fisher Mansion, stories of prohibition and the Purple Gang, the friendly residents of Detroit’s “Little Venice” and a view of the Motor City’s downtown. Tours are two hours long and are available every Saturday and Sunday. Weekday availabilities and more information can be found on their website: https://riversidekayak.com/tours/detroit-historical-canal-tour/
• Wheelhouse Detroit- Auto Heritage Bicycle Tour - On this 15-mile tour, guests will discover how Detroit became the center of industry. The tour takes in the Globe Building, Dequindre Cut, Packard Plant, the GM Detroit-Hamtramck (Poletown) Assembly Plant, Milwaukee Junction, New Center (old GM Headquarters and Fisher Building), and TechTown, where we will learn how industry is evolving with advanced technology. Tour dates are June 15, July 20, August 17, September 21, and October 6. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/463484020853803/

For more information on tours and events, visit www.motorcities.org.