Michigan Family Travel

by Laura Campbell

Exploring is a favorite pastime in our household. Instilling that sense of adventure into my children has been so important to me. A real winner for our family is The Henry Ford Museum of Modern Innovation and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

We started visiting the museum when our two boys were toddlers, and we have enjoyed a family membership for the past 10 years. 

It’s a magical journey every time we go, and believe me, we have been there dozens of times! 

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The Henry Ford Museum of Modern Innovation

The Henry Ford Museum of Modern Innovation offers a variety of interactive exhibits to satisfy curious minds. Here are our top five exhibits:

1. Your Place in Time – This area showcases five generations that came of age during the 20th century. This exhibit highlights each generation and the technologies that shaped them, from the first cars and planes all the way to TVs and walkmans. Find where you fit in with this fun and interactive exhibit.

2. Heroes of the Skies – Explore early aviation history and discover the lives of aviation pioneers, like the Wright Brothers and see a replica of their Kitty Hawk. Sit inside authentically recreated fuselages of a Boeing 40, Ford Tri-Motor, Douglas DC-3 and Boeing 737. 

3. Presidential Vehicles – From the horse-drawn carriage used by Theodore Roosevelt to presidential parade cars that transported presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The most prominent vehicle is the 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine that John F. Kennedy was riding in when assassinated on November 22, 1963.

4. With Liberty and Justice for All – The focus here is on four key moments in the American quest for freedom: the Revolutionary Era, the Antislavery Movement and Civil War Era, the Woman’s Suffrage Movement, and the Civil Rights Movement. You can sit on the  Rosa Parks Bus, see George Washington’s humble camp cot, and view the real rocking chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated.

5. Mathmatica – Get inspired by the playfulness of Math! This exhibit isn’t just for those who love math. Watch as seemingly impossible bubbles form before your eyes. See ball bearings that mimic orbiting planets and a machine that illustrates probability theory! This area awakens the relationship between math and the everyday world.

All of these exhibits are my family’s favorites,  plus an authentic running diner car called Lamy’s which serves treats from the 1950s. There are also race cars on display and racing simulators for you to test your mettle as a driver. Turbines and trains also grace the halls waiting for you to climb aboard and be whisked away. 

Greenfield Village

Located next to the museum is Greenfield Village. It covers 80 acres of land with over 100 historical buildings that bring our American history to life. Here are my family’s favorite five exhibits:

1. Model T Ride – Take a spin around the village in a real Model T car made by Henry Ford. You can also see the house where Henry Ford was born and raised, nearby there is a replica of his workshop where he invented the very first car.

2. Railroad Junction – This is a fully operational, steam powered rail line. Take a ride on a real steam engine all around the village! See a real roundhouse where the engines are housed and serviced with a real turntable. Pro Tip: Place a coin discreetly on the train tracks and come back later to find it flattened. 

3. Main Street – Discover the center of the community brimming with American history and heritage. Make your way down the street to see historical buildings like the Logan County Courthouse where Abraham Lincoln argued his first case, Menlo Park where Thomas Edison invented the first lightbulb, Henry Ford’s childhood home, the Wright Brothers bicycle shop where they invented the first flying machines, and finally the village playground designed to replicate a 1930s construction site.

4. Carousel Ride –  This Herschell-Spillman Carousel Built in 1913 is a menagerie of hand-carved animals including storks, goats, zebras, dogs, and even a frog. 

5. Taste of History – A visit to Greenfield Village invites you into farms, kitchens and dining rooms that hosted family meals and extraordinary feasts of the past. You can enjoy those flavors at A Taste of History restaurant. Buffet style with plenty of comfortable tables, it uses authentic recipes of the past, locally sourced ingredients as well as ingredients grown on the Greenfield Village farms.  

The Henry Ford Museum of Modern Innovation is a great family friendly destination which offers an immersive trip into history. I know that you will enjoy your visit! Let me know what your favorite exhibits are.

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