For several decades, some very bad policy, politics and the loss of tens of thousands of good jobs placed Detroit pretty low on many people’s travel lists.

Much has changed, especially for those who love urban vacations highlighted by historic architecture, world-class museums, countless entertainment and sports venues, eclectic eats and reliable public transportation. All this and other amenities give Detroit an enduring sense of place and significance befitting a great American city. The core of Detroit is thriving and surprisingly accessible. And yes, for those who ask — the streets are safe, even far into the night.

Main Street Adventures

Woodward Avenue is an excellent place for any wheelchair user to start exploring downtown Detroit. Often referred to as “Detroit’s Main Street,” Woodward runs 27 miles from the Riverfront to Pontiac, Michigan. Over a century after making history with the first mile of concrete-paved road in America in 1909, Woodward now is ideal for wheelchair users, with wide sidewalks and densely packed attractions.

To maximize your time or simply save your energy, the QLINE, Detroit’s free streetcar, runs along Woodward for 3.3 miles from a point near the Detroit River to the New Center area. It has accessible seating near its doors, and each boarding station has a gently ramped boarding platform so the streetcar can be rolled onto directly with no worries about broken lifts or driver-activated ramps.

As a lifetime Detroiter and an ADA coordinator for Disability Network Wayne County Detroit, Jaime Junior is no stranger to the QLINE and the dos and don’ts of accessing the urban core. Junior, who has cerebral palsy, notes that while the QLINE is a great amenity, sometimes its tracks can interfere with crosswalks when they are not well maintained. She also urges caution traversing crosswalks, as a surprising number of them are riddled with manhole covers.

Because she is an ADA coordinator who sets the bar high, Junior can be an exacting evaluator. Owing to existing challenges, she gives the core of Detroit her B-/C+ grade for overall accessibility. “As a resident and somebody who visits a lot of museums, stores, services, etc., I think downtown Detroit can always do better,” says Junior. “Downtown needs to prioritize keeping the sidewalks open and smooth, which is good for people with disabilities, older people, families with strollers — even package deliveries.”

To avoid crossing too many wide streets, depending on the route, wheelers can take advantage of the elevated Detroit People Mover. The accessible mover serves 13 downtown stations along a 3-mile loop. Junior says the system is pretty good about maintaining the elevators up to the boarding platforms that allow flush-level entry. The fare is 75 cents.

A great place to start exploring Woodward and downtown Detroit is Campus Martius Park. Just a few blocks north of the Detroit River, Campus Martius Park was named the No. 1 public square in the nation by USA Today and is one of the highlights of downtown Detroit’s abundant, accessible public spaces. Other spots worth visiting include historic Cadillac Square in the center, Grand Circus Park on the northern edge of the urban core, and the pedestrian-only Woodward Esplanade that leads to the Detroit River, featuring an ever-expanding wheelchair-accessible river walk.

While you explore, enjoy the views of the city’s historic skyline. Once the fourth-largest city in the U.S. and home to an almost-unmatched industrial center, Detroit still has fabulous, ornate skyscrapers from the 1920s and 1930s. Albert Kahn, the great architect of towers and industry, left a legacy of buildings worthy of the finest seen in New York or Chicago.

Museums Galore

Less than a mile west of Woodward, on Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard, aka West Grand Boulevard, you’ll find the Motown Museum. One of the greatest small museums in the nation, the Motown Museum offers hundreds of gold records, colorful stage costumes of famous male and female acts, and tons of other fascinating memorabilia. Junior praises the museum for adding accessibility to a pair of old houses that Berry Gordy Jr., founder of the Motown record label, bought and expanded into when Motown was more a dream than the star factory that it became.“

Considering it has a great ramp up to the entrance and a good elevator to the second floor, I’d give Motown a high grade for having great access despite it basically being in an old house,” says Junior. For athletic wheelers, there’s a QLINE stop just north of Grand, and decent sidewalks all the way to the Motown Museum. For transit, roll a couple blocks west to the Fisher Building — more on it, next — and for a $2 dollar fare you can take the 16 Dexter Bus two stops to Poe Avenue, and roll on to Motown.

On the way back to the core of Detroit, pause to gasp at the Fisher Building, nicknamed Detroit’s largest art object. Kahn’s 1928 art deco masterpiece soars 441 feet, clad in marble, mosaics, painted ceilings and much brass and bronze. You’ll find shops and an accessible theater in the large lobby.

Virtually across the street is another of Kahn’s triumphs, the Neoclassical, 15-story Cadillac Place. It opened in 1922 as the headquarters of General Motors and, at the time, was the second-largest office building in the world. In the 1970s, GM moved to the monolithic Renaissance Center on the Detroit River, so now the complex houses 2,000-plus employees of the state of Michigan.

Only a few Q-stops away is the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Housed in a 22,000-square-foot, low-rise industrial building designed by Kahn to be an auto dealership, the museum offers a rotating selection of modern art and hosts a diverse array of events and guests.

As a wheelchair user with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emily Obert is supremely qualified to comment on the building’s accessibility. “I’m biased, because I got married there, but they really did a great job on the one-level entrance — not a segregated accessible entrance — and the open space is great for access,” says Obert, a T6-7 paraplegic.

Obert, who works on accessibility and equity at Ford Motor Company, also gives high marks to the Motown Museum and has a must-stop spot for foodies looking for a fun, accessible meal near both places. Baobab Fare opened in early 2021 and its East African cuisine and goods have already earned it a James Beard Award and recognition in The New York Times.

“Baobab gets that perfect balance between sweet, sour, salty, tangy,” says Obert. She recommends the samaki: lightly fried fish with sauteed onions served with fresh corn salad, fried plantains, stewed yellow beans and coconut rice or spiced rice pilau. “Everything on the menu is delicious.”

Aside from a tiny slope at the front door, Obert gives Baobab high marks for overall inclusion based on accessible restrooms and an open floor plan that has lots of accessible seating.

Halfway between Baobab Fare and the Museum of Contemporary Art, at the Warren Avenue QLINE stop, sits the granddaddy of all Detroit’s museums — the Detroit Institute of Arts. Spanning over 650,000 square feet and featuring 100 galleries, DIA is one of the largest and most significant art museums in the country. The museum is most famous for Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals,” a series of frescoes consisting of 27 panels depicting industry at Ford and Detroit. Controversial when completed in 1933, the murals have since been designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014 and were considered by Rivera to have been his most successful work. Other highlights include William Randolph Hearst’s armor collection and a massive selection of American art. Both Junior and Obert praised DIA’s accessibility.

“They have a grand staircase, because that’s what buildings had back then, but the main entrance has been reoriented to a level entrance from the south side of the building,” Obert says of the Neoclassical DIA, opened in 1927. “There also is free accessible parking close to that entrance off of Farnsworth Street.

“They have some of the biggest elevators around — some likely used for moving exhibitions — and there are lots of elevators throughout the building,” she says. “The main bathrooms are accessible, but the doors are a little hard to push open. DIA has a single accessible restroom near their classroom. It’s not obvious where it is, so they could improve signage, but it’s excellent for use with a personal care assistant.”

Obert offers an insider’s tip for visitors to Detroit looking for an added experience in the expansive, high-ceilinged court that displays the world-famous Rivera murals. “Everybody loves the Rivera murals and I’d have to say it’s my favorite too,” she says. “Check the calendar. They do some Friday night events there. I saw a concert in that room.”

Downtown Detroit

→ Where To Go

Motown Museum: Admission is $20, with guided tours only, so book in advance.
Detroit Institute of Arts: Admission is $18.
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit: Suggested admission is $10.

→ Where To Eat

Baobab Fare
Buddy’s Pizza: Buddy’s originated Detroit-style square pizza.
American Coney Island: Motown coneys — spicy chili, mustard and onion-topped dogs with snap — have been around for over a century.

→ Where To Stay

Hilton Garden Inn: Centrally located — and close to Ford Field, Greektown, Opera House, and Music Hall — the Hilton’s rooms with roll-in showers are often found for $175 per night.

→ How To Get Around

QLINE: The streetcar is free and accessible.
Detroit People Mover: Fare is 75 cents.
Detroit buses: Fare is $2.

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