It’s quite hard to describe what you are going to see at The Henry Ford. But one thing’s for sure, whatever you see at this four-site attraction played an integral part in U.S. history. From the bus made famous by Rosa Parks, President Kennedy’s Limousine, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, the Wright Brothers shop and even the chair that President Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot on that fateful night at Ford’s Theater, everywhere you turn, there are important historical artifacts. In fact, there’s more than 26 million of them!

All public entrances to The Henry Ford are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs and motorized scooters are available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis from the welcome center and Greenfield Village ticket building. Rentals require a current driver’s license to leave at the renting desk and completion of a rental agreement form.

Complimentary wheelchairs are available at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center. While motorized scooters are not available for rent at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, tour buses can accommodate smaller-model personal motorized scooters.

Segways can be used as mobility devices. Email the museum if you will need to use a Segway on your visit.

All restroom locations are accessible, except for those in the Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery hallway of the museum and the restroom on the first floor of Lovett Hall. A family restroom is located in the Greenfield Village ticket building.

All exhibits at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation are wheelchair-accessible with the exception of the following: interior of the Allegheny Locomotive cab (stairs; virtual tour available near stairway); interior of the Sperry-New Holland Combine cab (stairs); interior of the Rosa Parks Bus (stairs); and Dymaxion House (narrow doorway).

All public entrances to Greenfield Village are accessible. Whenever possible, wheelchairs are admitted into historic buildings. A list of Greenfield Village buildings with limited accessibility is available to download.

Access to historic rides in Greenfield Village varies by type of vehicle. The Model T's, Omnibus Shuttle, 1931 Ford Model AA Bus and Herschell-Spillman Carousel require transfer from wheelchairs or scooters to the seat of the vehicle. The Weiser Railroad has a wheelchair or motorized scooter lift that is limited to 500 pounds. Motorized scooters rented in Greenfield Village cannot fit on the train. You are welcome to transfer from your motorized scooter to the train and leave your scooter for pickup later, when the train returns to the stop where you left it.

The Donald F. Kosch Village Playground in Greenfield Village is an accessible playground for children up to the age of 10.

Wheelchair and companion seating is available at the Giant Screen Experience.

Sign language interpretation can be scheduled for any tour, program or event with at least two weeks’ advance notice. Shorter notice requests are accommodated if possible. Contact the call center at 313-982-6001 to make arrangements.

Assistive-listening headsets are available for use at the Giant Screen Experience. Closed-captioning is available for select films at the Giant Screen Experience.

Printed transcripts of the audio in the Legacy Theater at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour are available.

Large-print maps of Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation are available at the Clocktower entrance and the Welcome Center. Large-print maps of Greenfield Village are available at the village ticket building. Large-print maps of the Ford Rouge Factory Tour are available from bus greeters at the Tour Visitor Center.

Staff members at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour have received training on working with guests who are blind or who have low vision, and have been given tips on providing detailed descriptions during their presentations.

Free ninety-minute tactile tours are available for Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Please reserve at least three weeks in advance.

Download a list of areas in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village that are recommended for their tactile and multisensory opportunities.

Descriptive audio is available for select films at the Giant Screen Experience. Email for a list of films that have descriptive audio.

Check out this video to learn more about accessible programming at The Henry Ford.

Parking: Accessible parking is available in the west parking lot near the Welcome Center and Giant Screen Experience and on Village Road by the Greenfield Village entrance.

There are drop-off zones in front of Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation (Clocktower and Giant Screen Experience entrances) as well as in front of the Greenfield Village ticket building.

Public Transportation: Bus #140 to Oakwood and Village NW (6-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: The accessible parking fills up quickly on weekends and heavily visited days. Make sure you get there early to get a spot!

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is located in a Beaux-Arts building known as the “temple of art.” Housing one of the largest art collections in the United States, the 66,000 strong collection includes Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry and Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, the first van Gogh piece to enter a U.S. museum collection. Since 2000, the museum has been broadening its collection of African American art, making it a real must see.

The Farnsworth and John R. Loggia entrances are wheelchair accessible. Electric scooters and wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Farnsworth entrance.

Assistive Listening Devices are available upon request for events in the lecture hall and the Detroit Film Theatre auditorium.

All special exhibitions at the DIA have large print versions of wall text and interpretative materials available. Ask a staff member at the special exhibition entrance for assistance.

ASL interpreters are available for most events and can be arranged for any DIA event with at least two weeks’ advance notice.

Verbal description is available for museum tours and most events. Contact the DIA at least two weeks in advance to arrange for a descriptor.

To request more information or ask any questions, email the Visitor Services Hotline or call 313-833-7940.

Parking: On-site parking.

Public Transportation: QLINE light rail to Warren Avenue (4-minute walk) or bus #053 to Woodward and Detroit Institute of Arts (2-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Think Detroit and you naturally think… Penguins! Before your visit to the Detroit Zoo, the connection may not seem obvious, but once you visit the new Polk Penguin Conservation Center, the world’s largest facility for penguins, you won’t be able to separate the two. The zoo sits on 125 acres and houses over 2,000 animals of 240 species. Check out the National Amphibian Conservation Center, the Great Apes of Harambee, the Arctic Ring of Life and, of course, the penguins.

Wheelchairs and electric conveyance vehicles (ECVs) are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. While Segways are prohibited in the Detroit Zoo, visitors who have a personal Segway and a physician’s note indicating it is a prescribed mobility device will be offered the use of an ECV or wheelchair free of charge.

Assistive listening devices are available in the Ford Education Center Theater. Call 248-541-5717 x3750 to arrange a sign language, oral or cued speech interpreter at least two weeks in advance.

Parking: On-site parking.

Public Transportation: Bus #450, #461, #462 and #740 to Woodward at Zoo (5-minute walk).

Click here to find out more.

Top Tip: BYOB! The Detroit no longer sells bottled water. Visitors can bring their own water bottles or purchase reusable bottles at the zoo. There are 20 filtered-water stations throughout the grounds (also keep in mind that the zoo no longer provides plastic bags for gift shop purchases, so bring a bag if you are planning on buying souvenirs).

The Michigan Science Center (MiSci) is a hands-on museum offering an interactive approach to science. Through live shows, an IMAX® dome theatre, a planetarium, lab experiences and more, MiSci proves that science is anything but boring. With over 250 exhibits, it’s hard to know what to do first. Explore the fundamentals of electricity at the “DTE High Voltage Theater;” head to the newly revamped Toyota Engineering 4D Theater for a truly immersive journey into science; learn from local innovators in the “Smithsonian Spark!Lab” and let little kids figure out science through play in the “Kids Town Gallery.”

The center is wheelchair accessible. Complimentary wheelchairs (photo ID required) and motorized scooters are available for rent at the front desk.

Assistive listening devices are available for most theater shows. Audio transcripts are also available.

Parking: Accessible on-site parking.

Public Transportation: Bus #014 to Warren and John R (1-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Bank of America cardholders receive free general admission on the first full weekend of every month.

Like a lot of other attractions in the city, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) has a strong car connection. This large space is a former auto dealership that now displays art rather than vehicles. MOCAD showcases contemporary, visual, literary, music and performing arts.

All galleries and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms have accessible sinks and water fountains.

Complimentary wheelchairs are available from the checkroom.

The museum can arrange ASL interpretation for lectures and tours.

Guided tours can be arranged for visitors who are vision impaired.

Email or call 313-832-6622 to schedule a tour.

MOCAD has a designated staff member responsible for overseeing accessibility. The front desk staff is also trained to address accessibility and service animal questions.

Parking: Designated accessible spaces available.

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Don’t leave without visiting Café 78. Take in some art and lunch (or dinner) or try a selection of beers, wines and craft cocktails inspired by artwork in the museum.

Get ready to relive musical history with a visit to the Motown Museum. The label (which was started by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959) is a portmanteau of motor and town, celebrating Detroit’s other famous contribution to the world. The museum may be located in a humble residential area, but the list of Motown artists who recorded in the legendary Studio A is a “who’s who” of some of the music greats – from the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5. The tour includes the Control Room, Gordy’s restored apartment and Studio A.

The museum, including Studio A, is wheelchair accessible.

Parking: Street parking.

Public Transportation: Bus #016 or #042 to Grand Boulevard and Poe (2-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Book in advance. Tickets for tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and often sell out, especially for Saturday tours. Tickets can be purchased up to 21 days in advance.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is dedicated to opening minds and changing lives through “the exploration and celebration of African American history and culture.” Over its more than 50 years in existence, the museum has collected over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials. The museum’s core exhibit, “And Still We Rise: Our Journey Through African American History and Culture,” is the largest exhibition on African American history in existence. Don’t miss the imposing Ford Freedom Rotunda with its soaring glass dome, the Ring of Genealogy, which celebrates prominent African Americans in history or the “Inspiring Minds: African Americans in Science and Technology,” which focuses on STEM concepts for children.

The museum is wheelchair accessible via ramps and elevators. There are a limited number of wheelchairs available to borrow.

Parking: Available behind the museum at the Cultural Center parking lot.

Public Transportation: Bus #014 to Warren and Brush (1-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: The museum is closed on Mondays.

Stepping into the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is stepping on hallowed ground for automobile aficionados. The building, located in the Milwaukee Junction of Detroit is the birthplace of the Ford Model T, the car that bought motor vehicles to the masses. It’s also the place where Ford’s other innovation, the moving assembly line, was developed. Today, the volunteer-run museum houses over 40 early Ford and Detroit-built automobiles. Other highlights include a recreation of Ford’s office and the Experimental Room where the Model T was created. Public tours leave at 10 am, 12 pm and 2 pm.

The building is accessible, and has an elevator to get to the upper floor. Due to the age of the building, there are some areas where floorboards are uneven.

Parking: Free street parking is available Wednesday-Friday. At the weekend, free parking is available in the paved lot next to the building.

Public Transportation: Bus #042 to Beaubien and Piquette (1-minute walk).

Top Tips: The museum is closed between December and March, but private tours can be arranged year-round.

Find out more here.

If your idea of fun is coming face-to-face with sharks, sea turtles, seahorses and stingrays, make time to visit SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium. The 20,000 square-foot-aquarium, located about 30 minutes outside of downtown Detroit, is completely enclosed, making it a perfect rain, snow and sunny day escape. While it’s aimed at families with kids age 3-12, it’s perfect for all ages (as the song goes, “Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter!”).

The facility is wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms. Wheelchairs can be rented from the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets Guest Services booth in District 4 on a first-come, first-served basis.

The aquarium offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with crabs, sea stars and urchins in an Interactive Touchpool Experience.

Caregivers receive a free walk-up caregiver ticket.

Parking: Free parking is available at the mall. Park close to Entrance 7.

Find out more here.

They say you get what you pay for, but the Detroit Historical Museum is one place where you get far more than that. The museum, which is free to enter, tells the story of over 300 years of Detroit’s diverse history. Permanent exhibitions include ‘America’s Motor City’, ‘Detroit the Arsenal of Democracy’, the ‘Kid Rock Music Lab’ and ‘The Allesee Gallery of Culture.’

Most of the exhibits at the museum are accessible. A manual wheelchair is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Parking: Paid parking is available in the adjacent museum lot on Kirby Street.

Public Transportation: QLINE to Ferry Street (2-minute walk) or bus #053 to Woodward and Detroit Institute of Arts (1-minute walk).

Top Tip: The museum is closed on Mondays.