Four Seasons at The Henry Ford Spotlight ON

Detroit

Detroit, the big southeastern Michigan metropolis dubbed “Motor City,” boasts great restaurants, music and plenty of places to explore.

Winter

It doesn’t get any merrier than Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, where you’ll find 80 acres of carolers, roasting chestnuts and historic homes. Take a ride on a Model T or horse-drawn wagon or a spin on the carousel or around the ice rink. Make your evening even more magical by booking Supper with Santa or a candle-lit dinner at Eagle Tavern.

SPRING

Greenfield Village opens for the season April 15. Until then, there’s plenty to explore inside at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, including the bus on which Rosa Parks was riding when she was arrested and the rocking chair in which Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was shot. Kids love the hands-on activities and exhibits.

Summer

Greenfield Village is an outdoor living history museum that’s home to almost 100 buildings from different time periods in America, including the Wright Brothers’ original bicycle shop that was moved from Dayton, Ohio. Other famous buildings include poet Robert Frost’s home and the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law in Illinois.

Fall

Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village invites guests to stroll through the village at their own pace. During the day, enjoy wool dying, beer brewing and yard games. Things get spookier at night on the illuminated jack-o’-lantern path that leads through dramatic vignettes from such stories as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Eat

For down-home soul food at an iconic Detroit eatery, try the new location of Detroit Soul in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. You can enjoy favorites like mac and cheese, black-eyed peas, barbecue and cobbler. detroitsoul.net

For a cool boutique hotel stay in the heart of Detroit, book The Siren Hotel. This newer artsy hotel with 106 guestrooms — along with shops, restaurants and a rooftop deck — occupies the historic 1926 Wurlitzer Building. thesirenhotel.com

To take in the beautiful sights of the American and Canadian skylines on opposite shores of the Detroit River, take a one-hour narrated cruise on a Diamond Jack Riverboat. diamondjack.com

Detroit’s history is full of soul. If you’re a music fan, visit on April 1 for the 15th Annual Motor City Blues Festival. The 2023 Blues is Alright Tour, held at the historic Fox Theatre, features performances by Blues artists Pokey Bear, King George and Calvin Richardson. visitdetroit.com