Aretha Franklin exhibit debuts at the Charles H. Wright Museum

DETROIT – More than 30,000 people visited the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to pay their respects to Aretha Franklin in August. Now the museum is honoring the Queen of Soul with a special exhibit.

The new exhibit is called "Think" and is filled with the sights and sounds of Franklin. 

Photos, documents and videos of integral moments in Franklin's life line the walls.

"We're turning this into the living room of the queen," said interim executive director George Hamilton. "Not so much to focus on artifacts or the items, but to select photography and artwork that really demonstrated segments of her life."

The red gown and shoes Franklin wore in her visitation are on display. 

The exhibit is just the beginning of what will be a larger tribute to Franklin at the museum. 

"Sometime in 2019,  we'll come back with a much larger expression of the queen," Hamilton said. 

The exhibit opens to the public Tuesday and runs until Jan. 21.

For more information on "Think," visit the official website here.


About the Authors:

Koco joined the Local 4 News team in September of 2016. She was born and raised in Metro Detroit, attended Central Michigan University, and previously worked at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.