DETROIT – The 2024 NFL Draft is expected to bring thousands of people to Detroit who have never experienced the joy of the Motor City.
Related: What time does the NFL draft open each day in Downtown Detroit?
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If it’s your first time here, what can you do besides grab a Coney and a Vernors and take a trip on the slide that hurts people? Well, the slide that hurts people is closed, so here are some other must-see things in Detroit and some alternatives if you want to take a look outside the city.
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is one of the largest and most culturally significant art collections in the country. It has more than 100 galleries over 15 square acres of space. It is continually regarded as one of the best museums in the United States. It has won USA Today’s “Best Art Museum” for two years straight (and has been in the top 10 for several years prior).
The DIA’s collection contains pieces from iconic artists dating back hundreds of years, including Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Jan van Eyck, John Singleton Copley and literally hundreds of others.
Metro Detroit alternative: Cranbrook Art Museum
This contemporary art museum in Bloomfield Hills contains a diverse collection of art from the last 150 years featuring crafts, architecture, design and more.
It’s also a part of the Cranbrook Educational Community, a complex that includes the Cranbrook Institute of Science (which is also worth seeing).
Eastern Market
The Eastern Market area is a celebration of small and local businesses in Detroit. Hungry for tacos? Need some produce? Want to sit at a craft brewery and people-watch? This historic spot is the place to be. In addition to more than 200 unique vendors, the 125-year-old icon of the city features murals, live music and more.
Eastern Market is open every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Metro Detroit alternative: Kerrytown Market & Shops
This historic market contains eclectic shops and restaurants in Downtown Ann Arbor. It’s a staple of the area that attracts hundreds of people.
Belle Isle
Coming to Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft, you’ll no doubt see our city’s beautiful Riverfront (named Best Riverwalk in America three years in a row), but if you’re looking for some more beauty along the Detroit River, there’s no better place than Belle Isle. It’s the largest city-owned park in the United States and features the Belle Isle Aquarium, a golf course, a swimming beach, the Belle Isle Nature Center, the Belle Isle Conservatory, monuments, art and more.
It’s kind of difficult to find a part of Detroit that doesn’t feature art.
Metro Detroit alternative: Kensington Metropark
Kensington Metropark is composed of a beautiful wooded hilly area that surrounds Kent Lake. It features boating, picnicking, canoeing, a nature center, disc golf, normal golf and more.
Comerica Park
The Detroit Tigers is the longest-running team in the American league that has kept its name and its city. This weekend, the Tigers will face off against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Comerica Park has seen multiple renovations ahead of this season, including new food options and upgrades across the board. Every Saturday, the first 15,000 fans to enter the park will receive giveaways -- more information can be found here.
Metro Detroit alternative: Wolverines Baseball
For fans of college sports, University of Michigan Wolverines Baseball will face off against Long Beach State on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Corktown
Corktown is the oldest still-standing neighborhood in the city. Named after County Cork, Ireland, the area was populated primarily by Irish immigrants in the 1800s. While mostly residential, the area still has unique bars, shops and restaurants that can please anyone. It’s also home to Michigan Central Station, the historic rail station that was once a symbol of the city’s fall, but is now a symbol of Detroit’s rebirth. The building was closed for more than 30 years before being purchased and renovated by Ford Motor Company as a hub for new technology.
It’s set to officially open on June 6.
Metro Detroit alternative: Royal Oak / Ferndale
If you take a drive down Woodward Avenue into Ferndale and Royal Oak, you’ll find a diverse community filled with bars and shops and the Detroit Zoo -- the first zoo in the United States to feature bar-less habitats.