Visit the Motor City with the entire family, and enjoy these 14 things to do in Detroit with kids.
The largest city in Michigan, filled with rich history, includes the birthplace of Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry and Motown music.
Modern-day Detroit comprises a racially diverse population.
Let your children explore and embrace the arts, the music, and the innovations that put Detroit on the map.
Contents
- Things to Do in Detroit With Kids
- Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
- Detroit Kid City
- Legoland Discovery Center
- SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium
- Detroit Institute of Art
- Belle Isle Park
- Detroit Zoo
- Detroit Historical Museum
- Eastern Market
- Fischer Building Tours
- Detroit’s Ice Cream Trail
- Outdoor Adventure Center
- CJ Barrymore’s Family Entertainment Center
- Wolcott Mill Metropark
- Detroit Safety Overview
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What sports teams can I see with my child in Detroit?
- What cultural experiences will my children enjoy in Detroit?
- Is Detroit safe to visit with children?
- Are there educational sites to visit in Detroit with kids?
- Where is the best place to stay with children when visiting Detroit?
- Are there any free things to do with kids in Detroit?
Things to Do in Detroit With Kids
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village go hand in hand as a day trip.
Visit the Ford Museum to experience American Innovation.
Learn how Ford developed the automobile assembly line and step inside a bus where Rosa Parks sat to change Civil Rights history.
Head to Greenfield Village to ride a Model-T and walk through four working farms.
Also, visit the laboratory where Thomas Edison made several inventions while you learn about other inventors.
Detroit Kid City
You will feel like they took the big city and shrunk it.
Come play in this miniature version of Detroit.
Dress up, and pretend you are a baseball star or a Motown legend.
Or, let your imagination run wild as you enjoy free play.
Locals love to celebrate birthday parties here.
Tourist visitors are welcome to enjoy it as well.
Detroit Kid City is in Clinton Township, northeast of the Detroit Metro area.
Legoland Discovery Center
Explore and let your child build with their favorite plastic building brick.
While there, watch a 4D movie or plan your visit around a specific attraction.
Ride some amusement-style rides with a Lego theme, and meet popular Lego characters.
Combine your ticket with a visit to Sea Life with special pricing.
Visit Sea Life within walking distance nearby.
Build and inspire, and then keep the fun and excitement going.
SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium
Visit Michigan state’s largest aquarium for a sea-themed adventure.
See sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, jellies, clownfish, and seahorses in their natural habitats.
Get your hands wet in the interactive touch pool experience.
Walk through the underwater ocean tunnel.
Go to school with the fish in the Shoaling exhibit.
Sink into a pirate’s shipwreck to explore eels and other deep-sea creatures.
Get special ticket pricing when you combine your SEA LIFE ticket with a visit to Legoland Discovery Center nearby.
Detroit Institute of Art
Visit the center of Motor City to discover one of the most significant collections of art in Detroit.
Step into more than 100 art galleries, where you will enjoy many 19th-century paintings, Italian Renaissance art, and art from the Baroque period.
Let your kids climb the spiral staircase that leads up to the medieval gallery filled with suits of armor and other interesting artifacts.
Schedule your visit around a special event, or visit the daily exhibits.
Belle Isle Park
Experience an island oasis in Detroit where the kids can play.
Visit animals at the zoo, grab a sneak peek at sea life at the aquarium, or sit back and enjoy outside adventures in fishing, biking, or hiking.
Bring along a picnic lunch to eat near the Detroit River.
Let the kids burn off some energy at one of the many playgrounds.
Head into the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory to see exotic and tropical plants.
Remember to bring your camera since you may get a glimpse of an eagle who makes its home on the island.
Detroit Zoo
Explore more than 125 acres of the Detroit Zoo, packed with animals for viewing.
Watch black bears and polar bears.
Head to the Polk Penguin Conservation Center to view 80 penguins swimming around.
Walk through the see-through tunnel, and look up to see penguins enjoying the water.
If you time your visit well, you may catch a local band to add musical entertainment to your zoo trip.
For an additional small charge, hop on the Tauber Family Railroad train for a ride around the zoo.
Or, hop on the carousel for a ride on the wild side atop your favorite wooden carved animal.
Detroit Historical Museum
Walk the streets of more than 300 years of Detroit’s rich history.
The Detroit Historical Museum reveals the history of southeastern Michigan.
One favorite exhibit of visitors is The Streets of Old Detroit.
This exhibit displays a recreation of Detroit street scenes from the 1840s, 1870s, and early 1900s.
The museum also features changing and traveling exhibitions.
While the museum charges admission for adults, children under six years of age enter for no charge.
Eastern Market
Pick up some fresh produce, or walk around to take in the entire experience of a farmer’s market located in the heart of a bustling metropolis.
Let your children explore by your side at this market founded in 1891.
It’s the largest outdoor farmers market in America.
Walk through five separate markets during the summer months.
Two of the markets are open year-round.
Discover unique foods and other merchandise for sale.
Fischer Building Tours
Tour Detroit’s 1928 Albert Kahn-designed architectural masterpiece.
Plan on spending 45 minutes to an hour for the complete tour, where you and your children will witness the exquisite design and ornamentation of the interior arcade, mosaics, painted ceilings, Art Deco chandeliers, and brass, bronze, and fine stone craftsmanship.
Pure Detroit Tours are the ones who offer the Fischer Building Tour.
Children experience the tours free of charge.
Detroit’s Ice Cream Trail
Plan on visiting all of the must-taste ice cream shops in Detroit.
Check off the list as you visit each locally-owned ice cream shop.
Maybe choose one a day so as not to overload on sweets.
The self-led tour takes you through Metro Detroit and into Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County.
Michigan receives the credit for bringing Superman ice cream to the world.
Don’t end the ice cream tour without first trying this red, yellow, and blue combination on your ice cream trail.
Outdoor Adventure Center
Want to experience camping indoors?
Head over to the Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit.
Enjoy simulated activities, including kayaking through a river, fishing, and shooting wild game.
Learn archery skills and safely explore the wild without going outside.
Walk behind a waterfall, and touch it.
The center offers hands-on and simulated activities, so your child will feel like they are exploring the great outdoors while safely experiencing it all inside.
CJ Barrymore’s Family Entertainment Center
Drive to the northeast side of Detroit to enjoy something for the entire family at CJ Barrymore’s Family Entertainment Center.
Allow your children plenty of indoor and outdoor space to move around in the 26-acre play haven.
Choose from 120 games inside, ranging from laser tag to bowling, golf, arcade games, and bumper cars.
Go outside to race go-karts, ride a Ferris Wheel, or play miniature golf.
For an extra thrill, hop on the looping roller coaster.
Wolcott Mill Metropark
Explore 250 acres of a working farm that will make you think you have taken a step back into the time during the late 20th century.
Look for cows and sheep, and observe miniature draft horses and goats.
The Wolcott Mill Metropark is one of 13 parks intended to offer park-like settings for the metropolitan area.
Visit on Saturday or Sunday to let the entire family climb onto a horse-drawn wagon to ride through the fields.
Detroit Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Detroit Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Frequently Asked Questions
What sports teams can I see with my child in Detroit?
Detroit offers several opportunities to watch a sporting event.
Cheer on United Shore Professional Baseball League USPBL teams at Jimmy John’s Field.
Or, visit Comerica Park to take in a Detroit Tigers major-league baseball game.
If you plan to see a game on Sundays, weather permitting, kids aged 14 and under line up to run the bases after the games.
Catch a Friday evening game for a chance to see a fireworks show.
What cultural experiences will my children enjoy in Detroit?
Detroit is a multi-culture, diverse environment offering museums that focus on specific histories.
Visit the Arab American National Museum, learn about the Tuskegee Airmen at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, or tour the Holocaust Memorial Center to learn about what it was like for Jewish families after the Holocaust.
Is Detroit safe to visit with children?
As with any well-populated metropolitan city, there are high-crime areas to avoid.
Stay safe by sticking to the waterfront areas, visiting as a group, and enjoying daytime exhibits.
Are there educational sites to visit in Detroit with kids?
Yes.
Detroit has a rich history in innovation, arts, and music.
The city offers plenty of history and art museums where kids learn in a hands-on environment as they explore.
Where is the best place to stay with children when visiting Detroit?
Choose a family-friendly hotel close to the attractions you most want to visit.
For instance, if you are looking to spend most of your time at the Detroit Zoo, the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Troy is a great pick.
Any nearby Drury Inn offers breakfast, popcorn throughout the day and night, and a 5:00 kickback dinner as part of the room cost.
Expect to pay more for a hotel in the heart of the city.
Are there any free things to do with kids in Detroit?
Yes.
While many venues charge an admission price, there are a few free things to do in Detroit with kids.
Of course, parks are always free.
Additionally, Detroit Historical Museum, Eastern Market, and Fischer Building Tours offer a no-cost experience and are kid friendly.
Sit and relax in Camp Meritus Park in the summer and enjoy the beach or Woodward Fountain with over 100 water jets.
Or, let the kids walk with you along Detroit International’s Riverwalk.
