subject: Detroit History And Culture In Dearborn And Wayne County [print this page] On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to make room for a white passenger - and sparked a civil-rights revolution. That iconic vehicle is now housed at Henry Ford Museum, and serves as the focal point of the museum's Celebrate Black History! events in February.
Visitors can climb on the bus and hear Parks speak about her experience recorded in her own words, participate in a self-guided Montgomery Bus Boycott Scavenger Hunt, and tour the exhibit With Liberty and Justice for All, which explores the evolution of American freedom from the Revolutionary War through the Civil Rights Movement.
Guests can also see the musical Minds on Freedom in the museum's Automobile in American Life Drive-in Theater, enjoy foods based on African-American traditions in the Michigan Cafe, and tour Lamy's Diner to learn about another form of protest - the lunch counter sit-in.
For tourists with a telltale heart for exceptional accommodations, the Dearborn Inn offers the chance to stay in the home of horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. If that sounds a little too spooky, cozy up in the quarters of Patrick Henry, Barbara Fritchie, Walt Whitman, or Oliver Wolcott. The Dearborn Inn is home to five historic cottages built in 1937 to replicate the homes of these famous Americans. They are a small but distinct part of this unique hotel complex.
Originally conceived by Henry Ford to serve passengers flying into Ford Airport, the inn was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn in the Colonial Revival style. Upon opening in July 1931, it became the first airport hotel in the country. Today, the Dearborn Inn, which is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, is operated by Marriott Hotels, and manages to blend tradition with modern flair. In addition to the five Colonial guest homes, the complex consists of the 229-room main inn, two Colonial lodges, an outdoor swimming pool and dining at the Early American Room.
Ikea, the rapidly expanding Swedish company opened its first and only Michigan store in Canton in 2006. While you're there, follow the arrows on the floor through the huge display area, where modern, eco-friendly and affordable merchandise is displayed in life-like room settings. Make sure to stop at the cafeteria for some famous Swedish meatballs and many other inexpensive offerings.
An inexpensive yet valuable theater experience, the Players Guild of Dearborn succeeds with diverse plays, unexpected talent and tickets at $15-$18. The 2010 season featured Is He Dead?, a comedy based on a play by Mark Twain, and The Hollow, a mystery by Agatha Christie.
Each year, thousands bundle up and flock to Kellogg Park for the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular. During the last weekend of January 2010, talented sculptors from around the world gathered for live carving competitions. Meanwhile, dozens of restaurants, pubs and shops in the quaint historic downtown were on stand by as warming stations.
Famed local weatherman Chuck Gaidica helped start this intimate professional theater in charming downtown Northville in 2007. Its 2010 season included the Michigan premiere of The Lady with all the Answers, based on the life of advice columnist Ann Landers, and The Smell of the Kill, about three deliciously malicious housewives.
