The Motown Museum: Hitsville USA
story by Jamie Rector and Kayte Deioma, photos by Jamie Rector
A downpour somehow seems an appropriate accompaniment to the glorious and gritty soul of Motown, which produced such hits as “I Wish it Would Rain” and “Tears of a Clown.”
The Motown Historical Museum is one of the more popular tourist attractions in Detroit, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from its location. About 15 minutes from downtown, past an old hospital, in a semi-residential, semi worn-down area, stand the modest buildings of Motown and Hitsville USA. The street in front is lined with tour buses. The two clean and restored houses that comprise the museum were the studio and office area of the Motown Record Corporation from 1959 to 1972 when it moved to Los Angeles. Signs point the way to the visitor entrance...
Detroit has well earned its moniker of Motor City. Its history for most of the last century has been defined by the automotive industry. If you like cars, there is plenty here to entertain and educate you. Even if you aren’t an automobile aficionado, the displays offered give a well-rounded history of the horseless carriage and how it has affected the world.
Detroit isn’t known as an arts Mecca, but it has plenty of art around to appreciate, from the classics to the avant-garde. From the centuries of fine art on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts to the diversity of vendors at the Artist Market - established in 1932 and still going strong - to newer clusters of galleries springing up in nearby Wyandotte, the Detroit area has a long history of art appreciation and production.
One form of artistic expression truly unique to Detroit is The Heidelberg Project. This 20-year-old controversial art collection is an outdoor gallery that covers one block in a low-income residential neighborhood. Some people love it and some hate it, but either way, it's worth a look to see what everyone is talking about. The controversy has contributed to making it the third most visited site in Detroit.