Current Exhibitions

Routinely called “Detroit’s Notorious Cass Corridor” by media outlets, the neighborhood nestled between the Lodge, Interstates 75 and 94 and Woodward Avenue became a symbol of Detroit’s decline in the late 20th century. But behind the headlines, the combination of falling rent and proximity to Wayne State University eventually made the neighborhood a regional center for social justice, anti-war, and anti-fascist activism; a cradle for Detroit’s first avant-garde art movement, and provided a launching pad for a distinctly Detroit-style of music – twice.

Every neighborhood has a story, but between 1960 and 2000 the Cass Corridor’s is uniquely innovative, collaborative, violent, and loud. 

The Hustle celebrates the creative, independent, adventurous, and industrious Detroiters that serve the city and give back every day doing essential and vital work that is often undervalued and overlooked. This round of The Hustle recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of Detroit’s entrepreneurs of color that make Detroit a place where life is worth living.

See the first exhibition in a rotating series in Center Stage. Exhibition 1 features: Constance Bowen, Patreze Brinkley, Micia Eddins, Jevona Fudge, Janet Webster Jones, Jonathan Peregrino, and David Woods.  

For 100 years America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Gardner White has delighted generations of Detroiters.  

Since its debut in 1924, the Parade has grown into the city’s most cherished tradition – the official beginning of the holiday season in Detroit –  that fills the city’s streets with dazzling floats, larger-than-life balloons, marching bands, and community spirit. Celebrate the event's milestone anniversary with a new exhibition of artifacts and stories from The Parade Company in the Robert and Mary Ann Bury Community Gallery, just in time for the holiday season.

The final exhibition in the Wayne County History Project features Detroit, Highland Park, River Rouge, Hamtramck, Melvindale, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, seven communities that helped shape Wayne County. 

Rickenbacker automobiles were built in Southwest Detroit from 1922 to 1927 and engineered with a host of innovative features, including a double top frame (for more strength and durability), steel disc wheels, twin flywheels (one at each end of the crankshaft) and four-wheel brakes, which were considered revolutionary—and controversial—at the time.

The Detroit Historical Society's 1924 Model C was donated by its original owner in 1956 and remains unrestored.

View mid-century Detroit through the lens of photographer Norman Zadoorian, tracing a journey from the shadowed, noir-inflected images of the immediate post–World War II years to the vibrant, optimistic street scenes of the 1950s and beyond. 

Leni Sinclair arrived in Detroit from East Germany in 1959 with only a suitcase and a Zeiss Ikon 35mm camera. She was drawn to Detroit at a moment when the city’s cultural and activist voice was coming into focus, and jumped right in. She recorded creativity around her, from cultural and political events of the time to daily life and street people, police interactions, and musical performances of all kinds. 

On November 18, 1926, the Detroit Cougars played their first game in the National Hockey League. In the century since, the Cougars became the Red Wings, the most storied of all American hockey clubs, winning 11 Stanley Cup championships. The Red Wings have produced some of the game's all-time greats and created a distinctly Detroit hockey culture. 

Come explore how Detroit became Hockeytown in this special centennial exhibition!