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JOE LOUIS ARENA

COBO CENTER

DETROIT EXPERIENCE FACTORY

PEOPLE MOVER(ELEVATED MONORAIL)

Detroit River

Lafayette Park

Rivertown

Corktown

RIVARD PLAZA

DETROIT RIVER

DOWNTOWN DETROIT SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

DOWNTOWNDETROIT

MAP LEGEND DXF Welcome Center Tour Stops

DXF creates experiences that are enlightening, entertaining and led by Detroiters. Whether you’ve been here a day or a lifetime, DXF can help you discover more about Detroit than you ever knew before.

Presented By :

People Mover Stations

N Midtown

weknowdetroit.org

This self-guided tour is a

great intro to downtown!

Be sure to join us on one of

our public tours or contact

us to a create a customized

experience that fits your

schedule.

Campus Martius Park Stand at: Point of Origin marker on the sidewalk in front of Fountain Bistro | Built: 2004

Have you ever wondered what Eight Mile Road is eight miles from? The answer is right here— the point of origin! It

was after the great fire in 1805 that Augustus Woodward laid out a plan for Detroit based on the plans for Paris

and Washington D.C. The name comes from its historical use as a military training ground and gathering place.

Today, Campus Martius is a place where locals and visitors listen to free concerts during the summer, go ice

skating in the winter, or pick up something good to eat at Fountain Bistro.

The Guardian Building

Stand at: Corner of Griswold and Congress, facing 500 Grisworld | Built: 1929 | Architect: Wirt Rowland

The Guardian Building is unlike any other building, and was built for the Union Trust Company to be a “Cathedral

of Finance”. The architect’s choice of a combining Art Deco, Aztec and Native American influences as well as

Detroit’s own Pewabic Pottery tile, has an immediate impact on the passer by. Inside the Guardian Building is a

must-see elaborate lobby where you’ll find Pure Detroit and the Rowland and Stella Cafes.

One Woodward Avenue

Stand at: Northwest corner of Woodward and Jefferson facing north | Built: 1963

Architect: Minoru Yamazaki

One Woodward Avenue was one of Yamazaki’s first skyscraper projects and it helped him formulate his design

for the World Trade Center, which began construction just three years later. The views from the interior are

some of the best in the city because the floor-to-ceiling windows seem never-ending. The large cube at the top is

illuminated at night in varying hues as a final crowning detail to the building’s simplicity.

Spirit of Detroit

Stand at: Northeast corner of Jefferson and Woodward | Dedicated: 1958 | Sculptor: Marshall Fredericks

The Spirit of Detroit statue was created “to express the spirit of man through the deity and the family”.

Above the Spirit of Detroit you will see the City seal on the left and the County seal on the right. The City seal

depicts two women with flames behind them representing the fire of 1805. The text shown is a Latin phrase

“Speramus Meliora Resurget Cineribus” which is the city’s motto and translates to “We hope for better things.

It will arise from the ashes.”

Hart Plaza

Stand at: Southwest corner of Woodward and Jefferson | Completed: 1975

The 14-acre Hart Plaza is named for the late Senator Philip Hart and can hold more than 40,000 people. It is host

to many annual festivals such as Movement (Electronic Music Festival) and the Jazz Fest. The 63 foot steel arch

on the north end is called Transcending and is the Michigan Labor Legacy Landmark. The Horace E. Dodge and Son

Memorial Fountain stands in the center of the Plaza and was designed by famed sculptor Isamu Noguchi in 1978.

The Riverfront

Stand at: The RiverWalk at the base of the stairs

The Detroit River is about 32 miles long and links Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. It was here that Antoine de Lamothe

Cadillac landed in 1701 and built Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit. The beautiful sculpture you see is called Gateway

to Freedom and it honors Detroit’s major role in the Underground Railroad. The riverfront has recently been

developed as a leisure destination in the form of Detroit’s new RiverWalk.

The Renaissance Center

Stand at: Corner of Randolph and Jefferson | Built: 1977

The Renaissance Center is Detroit’s most recognizable building and Michigan’s tallest. When completed it was

the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the world at 73-stories. Today the Marriott is still one of the tallest hotels in

the Western Hemisphere. The building currently serves as GM World Headquarters. It also includes 70 stores,

restaurants and services, including a 4-screen movie theater. If you have the time there are free daily tours

of the Renaissance Center.

Greektown

Stand at: Corner of Monroe and Beaubien

Greektown is one of the anchors of Detroit’s entertainment culture and offers a casino and dozens of bar and

restaurant options. A trip to Detroit isn’t complete without trying the Greek appetizer, Saganaki — a special fried

cheese that is flambéed right at your table. An important historical spot in Greektown is The Second Baptist

Church which was founded in 1836 by 13 former slaves and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Funny thing

about Greektown though, it was originally settled by the Germans!

Z Garage & Belt Murals

Stand at: Southwest corner of Grand River and Broadway

“The Z” parking garage is quite possibly the coolest parking garage in the world. It is a 10-floor, 535,000-square-

foot space that zigzags from the corner of Broadway and East Grand River to the corner of Library and Gratiot in

downtown Detroit and includes original works from 27 international street artists. The Belt (the alley between

the two sections) features murals by more than a dozen local, national and international artists. The Belt also

offers a space for pop up art exhibitions and events with food trucks and live music. Both the Z and the Belt were

curated by the Library Street Collective, an amazing gallery located just around the corner.

Harmonie Park / Paradise Valley

Stand at: The intersection of Grand River Avenue and Center Street

Harmonie Park is an entertainment destination of its own and was originally home of the German singing

organization, the Harmonie Club. It has recently been renamed to honor the historic African-American neighborhood

which was destroyed when the freeway was added. Paradise Valley is now home to many restaurants, shops and

the Arts League of Michigan which helps program great music and events in the recently renovated Beatrice Buck

Paradise Valley Park.

The Theater District

Stand at: Corner of Broadway and Witherell

If it’s theater that you like, you are within walking distance of several theaters that combine to house more than

13,000 theaters seats, making it the second largest theater district in the U.S. The Detroit Opera House, here at

the corner, was built as a movie palace called the Capitol Theater in 1922. Just north on Woodward is “fabulous”

Fox Theater, which was built in 1928 to be one of the world’s most beautiful movie palaces, and succeeded.

It seats over 5,000 people. Just south of the Fox Theater is the Fillmore Theater which was built in 1925 by C.

Howard Crane, who also designed the Opera House and the Fox Theater. Though not as grand as the Fox, it is still

magnificent and is used for rock concerts and special events.

Grand Circus Park

Stand at: Corner of Woodward and Witherell

Comerica Park to the northeast has been home to the Detroit Tigers since 2000; Ford Field has been home

to the Detroit Lions since 2002, and it hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006. The Broderick Tower at Woodward and

Witherell was designed by Louis Kamper in 1928 and the David Whitney Building across the street, designed by

the architecture firm of Daniel Burnham in 1915, had been vacant for decades but are now two of the premier

residential buildings in the region and examples of Detroit’s current renaissance.

DXF Welcome Center

Stand at: 123 Monroe St.

We offer information, connections and tools to anyone wishing to live, work, or engage in Detroit. From the biggest

questions – Where should I live? Where can I work? – to the smallest – Where should I go for dinner? What’s going

on this week in the city? – DXF has you covered. Be sure to call or stop in with any and all Detroit inquiries!

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Say hello! 123 Monroe Street

Detroit, Michigan 48226 • Phone: (313) 962.4590

www.weknowdetroit.org • Email: hello@weknowdetroit.org

Facebook: facebook.com/weknowdetroit

Twitter: @weknowdetroit • Instagram: @weknowdetroit

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