MARVEL UNIVERSE OF SUPER HEROES

We always have a super time visiting The Henry Ford's Museum of American Innovation but had an exceptionally fantastic experience going to see the Marvel exhibit currently on display there. Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes delves into the history of the comic book publisher and how its characters have become pop culture sensations. From the very first super hero themed comic book released by Marvel to costumes and props from its recent movies there is a lot to geek out over on display at The Henry Ford.



Originally planned as a pre-pandemic exhibition an expansive space was planned out for people to wait in line to enter Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes. Now health safety protocols are in place so there is an interesting welcome area but it isn't packed with people as initially expected. Instead you reserve a specific time slot to show up with groups of no more than twelve people being admitted every ten minutes. The museum is taking crowd control very seriously in light of COVID-19.

Social distancing is encouraged and mask wearing is required by visitors within the museum. Please keep your masks on when taking selfies and group pictures while visiting the exhibit...and there are a lot of photo ops to be had! Mask Up Michigan!

There are a number of interactive opportunities to immerse yourself within the Marvel super hero universe while visiting The Henry Ford. My daughter was thrilled to participate in a virtual reality adventure that lets you jump in a suit of Iron Man armor and take it for a spin.

While my son was awed by a gallery of Iron Man suits from the Marvel movies.

My favorite Marvel character is Daredevil, criminal defense and personal injury attorney by day and crime fighting vigilante by night. I was geeked that he had his own gallery filled with comic book sketches, artwork and a costume of the hero used in the Netflix television show. One of this dad blogger's favorite aspects of the exhibit though there is a lot to enjoy.

Fans of the Marvel super hero movies will appreciate that a large selection of costumes and props have been brought to Detroit. My son hasn't stopped talking about seeing the Spider-Man costume worn by Tom Holland since our visit to Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes. He was also very excited to see up close a Captain America outfit that was worn by Chris Evans in the movies. Other cool items on display are props from Guardians of the Galaxy (including Peter Quill's Sony Walkman and the container used to hold the Power Stone), the Eye of Agamotto from Doctor Strange, and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Rare hand-drawn images of iconic heroes by the artists who designed them, original comic book art, as well as concept sketches, costumes and props from movies and television are marvelous to view. Plus there are lots of insights into the history of Marvel's super heroes and the people who created them. From a display about Marvel's newest fan-favorite character, Ms. Marvel and the recently introduced character Amulet whose hometown is Dearborn, Michigan (where The Henry Ford is located) to an original print of the very first super hero themed comic book published by Marvel this exhibit is a walk through encyclopedia of super hero goodness.

The highlight of the exhibit though are the life-size reproductions of a number of fan favorite super heroes. You won't want to miss out getting a selfie with Fantastic Four's Thing, Hulk, Black Panther or the Amazing Spider-Man! These photo ops bring the characters to life and provide nice mementos of the super time you are sure to have at Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes.

The Henry Ford is located at 20900 Oakwood Boulevard in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes is on display at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation now through January 31, 2020. General admission tickets (12+) are $35 per person and include admission to the museum in addition to the Marvel exhibit. Youth 5 to 11 years old are $28.75 each and Seniors (62+) are $32.50. 4 years old and under are FREE.

Don't hesitate to reserve some tickets because time slots do sell out. Go to thehenryford.org to purchase your tickets and obtain a time slot for an adventure into the Marvel universe. While there you may also want to check out The Henry Ford's outdoor historical attraction Greenfield Village.

We've been staying close to home during the pandemic and we needed to get out of the house! Visiting Marvel's Universe of Super Heroes was just what we needed. An exciting, fun experience that provided some escapism from today's troubling times. Excelsior!