313 DAY

It is 313 Day! I've had lots of memorable experiences in the City of Detroit with my kids ranging from attending the commissioning ceremony of a naval warship to seeing life size dinosaurs romp through Little Caesars Arena. Going to see Aladdin at the Detroit Opera House with my daughter and the Pistons play a basketball game with my son were some special one-on-one times with each of my children. 

One of our favorite days spent downtown was the Star Wars adventure we had at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Michigan Science Museum. Today seemed like a good day to reminiscence about past experiences at these museums which are two of our favorite places to spend time at in Detroit and look forward to having new experiences there as we hopefully all begin to move on beyond the pandemic that has isolated us for so long.

We've visited the Michigan Science Center on a number of occasions to have fun with their extensive collection of interactive science exhibits, watch super-sized movies in the state's only IMAX dome theater, and check out visiting traveling exhibits like Toytopia and Titanic: The Artifact Collection. It is always a blast and we are looking forward to getting back there to play around in their new Ames Room optical illusion experience. Ever wonder how they made the regular-sized men playing Hobbits look small in scenes standing next to characters whose actors in real life are similar height to them? This special effects demonstration will shed some light on that!

My family has also missed our outings to the Detroit Institute of Arts. From wonderful interactions with volunteer docents to geeking out over a collection of rare baseball cards we've had a lot of entertaining and educational experiences over the years visiting this museum. Plus going to see the shiny suits of armor at the DIA never gets old! And of course we'll never forget going to the special Star Wars exhibit the museum hosted!

I want to get back down there before June 27, 2021 to explore their temporary exhibit Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950–2020 which concludes this summer. It highlights the artistry involved within the automotive industry when it comes to car design. This gallery includes 12 real cars that showcase significant design elements that have been parked inside the museum. I absolutely want to get a close up look at Detroit Style.

With the 313 in mind, for those of you not from the D that is the area code for the City, have to give a plug to the limited time exhibit Russ Marshall: Detroit Photographs, 1958-2008 which features 90 black and white pictures by the photographer featuring a unique perspective of the people and places of Detroit from streetscape imagery. Take a walk through 50 years of Detroit history by experiencing this collection of Russ Marshall photographs.

Also coming up in 2022 will be a special Van Gogh exhibit. The Detroit Institute of Arts was the first American museum to purchase a work of art by this now renowned artist. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the DIA adding Vincent van Gogh's Self-Portrait to its collection. In commemoration, the museum will display alongside Self Portrait more than fifty other Van Gogh paintings, drawing and sketches on loan from collectors and museums from around the world. Something to look forward to as hopefully the pandemic comes to  closure.

What are some of your favorite places in the 313? Do you have a favorite restaurant, park or other spot that you frequent or have fond memories of visiting? There is a lot to discover in the D!