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Our 11th annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day - Wednesday, October 23, 2024. 

MotorCities National Heritage Area teamed up with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and the co-chairs of the Michigan Legislative Auto Caucus, Senators Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway Twp.) and Representatives Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton Twp.) and Curtis VanderWall (R-Ludington), to declare Wednesday, October 23 as the 11th annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day throughout the state.

“Michigan Auto Heritage Day began in 2014 and has become an annual opportunity to celebrate the story that can only be told in Michigan, namely how this part of the country put the world on wheels," said Shawn Pomaville-Size, Executive Director of MotorCities. “Our state has the largest concentration of auto-related sites, attractions and events in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year.”

MotorCities, established in 1998, is a nonprofit corporation that is part of the National Heritage Area System of the National Park Service that serves 16 counties representing a population of over 6.5 million. Its mission is to preserve, interpret and promote the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage while enabling, supporting and respecting its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Regional programs inspire residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world.

Headquartered in Detroit, MotorCities is the state’s only National Heritage Area and generates $489.7 million each year in economic impact, supporting 5,343 jobs and producing $40 million in tax revenue in Michigan. Over its 26-year history, MotorCities has awarded more than 300 grants for a total investment in local programs of more than $1.6 million.

Watch a video message from Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist here.

See the 2024 Governor's Proclamation and a Tribute from the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives. 

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