Event Date(s)Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5, 2022
Event LocationBelle Isle, Detroit
Event DescriptionHeld for the final year at Belle Isle Park, this event features the cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the exotic sports cars of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and more. For more information and tickets, click below.
Event TitleMotorCities Automotive Heritage New Center Walking Tour
Event Date(s)Saturday, May 28, 2022 1 - 3 p.m.
Event LocationCity Institute, 440 Burroughs St, Detroit
Event DescriptionAlthough the Model T was famously produced off Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, the birthplace and ideation of the Model T happened right in Detroit’s New Center and Milwaukee Junction neighborhoods. On this walking tour, we will experience the past, present and future of this iconic Detroit area, going back in time with a visit into the Piquette Plant itself and speak with the innovators who now call these neighborhoods home. Stops include: Piquette Plant Milwaukee Junction neighborhood Pingree Detroit Woodward Retail Corridor and other new developments This tour series is generously sponsored by MotorCities. Tour begins promptly at 1 p.m. Please allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to find parking and arrive at the location.
Event Date(s)Sunday, June 26, 2022 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Event LocationWheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop
Event DescriptionDiscover how Detroit became the center of the automotive industry on this tour. The tour takes in the Globe Building, Dequindre Cut, Packard Plant, the GM Detroit-Hamtramck (Poletown) Assembly Plant, Milwaukee Junction with a stop at the Piquette Plant, New Center (old GM Headquarters and Fisher Building) and TechTown, where we will learn how industry is evolving with advanced technology. On the return trip, we will pass the Michigan Theatre, the location of Ford’s original workshop, the Bagley Garage. This tour is conducted in partnership with Ford Piquette Avenue Plant and Motorcities.
Event TitleMotorCities Automotive Heritage New Center Walking Tour -- June
Event Date(s)Saturday, June 25, 2022 1 - 3 p.m.
Event LocationCity Institute, 440 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI
Event DescriptionAlthough the Model T was famously produced off Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, the birthplace and ideation of the Model T happened right in Detroit’s New Center and Milwaukee Junction neighborhoods. On this walking tour, we will experience the past, present and future of this iconic Detroit area, going back in time with a visit into the Piquette Plant itself and speak with the innovators who now call these neighborhoods home. Stops include: Piquette Plant Milwaukee Junction neighborhood Pingree Detroit Woodward Retail Corridor and other new developments This tour series is generously sponsored by MotorCities. The tour begins promptly at 1 pm. Please allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to find parking and arrive at the location.
Event TitleAutomotive Showplace: 1905 Cadillac "Osceola" Coupe
Event Date(s)Now through August 2022
Event LocationDetroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Event DescriptionThis automobile was specially made for Henry M. Leland, general manager of Cadillac Motor Car Company. The car is the first Cadillac built with a fully enclosed body and was made under the supervision of Fred Fisher, one of the brothers who later founded Fisher Body. After leaving Cadillac, Leland went on to found the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917. Leland enjoyed this vehicle so much that it remained his personal runabout for years. He called it "Osceola" to honor a Florida Seminole chief he admired, but due to its unusual appearance, the rest of his family called it the "Old Plug Hat.” The vehicle is the best representation of a "horseless carriage" in the Detroit Historical Society collection and will be on display through Summer 2022.
Event DescriptionCar enthusiasts must put this event on their calendar! This event will be five miles of parties, car shows, and other community events. There will also be auto history displays throughout the five-mile stretch. This is a great event to enjoy food, family, friends, and car fanatics alike.
Event LocationHenry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Event DescriptionPresented by General Motors, the first comprehensive exhibition covering various forms of American auto racing, including stock car, sports car, drag racing, Indy car, hill climb and land-speed racing, is now open in Dearborn. The 24,000 square-foot exhibit provides visitors an in-depth look at the people, the experiences, the culture, the spectacle, the risks and the innovations centered in the world of American auto sports.
Event TitleDetroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950-2020
Event Date(s)Now through Sunday, June 5, 2022
Event LocationDetroit Institute of Arts
Event DescriptionDetroit designers have always led the way in car design. The futuristic concept cars, roaring muscle cars, and sleek racers designed in and around the city shape our ideas of what a car can be. Working on paper, in clay, and in metal, their ideas drive American car culture and inform the way we get around every day. This exhibition highlights the artistry and influence of Detroit car designers working between 1950 and the present day. It will bring together 12 coupes and sedans designed across that 70-year period to highlight significant achievements in style and technology.
Event DescriptionThis exhibit features a dramatic presentation of Chevrolet Corvettes from all eight generations of GM’s legendary American sports car. Through the years, Corvettes have developed from early fiberglass-bodied roadsters with 150-horsepower inline six-cylinder engines and two-speed transmissions, to today’s fire-breathing, mid-engined C8 Corvettes with more than 600 horsepower and 200+ mile per hour top speeds.
Event DescriptionOut of the thousands of parts that make up a car, the body is the first thing we see. It is critical to safety, comfort, styling and corporate identity. Perhaps the most prominent auto body producer – Fisher Body Company – grew from a family business, operated by a close-knit group of brothers, into a central pillar of General Motors. From early enclosed car bodies through 1950s tailfins and beyond, “Body by Fisher” indicated a quality product, and their iconic coach emblem on every door sill was a reminder of that pedigree. Though Fisher was dissolved in the 1980s, the name endures through the company’s legacy, the family’s philanthropic efforts, and current ties to the industry.
Event Date(s)Saturdays Starting October 2 10 a.m. - Noon
Event LocationMichigan Military Technical & Historical Society, Eastpointe
Event DescriptionAges 8 to 16, parents welcome to join in. For those who have never built a model, we give you a free snap-together kit to build and take home! All supplies such as tools, paint, glue, etc will be provided for those who bring their own model to build Members of IPMS Warren model club will be there to help and teach modeling techniques For more info, contact Jim Ashford, 248.399.2386, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Event TitleAlbert Kahn: Innovation & Influence on 20th Century Architecture
Event Date(s)Now through July 3, 2022
Event LocationDetroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Event DescriptionPerhaps Detroit's best known architect, Albert Kahn was a German-born Jewish immigrant who came to Detroit with his family as a youth and went on to become the world’s leading industrial designer and creator of some of the city's most iconic buildings. The Fisher Building, the Conservatory and Aquarium on Belle Isle and multiple structures on the University of Michigan campus were all designed by Kahn. His streamlined, light-filled factories for Henry Ford and other manufacturers became a seminal influence on European modernists who developed the principles of modern architecture. Presented by the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 organization launched in 2020 to honor the life, innovations, and influence of Kahn, this new exhibition tells Kahn's story through photos, video clips, maps and text panels, as well as both wood and Lego architectural models. Visitors will see Kahn's hand-drawn architectural sketches, artifacts from Kahn's office, and more.
Event LocationDetroit School of Arts High School, Detroit
Event DescriptionOur mission is to enhance students’ artistic skills while preparing them for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the auto industry; to integrate artistic abilities in form of education and entertainment, to bring awareness of other auto industry employment opportunities and most significantly, to interface auto professionals with students as an introduction into 21st century technology.
Event TitlePontiac Walking Tour from the City Institute
Event Date(s)Saturday, June 11, 2022 1 - 3 p.m.
Event LocationAlley Cat Cafe, 31 N Saginaw St., Pontiac
Event DescriptionGet the inside scoop on Downtown Pontiac and how the city’s history is interwoven with Detroit’s Automotive history. On this fun and engaging walking tour, you'll see hidden landmarks, hear fascinating stories and get to connect with some amazing small business owners and community advocates. The amazing Irma Hayes will be your guide. Irma is a long-time resident who knows everything and everyone in Pontiac and is responsible for making some of Pontiac's greatest projects and events come to fruition over the last 30+ years. She will guide you through a diverse and dynamic city center that serves as Oakland County's seat, sharing fun historical facts and personal stories.
Event TitleMotorCities Cruise Club at the Detroit Historical Museum
Event Date(s)Wednesday, June 15, 2022 4 - 8 p.m.
Event LocationDetroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Event DescriptionBring your classic car and join us for monthly Cruise Nights hosted at our partner attractions. The event is open to all cruisers, but Cruise Club membership has its privileges! Current MotorCities Members can join our Cruise Club for just an additional $10/year. Only MotorCities Members can join the Cruise Club, and club benefits include the following: - Club sticker and card - Member/Club specific parking at each Cruise Club event - Admission to each Museum hosting an event (day of only) for the Cruise Club member and one guest. (NOTE: MotorCities Family Membership Holders can have their family admitted) - A Raffle Ticket for an end of season drawing - Food will be available for purchase at each event site.
Event TitleOff the Grid Speaker Series: John Nikas
Event Date(s)Saturday, July 2, 2022 10:30 a.m. - Noon
Event LocationM1 Concourse, Pontiac, MI
Event DescriptionNikas' book, The Face of Change: Portraits of Automotive Evolution, provides a compelling examination of the cultural, economic, political, social, and technological factors that have affected the course of the automobile’s development over history. From the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886 to the Tesla Model S of the 21st Century. Another of his books, Badass, explores an unheralded aspect of automotive design: the role and importance of the rear end in terms of the vehicle’s overall function and personality. Badass weaves an informative and entertaining narrative around automotive badasses.
