DETROIT, Aug. 20, 2026 – MotorCities National Heritage Area has awarded a total of $111,500 in Partnership Challenge Grants to seven Michigan organizations supporting projects that preserve, interpret and promote the region’s automotive and labor heritage. The grants provide awards of up to $25,000 and require recipients to match the funding through cash, in-kind contributions, donated goods and documented volunteer services. This year’s projects span automotive design, historic preservation, environmental recreation, youth education, heritage tourism and architectural study.
MotorCities’ most recent grants awarded include the following:
Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology - Henry Ford Health System — $20,000: The MotorCities grant supported the 39th annual EyesOn Design at Ford House, an automotive design exhibition held on June 21, 2026, at Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. The event featured approximately 200 invitation-only vehicles selected for their significance to automotive design and this year’s “Power and Elegance” theme, with an emphasis on design rather than rarity, condition or celebrity ownership. MotorCities grant assisted with enhancing the visitor experience through prominent signage throughout the exhibition that explained vehicle classes and connected the featured automobiles to broader design history, helping audiences better understand Michigan’s automotive heritage.
Flint Institute of Science and History - Sloan Museum of Discovery — $10,000: The grant provided supplies needed to expand the Sloan Museum of Discovery’s Running Vehicle Collection, an initiative that preserves selected historic vehicles in working condition so they can be used as educational resources at community events. The collection, which currently includes two vehicles manufactured in Flint, is expected to grow to 12 vehicles over three years, with selections based on their connections to Flint, Genesee County and residents. MotorCities funding helped with purchasing safety equipment, diagnostic tools, batteries, welding supplies and other maintenance materials, allowing the museum to preserve and operate the vehicles while bringing Flint’s automotive history directly to community events and audiences.
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant — $17,500: The grant supported construction of new restrooms at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, the National Historic Landmark recognized as the birthplace of the Model T. The museum welcomes more than 30,000 visitors annually, but its existing restroom facilities were limited and present accessibility challenges, particularly for school groups, tour groups and visitors with special needs. The new stacked restrooms will be located on all floors, comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and double the number of available facilities, strengthening the museum’s ability to accommodate visitors while supporting its long-term preservation, educational programming and heritage tourism efforts.
Friends of the Rouge — $20,000: The grant will be used to advance the Fort Street Bridge Park Phase II, a community-led effort to create a universally accessible launch at the park as part of the 29-mile Lower Rouge River Water Trail and connected greenway network. Located between Southwest Detroit and South Dearborn, Fort Street Bridge Park is Detroit’s only access point to the water trail and includes a monument commemorating the 1932 Ford Hunger March, connecting the site to the region’s automotive and labor history. MotorCities funding will help address a funding gap caused by increased labor and material costs and move the project toward construction, expanding recreational access to the Rouge River while creating new opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the area’s industrial, environmental and cultural heritage.
Merze Tate Explorers — $17,000: The grant supported Driving into History: Black Women, Cars, and Courage, a public history and youth media exhibition exploring how automobiles shaped freedom, opportunity and risk for African-American women in the 20th and 21st centuries. The project trains middle and high school girls to become researchers, storytellers and public interpreters as they examine subjects including the Great Migration, sundown towns, public transportation protests and more. MotorCities funding will support expanded automotive historical interpretation, interactive educational installations, youth training and teacher-facing digital curriculum, helping engage younger and more diverse audiences with Michigan’s automotive heritage.
Pontiac Transportation Museum — $15,000: The grant supports outdoor improvements for the museum’s exterior spaces to accommodate increased attendance and heritage tourism activity. Planned improvements include a rear patio and pavilion for events and vehicle displays, a truck access door that will allow the museum to exhibit large vehicles connected to Pontiac’s manufacturing legacy, and enhancements to signage, the front entrance and lighting to improve the museum’s visibility from the street. MotorCities funding will strengthen the museum’s ability to welcome visitors, showcase Pontiac’s transportation history and expand its preservation, interpretation and educational programming.
Wayne State University / Sponsored Program Administration — $12,000: The summer 2026 grant supported the Detroit Architecture Summer Institute (DASI), a four-day interdisciplinary program that examined Detroit’s automotive, labor and creative infrastructures from the early 20th century to the present. The institute brought together students, researchers, practitioners and community members to engage with MotorCities National Heritage Area landmarks, including the Walter P. Reuther Library Archives, through field study, archival research, workshops and storytelling.
The MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership Challenge Grant program supports projects that advance the preservation, interpretation, education and heritage tourism goals of the national heritage area. Through partnerships with Michigan organizations, the program helps preserve the stories, places and traditions that shaped the region’s automotive and labor heritage while connecting that history with new audiences and communities.
To learn more about the grant program, visit www.motorcities.org/grants. For any questions, contact Brian Yopp at 313.259.3425 x307 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About MotorCities NHA:
Established in 1998 and headquartered in Detroit, the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership is a nonprofit corporation affiliated with 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. Regional programs inspire residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world. To learn more about the organization, visit www.motorcities.org or follow their Facebook and LinkedIn pages at www.facebook.com/motorcities and www.linkedin.com/company/motorcities-national-heritage-area
MEDIA CONTACT:
LaTrisha Jackson
MotorCities National Heritage Area
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