Recently in Detroit Category

Detroit has been one of the industrial capitals of the United States for more than a century, so it's only fitting that it should have a world-class science center to help people make sense of all the processes that keep the city humming. Located in the city's revitalized downtown area, the Detroit Science Center has exhibits dedicated to physical science, energy, and even the esoteric concepts of waves and vibrations. But practical applications of science are on display everywhere, from a miniature reproduction of the mighty Mackinac Bridge to the United States Steel Fun Factory, where visitors learn how steel is made, from mining the ore to refining the finished products. But perhaps most impressive is the Dassault Systèmes Planetarium, whose 50-foot wide, three-story high dome provides a canvas for planets, galaxies, and more than 9,000 stars emanating from a state-of-the-art Digistar II projection system. With the powerful audio of its 13,000-watt digital surround sound system, you can be forgiven for thinking you're on a space mission of your own. The center is just minutes from the Sheraton Detroit Riverside Hotel.

American artists from Audubon to Warhol join ancient Egyptian artifacts, a Diego Rivera mural, and a stunning Madonna and Child, by Giovanni Bellini in The Detroit Institute of Arts' massive collection. Located one mile from the Sheraton Detroit Riverside Hotel, the museum recently grew to a whopping 677,000 square feet after a 6-year, $158 million renovation, architected by Michael Graves. Yes, the very one who designed those measuring cups you picked up at Target. The result? Easily navigated galleries that don't just present works of art, but tell their stories, reveal their histories.

A free, 32-hour marathon of art, music, dancing, yoga, and even fencing, kicks off November 23, at 10 am, in celebration of the museum's grand reopening. The special exhibition galleries will be inaugurated with "Julie Mehretu: City Sitings," on view through March 30, 2008. The Ethiopian-born artist creates fevered paintings that reflect the constant shift of the metropolis. Don't miss The Red Balloon November 23 - 25, at the DIA's Detroit Film Theatre, a 1,100-seat facility that screens contemporary and classic cinema. Bergman fans should check-in in December for The Seventh Seal, and The Magician. Get the full schedule here.

Detroit has a new art museum that should prove popular with those fond of making old things new again. As CNN.com points out in an AP item, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, or MOCAD, as it's known, is located in a former Dodge dealership. And while the 21,000 square-foot building has been repurposed to suit the art, much of the original design has been maintained to reflect the industrial history of the Motor City. The museum's founders wanted to maintain the gritty determination that Detroit is known for, and felt it would be the perfect home for contemporary art, such as an exhibition called Shrinking Cities, in which artists reflect on the meaning of cities undergoing population declines. The exhibit runs through April 1. Guests at the Westin Southfield Detroit with an interest in contemporary art should drop by MOCAD to get a look at what's going on in the Detroit art scene today.

[image via AP/CNN.com]

Detroit is hosting its annual Auto Show now, and most people do associate the Motor City with...cars, of course. And sometimes music. But Detroit actually has much more to offer, as this handy guide from Gridskipper shows. Detroit's hot dogs are up there with Chicago's and New York's, and the outlying areas of the city have colorful pockets with local stores and unique cafes. There are also big-name destinations like the zoo, with the famous walk-through kangaroo exhibit, and the Eastern Market, a bustling town center of sorts with a daily morning food business. The Westin Detroit is a luxury property near the airport with a gym, in-room massages, and Runner's World maps for when you want to be in the great outdoors. Of course, there's a good chance you'll be in Detroit primarily on business, so the Westin also holds some the area's biggest and nicest conference facilities.