Henry Ford Museum

  In 1914 Henry Ford began collecting historic artifacts, particularly items used by ordinary Americans in small towns and on farms. He also collected machinery that showed the progress of the industrial revolution. A few years later he added houses and buildings that had a personal connection or meaning to him. In 1929 a large museum was built to house the artifacts and the buildings were arranged to form a small town called Greenfield Village. None of this was open to the public as Henry wished it to be used as an experimental, hands-on, learning by doing, free school for local children. There is still a school on the museum grounds but due to many requests the museum and village were opened to the public in 1933.

  This is really an amazing museum. Ford collected one of a kind items, the first or last to be manufactured, pieces that have an important place in history - an unbelievable amount and variety of things. Themed galleries include agricultural equipment, huge generators and pumps, early airplanes, and all types and eras of vehicles. The exhibit With Liberty and Justice For All follows the quest for freedom from the Revolutionary War to the Civil Rights Movement.

      

The buildings in Greenfield Village have also been grouped by theme. Businesses are on Main Street, family homes on Maple Lane, Edison’s buildings on Christie Street, Ford’s shops on Ford Road, and a circle of working craft shops at the Craftworks. Costumed interpreters are stationed at all of the buildings. We found that most of the interpreters are not knowledgeable on the history of the buildings, the time period that they represent, or the people who lived in them - a bit disappointing because of the incredible events that have occurred in these buildings. The workers in the craft shops were all very good though.

                             

   It’s hard to know how much time to plan for a visit because there are so many things to see in the museum and the village plus there’s a giant screen theater and a Ford truck factory tour. The museum ticket packages don’t make it any easier. Although they will save you a few dollars they’re good for one day only. There is way too much to see in one day. Even if you go fast it takes at least a day for the museum and another for the village. Since we read everything, talk with the interpreters, and generally go very slowly we bought a Companion Membership (two people) which is good for a year of unlimited visits to the museum, the village, and the theater. Do not order a yearly pass online if you are traveling because it will be delivered to your house.

  We ended up visiting for seven days for about four hours each time. We watched all three of the movies. We did not go on the factory tour, get a ride pass, or take the Insider’s Tour. We skipped the factory tour because it isn’t a guided factory floor tour but a self guided catwalk view of part of the factory. We’ve been on enough of both types of factory tours to know there is a big difference between the two. I caught bits of the Insider’s Tour as groups moved through the museum and unless you are very pressed for time it can be skipped. We did not get the ride pass because most of the rides are not accessible.

   Most of the museum is accessible. The Dymaxion House, the combine, the Model T, the train cars, and Rosa Park’s bus, which can all be entered, are not accessible. A few of the hands-on exhibits are not accessible.

   The sidewalks of the village are accessible but access for the village itself is very poor. Most of the family homes have steps but no ramps.  Other buildings have thresholds that are a couple of inches high. These could be fixed easily but it appears that little thought has been given to access so expect to find accessing the buildings difficult if not impossible. Most of the buildings in the crafts area are accessible. The train is accessible but the other rides require a difficult transfer.

   Handicapped spaces are located at in the first parking lot on the left as you enter the property. Small RVs may fit however a designated RV parking lot is on the right past the village entrance. It’s a bit of a walk/roll from there to both the museum and village but the curb cuts and sidewalks are in good condition. Museum  42.30424, -83.22789