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When visiting The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, you can’t miss the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. This is where the Ford Motor Company assembles every F-150 truck sold in the entire world.
History
The historic Ford River Rouge Complex was once the largest integrated factory in the world. It was built from 1917 to 1928 and was designed by Albert Kahn. The factory has over 16 million square feet of factory space. At its peak, it included its own steel mill, electricity plant, docks, and rail lines, and once employed over 100,000 workers. Most Ford production took place there until the 1960s.
The Tour
After purchasing tickets at the museum, we boarded a shuttle to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour building. It dropped us off at the entrance where we saw a statue of Henry Ford speaking to a student. The base of the statue says “Henry Ford ‘Father of Industrial Education'”. It was dedicated on September 28, 2004, by alumni of the Henry Ford Trade School.
When we walked inside, we met our first guide, Henry, who worked at Ford for over 40 years. He greeted our group and explained how the factory tour works. He then led us into the Legacy Theater where we watched a short film about the history of Ford and the factory.
Next, we walked over to the Manufacturing Innovation Theater to watch an amazing presentation with video, lasers, and robots. It went through the entire F-150 production process, explaining how the vehicles are designed, assembled, and tested. It was definitely one of the highlights of the tour.
Observation Deck
From there, we took an elevator up to the Observation Deck where another guide talked about some of the environmentally friendly features of the factory. Interpretive panels lined the windows highlighting the history of the plant and its features. What stood out to me is that Henry Ford purchased the land for a mere $1,100 on July 7, 1915.
We were also able to get a panoramic look at the entire factory. To the left is a blue building, which is a steel mill owned by U.S. Steel.
Directly in front of the building is the Living Laboratory, which was a brownfield converted into an ecological habitat. It contains crabapple and hawthorn trees as well as bee hives. During summer months, it’s possible to take a free guided walk through the laboratory. The employee parking lot behind the lab has the best spots reserved for Ford owners, while owners of other makes have to park in the back 12 rows. Finally, behind the parking lot, we could spot the blast furnaces (now owned by AK Steel), office buildings, paint plant, and power plant.
The building nearest where we stood is the Dearborn Truck Plant, where F-150s are assembled. It’s a green building with one of the largest living roofs in the world. Across the road behind the building are brand new F-150s waiting to be sent to dealerships around the world.
Mezzanine Level
When we finished, we went down to the mezzanine level, where there’s a small interactive area. Guests can try their hand at assembling a small truck or take souvenir photos before heading into the assembly plant.
Assembly Plant
Inside the assembly plant, we walked along an elevated walkway and looked down to see how F-150s are made. Videos along the path gave more detailed information and guides were waiting to answer questions. What amazed me is that all orders are totally customized and a new truck rolled off the line every seven minutes during production hours, and is capable of producing one truck a minute at full operating speed. We weren’t allowed to take photos on this part of the tour.
Legacy Gallery
Finally, we walked through the Legacy Gallery, which is a showroom floor displaying some of the most famous vehicles made at the Rouge. A 1929 Model A, 1932 V8, 1949 Coupe, 1955 Thunderbird, and 1965 Mustang all showcase some of Ford’s greatest achievements.
In one corner sat a 2015 Ford F-150. Guests are able to get up close and kick the tires of the vehicle assembled in the plant they just visited.
Conclusion
The entire tour took us about two hours to complete, including the shuttle rides to and from the museum. It complements a visit to the museum by giving visitors a more complete experience into the history and production of automobiles, and the importance and innovation of Ford.
