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The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is the main building of The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, and a must visit if you’re in the Detroit area.
History
Henry Ford began collecting all sorts of antiques and gadgets in 1914. By the late 1920s, he was the world’s foremost collector of Americana. His collection got so big that he decided to build a museum to house it. He also acquired several historic buildings, which would later become Greenfield Village.
The museum was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on October 21, 1929, the 50th anniversary of the first successful incandescent light bulb, and was named the Edison Institute of Technology after Ford’s friend, Thomas Edison. At first it was a private educational institution, but it opened to the public on June 22, 1933, after growing interest in the project.
Building
The façade incorporates replicas of Independence Hall, Old City Hall, and Congress Hall in Philadelphia. It was designed by architect Robert O. Derrick.
The museum’s exhibition hall is a whopping 523,000 ft², which is enough space to hold several permanent exhibits as well as temporary exhibits. Artifacts from American history, cars, locomotives, agricultural machinery, and airplanes all have their place among several other items on display. It takes at least a half day to admire them all.
Michigan Café
There are two restaurants in the building. We ate at the Michigan Café, which specializes in the cuisine of the Great Lakes region. All food is locally sourced. It’s open from 11am to 4pm and can get very crowded around noon. You can visit the Michigan Café without purchasing a ticket to the museum.
The menu has a good variety of sandwiches, hot dogs, soups, salads, fish, and more. I had the buffalo mac and cheese which was delicious. Marisol had a loaded potato soup.
Lamy’s Diner
The other restaurant is Lamy’s Diner, which is an authentic lunch car converted into a diner in 1946. It serves original recipes popular in 1940s New England. The diner was originally located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and later moved to Framingham and Hudson. The Henry Ford acquired it in 1984 and it’s now located within the Driving America exhibit.
Shopping
A gift shop is located at the entrance. It’s open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm and sells books, shirts, model cars, and other interesting items.
