Everyone has a favorite secret spot, but a few are eager to share. For this year’s City Guide, we took on the challenge. Along with revealing a few of our own picks, we gathered recommendations from contributing writers, tour guides, and other insiders. And while logging in thousands of steps, we peeked behind closed doors and over balconies, and we ventured inside two completely offthe- grid locations that safeguard some of Detroit’s most precious artifacts.
The Western Point of Belle Isle
At the westernmost end of Belle Isle, where it comes to a point, one has an absolutely beautiful view of the Detroit skyline and downtown Windsor with the Ambassador Bridge in the distance. It is also a great location to watch a sunset and see massive freighters pass by.
Henry the Hatter
On any trip to Eastern Market, I like to stop at Henry the Hatter, billed as the country’s oldest hat retailer, located at 2472 Riopelle, a couple blocks east of the sheds — although it has been housed at other locations since its founding in 1893. The interior is like a step back in time, with an amazing inventory for men and women. Known for its exceptional service, the shop has drawn a range of customers, from members of the notorious Purple Gang to Jeff Daniels, Kid Rock, and Jack White. It’s hard to leave without a new hat.
The Flagpole at the Tiger Stadium Site at Michigan and Trumbull
Sadly, nothing remains of Tiger Stadium, the former historic home of the Detroit Tigers, except for the famous 125-foot flagpole in what was the ballpark’s center field. Seeing it when passing by the Corner Ballpark (home to the Detroit Police Athletic League’s headquarters) evokes warm memories of what had been a treasured place for generations.
Detroit Urban Artifacts
My favorite place to browse and find a slice of unique, Detroit-related history is the 2,400-square-foot-plus store Detroit Urban Artifacts, located at 1600 Clay Street within the Russell Industrial Center. It is filled with architectural salvage, mid-century furniture and decor, industrial lighting, and miscellaneous vintage oddities from eras gone by.
The Ford Motor Plant in Highland Park
Driving down Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, I enjoy looking to the east behind the Model T Plaza strip mall to see the long-abandoned Ford Motor Company automobile plant. I find myself imagining some form of historic preservation for the massive facility that literally put the world on wheels with the production of the Model T. The National Historic Landmark is the site of the first moving auto assembly line and was also where Henry Ford first instituted the $5 a day wage that attracted thousands of workers to the Motor City.
The Parking Lot Next to the University of Detroit Mercy’s Calihan Hall
I don’t usually get too thrilled by parking lots, but this one stands on the site of what was once Dinan Field, the first home of the Detroit Lions after the franchise relocated from Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1934. It was there in 1935, in front of 12,000 faithful fans, that the Lions, led by quarterback Earl “Dutch” Clark, captured their first NFL championship when they defeated the New York Giants 26-7.
The Pilot House of the S.S. William Clay Ford Freighter at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum
My favorite thing to do in the very cool Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle is stand inside the pilot house from the S.S. William Clay Ford freighter, one of two ships that set out to find the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald when it was reported missing on Lake Superior 50 years ago. Until it was scrapped in 1987, the Ford transported iron ore and coal from the upper Great Lakes to the auto company’s River Rouge steel plant.
More of Hour Detroit‘s “Hidden Detroit”
Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Connecting with Old Detroit and Its Boozy Past
Under the Radar Retail
This story originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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