Everyone has a favorite secret spot, but 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 off-the-grid locations that safeguard some of Detroit’s most precious artifacts.
Detroit doesn’t currently have any ticketed “viewing areas” for taking in the heights, like the ones at Chicago’s Willis Tower or New York’s Empire State Building, for instance. But that doesn’t mean the city lacks bird’s-eye sightseeing opportunities altogether. Here are a few easy ways to observe and a few harder ones.
Head to the Z Garage Roof
The roof of the Z Garage, located at 1234 Library Street, offers a decent panoramic view of downtown Detroit. To the east, there’s a relatively long sight line down Gratiot and a clear view of the horizon many miles away. To the north you can see where the Tigers, Lions, Pistons, and Red Wings play. Other things to check out include the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice mural, statues on the Wayne County Building, and the nearby Harvard Square Centre, which is currently being renovated. And of course, you have a clear view of many high-rises. Be careful about taking pictures; if you’re a professional, you must fill out a form with Bedrock ahead of time. As for parking rates, event-day prices can skyrocket. On non-event days, you may be able to get free parking for two hours if a business in a Bedrock building validates your ticket; keep an eye out for signage.
Have a Drink, Dinner, or Event at Highlands
Fine-dining restaurant Highlands has a bookable private space on the RenCen’s 72nd floor — reserved for weddings and corporate events. The space, which has a giant “GM” LED screen, is the highest room in Michigan’s tallest building. On a clear day, you can see 30 miles in all directions. Floor 71 is the restaurant and bar. Experience it while you still can: Highlands recently announced it will close after May 2027.
Check Out a Rooftop Bar
Detroit is home to several open-air rooftop bars, offering some interesting views. Among the highest is The Monarch Club (left), which opened in 2019 on the 13th-story roof of Element Detroit at the Metropolitan. Kamper’s opened in 2023 on the Book Tower’s 14th floor. At Hudson’s Detroit, a 12th-floor cocktail bar called Pine Hall is slated to open this spring.
Book or Attend an Event at Elevate
Elevate is an event space on the One Campus Martius building’s 16th floor. It includes a 5,500-square-foot wraparound terrace that features views of Detroit’s central business district and Comerica Park.
Become a Member of the Detroit Athletic Club
Ever been at a Tigers’ game and seen those ant-sized people watching from a balcony across the street? Those are members of the Detroit Athletic Club — a more-than-a-century-old institution reserved for private members. The six-story clubhouse, designed by Albert Kahn, features a wraparound terrace with an unmatched overhead view of the diamond.
Become a Member of Newlab Detroit
In Corktown, Newlab Detroit, located in the former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository on the grounds of Michigan Central, is a hub for numerous tech and automotive start-ups. The building has a rooftop terrace that offers a unique view: On one side, you can see Detroit’s skyline; on the other, you can see down the Detroit River — glimpsing both bridges to Canada and the flame from the infamous Zug Island. This space is reserved mostly for private Newlab events.
Take a Helicopter Tour
Starting at $55 per person, helicopter tours let you see some of Detroit’s tallest landmarks from high above. Companies offering this opportunity include MyFlight Tours at Detroit’s Coleman A. Young International Airport and Max Flight at the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport.
Book an Interview with Bill Ford
When we spoke to the executive chair of Ford Motor Company for our 2025 “Detroiters” story, the interview took place in a conference room on the ninth floor of Michigan Central. “You can see downtown, all the way to Lake Erie. I mean, it’s incredible,” he said.
Become a Documentary Filmmaker
For the 2024 solar eclipse, Detroit filmmaker and photographer Stephen McGee got permission to climb to the top of the Penobscot’s highest vantage point — its distinctive metal tower with a blinking orb — to get footage for his 20-years-in-the-making documentary about Detroit, Resurgo. “There were thousands of people on the street, reminding me of the 1930s photographs and just how populated our downtown is,” McGee says. “Everyone was looking at the same eclipse, and it was a feeling of unity. I still didn’t know if my film was even possible or if the idea even behind the project would work, so it was a great adventure.”
Buy or Rent a Top-Floor Apartment
Some of Detroit’s highest floors are reserved for residential space. Take The Stott, a 1929 Art Deco structure. Its 33rd floor, previously home to the short-lived Sky Bar, is now an occupied apartment last listed for $7,000 a month, according to Zillow. The Book Tower’s top three nonmechanical floors, 32 through 36, each have three units starting at $4,150 per month for a one-bedroom. The Westin Book Cadillac across the street has several luxury units, including a regal three-story penthouse on the 29th floor, offering panoramic views of the three sports stadiums, the Ambassador Bridge, and more. In 2019, it broke the record for the city’s most expensive single-family listing in history: $4.9 million.
Will Detroit Ever Have a Bona Fide Observation Deck Again?
On the roof of the 47-story Penobscot, there’s an observation deck, once open to the public, that has been essentially closed since the mid-’50s. While some events have taken place up there since then, and previous owners have talked of reopening it, the deck remains accessible to few.
When Detroit developer Bedrock broke ground on Hudson’s Detroit in 2017, the high-rise was supposed to be 912 feet tall with an observation deck. Along the way, however, plans changed. Completed last year, Hudson’s Detroit’s tallest tower is 681 feet. The observation deck idea was ultimately scrapped for that building — but may have been revived for another.
Bedrock and General Motors’ latest draft of a $1.6 billion proposal to redevelop the RenCen complex calls for a “publicly accessible observation deck.”
Time will tell whether we’ll ever get a free view that’s not from a parking garage, but it’s certainly not a new conversation in Detroit. In the late ’70s, the city considered building a space needle in Grand Circus Park, inspired by the Seattle Space Needle. In 1977, then-planning department director Anthony DeVito told the Detroit Free Press that the needle would “provide an observation deck for people who just want to look” without buying food and drinks at the top of the Renaissance Center’s central building.
More of Hour Detroit‘s “Hidden Detroit”
Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of ArtsSports, Hats, Scenic Spots, and ArtifactsConnecting with Old Detroit and Its Boozy PastUnder the Radar RetailRyan Patrick Hooper’s Favorite Food & Drink SpotsThe Guardian BuildingThe Artifact Collection of the Detroit Historical SocietyHenry Ford Museum’s Artifact CollectionFishing for Secrets at the Fisher BuildingPark West Museum in SouthfieldArt Galleries You May Have Overlooked
Views from a High-rise Window-cleaning Technician
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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