Current Exhibitions

In the 1960s, Chrysler hand-built 50 turbine-powered vehicles at their Highland Park Design Studio for an intensive two-year research test program. The identical cars featured an eye-catching “turbine bronze” metallic paint finish and aircraft-inspired styling by designer Elwood Engle and Italian body fabricator Ghia. Consumers across the country were given the opportunity to drive the revolutionary cars for their day-to-day needs and report their findings. When the test program concluded in 1966, the cars were rounded up and most were destroyed. Our Chrysler Turbine is one of only nine remaining.

Explore Midtown’s Public Art with the Concrete Canvas Walking tour, created as an extension of the Concrete Canvas exhibition previously on display at the Detroit Historical Museum. This walking tour explores the art available in the Cultural Center of Detroit.

From jazz clubs to the Motortown Revue to palaces of rock and roll through the birth of techno in the underground dance scene and beyond, music has constantly moved the Motor City. Explore Detroit's musical heritage with the Detroit Music Venues Past and Present virtual tour.

The J.W. Westcott Company has been an active and beloved presence on the Detroit River for over 150 years. Casually referred to as the “mail boat,” the Westcott is the U.S.A.’s only floating zip code – 48222. Westcott staff deliver mail, packages, crew members, and even pizza to the vessels that journey across the Great Lakes during shipping season from April to December, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Still a family company today, the Westcott has evolved with the times. In this new exhibition, learn how Captain John Ward Westcott started his business in 1874 as a marine reporter, documenting river traffic and delivering company communications to ships via rowboat.

From the earliest days of fandom to the rise of iconic superheroes and gritty anti-heroes, Detroit has been a quiet but powerful force in shaping comic book history. Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story shares the histories of the iconic characters and local creatives who helped define the modern world of comics.

In 2022, the Detroit Historical Society began a series of exhibits, events, public programs, and educational offerings in The Hustle, a program designed to celebrate and honor Detroit's Black entrepreneurs, told in their own words.

The finale exhibition, The Hustle: Detroit’s Unsung Entrepreneurs, featured 34 honorees selected from nearly 800 crowd-sourced nominations and was on display from Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 at the Detroit Historical Museum.

A dynamic, self-directed walking tour of Detroit's historic Black Bottom neighborhood, told through the lens of former residents and their descendants. 

The tour was created by the Detroit Historical Society, Design Core Detroit and Octane Design for the 2021 Detroit Month of Design, with community partnership from Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation and Black Bottom Archives. 

As the hotel marks its 100th anniversary, the Detroit Historical Society has partnered with the Westin Book Cadillac team to create an on-site historical exhibition to recognize its century of history.

View the virtual exhibit here.