Detroit Historical Society

06/24/2026

✨ It's Members Appreciation Week! All week: visit the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum to be entered in raffles and enjoy a special 30% off member discount in our museum stores (*regular priced merchandise, in-store only).

Tonight! Wednesday, 6/24 | Member Night
With an exclusive talk by curator Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo on Blind Pigs and Bootleggers: Michigan Women During Prohibition at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

Friday, 6/26 | Bring a Friend Friday
Members can bring a friend to visit one of our museums and their admission is on us!

Saturday, 6/27 | Members Appreciation Day
Enjoy a members-only screening of The Russian Five documentary and docent-led tours and activities at the Detroit Historical Museum.

06/24/2026

On June 24, 1972, hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists from across Michigan marched down Woodward Avenue to Kennedy Square in Detroit's first-ever gay pride march, dubbed "Christopher Street Detroit" to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Photo via Sunflower newspaper.

06/23/2026

On June 23, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led 125,000 people in the March to Freedom down Woodward Avenue. That evening, he delivered a version of his "I Have a Dream" speech for the first time at Cobo Hall. This aerial view shows the intersection of Woodward and Michigan Avenue at Campus Martius.

06/22/2026

🎟️ Members! Remember that you can visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum for FREE through the end of June as part of our Member Appreciation Month celebration.

Just show your membership card at the front desk when you arrive.

06/22/2026

On June 22, 1937, Joe Louis won the world heavyweight championship after defeating James J. Braddock in front of 65,000 spectators at Chicago's Comiskey Park, as pictured in this Associate Press photo.

Learn more about Louis: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/louis-joe

06/20/2026

🚗 Today's Behind the Scenes: Car Storage Tours are SOLD OUT but we just announced another limited opportunity to explore our storied car collection on Saturday, 9/12! Find tickets here: https://bit.ly/3QACTiW

06/20/2026

On June 20, 1966, Vernors ginger ale celebrated its 100th anniversary with a public event featuring tours, refreshments and family entertainment at its Woodward Avenue factory. This ticket from our collection allowed admittance of an adult and guests.

Learn more about Vernors, which recently celebrated its 160th anniversary: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/vernors-ginger-ale

06/19/2026

On June 19, 1865, some 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued two years earlier, decreed that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free - the last place in the Confederacy for this news to spread. The day was dubbed "Juneteenth" by the newly freed people and is now a federal holiday.

Learn move via the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

*Please note that the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit Historical Museum, and Detroit Historical Society offices are closed today for the holiday.

Juneteenth is a time to gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future. Discover ways to celebrate this African American cultural tradition of music, food and freedom.

06/18/2026

🌤️📲 Holiday hours! Please note a few upcoming museum closures this summer, including this Friday, 6/19 and Saturday, July 4. The Dossin Great Lakes Museum will be OPEN on Labor Day, Monday, 9/7, but the Detroit Historical Museum will be CLOSED.

Be sure to visit our website for late nights, free admission days, and any other changes to our regular open schedule: detroithistorical.org/visit

06/18/2026

On June 18, 1898, Bob-lo Island Amusement Park opened for the first time on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, Canada. It would be a favorite summer destination for Detroiters for the next century.

🎢 Revisit some classic Bob-Lo rides on our blog!

Please note! The Detroit Historical Museum is CLOSING EARLY at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, and the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum will be CLOSED on Friday, June 19 for Juneteenth.