The recreational and cultural activities of the surrounding surburban communities play an important role in the lives of members of the Wayne State community.

The Metropolitan Area

After a short drive from campus, you will find everything a large metropolitan area has to offer, from shopping malls and restaurants to festivals. To learn more, visit visitdetroit.com.

The Henry Ford — One notable attraction near campus in the city of Dearborn is The Henry Ford a historical destination that brings the American experience to life. Through exhibits, demonstrations, programs and re-enactments, The Henry Ford celebrates yesterday’s traditions as well as today’s innovations. The Henry Ford’s five attractions are for visitors of all ages. Spread over more than 90 acres, Greenfield Village showcases 300 years of America’s past, including Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park complex at the moment when his development of the incandescent lightbulb was about to transform the world, and a replica of the factory where Henry Ford built his first automobiles. Housing one of the largest collections of its kind ever assembled, Henry Ford Museum showcases historic planes, cars and art. At the site where automobile manufacturing as we know it came of age — and continues to define the state-of-the-art today — the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is a firsthand journey into the genius of American manufacturing. Behind the scenes, the Benson Ford Research Center uses the one-of-a-kind artifacts and resources of The Henry Ford to deepen our understanding of American people, places and things. And on the bigger-than-big screen, The Henry Ford IMAX® Theatre presents current releases, cinema classics and feature-length documentaries that showcase American popular culture and the American experience.

Parks — Thirteen Metroparks covering almost 24,000 acres are along the Huron, Rouge and Clinton rivers, providing a greenbelt around the Detroit metropolitan area. Attractions include nature study centers, bicycling, running, skating and hiking trails, swimming beaches, boating and sailing centers, picnic facilities and winter sport activities. The admission fee is nominal and the parks are well maintained. For more information, visit www.metroparks.com.

Michigan is the great outdoors. With the Great Lakes, 11,000 inland lakes, 5,600 miles of snowmobile trails, dozens of downhill ski resorts and four national parks, there’s so much to experience. Cultural offerings include everything from aquariums to zoos, museums, galleries, lighthouses, waterfalls, natural rock formations, and even award-winning wineries. There’s always a celebration somewhere in Michigan, from state and county fairs and the National Blueberry Festival to the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Sample Michigan specialties at restaurants, such as pasties from the Upper Peninsula, a planked Great Lakes whitefish with a glass of prize-winning Chardonnay, morel mushrooms, world-famous Michigan cherries and Mackinac Island fudge. Over the past two decades, Michigan has become one of America’s premier summer golf destinations. Golf Digest ranked the region as the 12th best golf destination in the world and 8th best in the country. For more information about Michigan, visit michigan.org.