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Detroit Institute of Arts
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Detroit Institute of Arts

See all things to do
See all things to do
Detroit Institute of Arts
5
2,974 reviews
#2 of 157 things to do in Detroit
Art Museums
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9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Considered to house one of the best art collections in the United States, the museum showcases everything from mummies to modern art and African masks to Monets in its outstanding collection of over 65,000 works. Don't miss the Center for African American Art, a gallery in the DIA that showcases 400 pieces, in various media, by African American artists.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
2,974 reviews
Excellent
2,577
Very good
341
Average
41
Poor
8
Terrible
7
John D
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI18 contributions
Finest Art Museum in the World
Jan 2023
On January 10, 2023, I visited the Detroit Institute of Arts to view their amazing Van Gogh Exhibition. The artwork exceeded my expectations, and I was so glad that I went to the DIA. As you can imagine, people from all over the world are coming to this exhibition so be prepared for lots of people around you. Have patience. If you think that you will be the only person there - you are wrong.

I went at 3:00pm and the lines were not long, and I was able to spend ample time viewing all of the 64 magnificent paintings on display. I found the coat check room personnel and security staff to be very efficient and pleasant. It must be extremely difficult to keep track of thousands of coats and handbags. They took good care of my coat.

Over the last 40 years, I have visited many art museums all over the world, and the finest one is in Detroit.
Written January 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Karol_paris
Paris, France215 contributions
Don't miss Van Gogh - and the rest
Nov 2022
We didn't have enough time to do the museum justice, but it's clearly one of the best in the US. The medieval Europe collection is wonderful and is displayed in a room evidently built for it, with the feel of a Gothic church or castle. The whole museum has superb architecture and of course the Diego Rivera frescoes which I never tire of contemplating.
We did spend our time in the temporary exhibit on "Van Gogh in America" which was wonderful (I'm running out of superlative adjectives), lots of details I didn't know. The museum shop went all out in proposing Van Gogh memorabilia of every imaginable kind, I would have bought much more had I not had to fit it in my suitcase!
Written November 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jpete02
Lansing, MI780 contributions
A treasure for Detroit
Jul 2020 • Family
First visit to the DIA with my seven year old daughter and found it a surprisingly good experience for a young kid. This was her first visit to an art museum. Kids have a different perspective on art and it is fun to hear what they think.

Limited my visit to two hours and just went into the galleries that interested my daughter. We made it through about half the museum’s galleries. If you want to see everything, it is probably going to take 4 to 6 hours. This is one of the top art museums in the country and probably only behind the Art Institute of Chicago in the Midwest.

As for my daughter, she liked the Ancient Egyptian gallery, the Diego Riviera Detroit Industry frescoes, and the European impressionist gallery the best. This museum has a nice collection of impression paintings on display including 4 Van Gogh paintings and his self portrait.

In July of 2020, due to Covid, there was free admission for everyone but there was hardly anyone in the museum on a Friday afternoon, so no worries about being in a too crowded situation. Everyone was wearing masks and there were hand sanitizer stations throughout the museum.

The only entrance right now is off Farnsworth (South side of building) and you have to exit out the back. There are directional arrows on the floor to keep people moving in a consistent direction.

There is a large surface parking lot behind the museum and you can park for $7 for all day but there is also metered on the street parking around the museum as well. The old city owned underground garage is closed permanently.

Area around the museum is very safe and walkable. Although the streetcar is not running due to Covid, a really interesting drive is to start downtown and drive out on Woodward to the museum. Takes about ten minutes and you can see all of the revitalization in the area.

Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
linda A
1 contribution
DIA Failed to Control the Rude Crowd
Jan 2023 • Solo
The Van Gogh exhibit could have been fantastic had the DIA staff provided some order to the crowd. I ended up leaving because it was hot, loud, and so packed I couldn't get close enough to see much of the art. Shame on the DIA for overselling and then allowing the patrons to push, shove, and otherwise behave like we were at a sporting event. Babies crying and bored children running everywhere, with many entitled types holding up the lines while they took selfies and pics of all the paintings. A handicapped woman on a scooter was repeatedly blocked from approaching the art as people rudely cut her off. No one would let her through. It was ridiculous. I've visited many DIA exhibits, and we were hushed if talking too loud and NEVER allowed to take pictures of the exhibits. Evidently we have a generation of people who are inconsiderate and ignorant of how to behave in a museum, or in a public place in general. The DIA staff should have provided some guidance. Instead, they abdicated their responsibility to provide an orderly and safe space to enjoy the genius of Van Gogh.
Written January 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
AA C
Ohio159 contributions
Rude workers
Nov 2022 • Friends
Went to see the Van Gogh exhibit. The exhibit itself is fantastic , but the staff is rude and should not be working there. We were told to get in line cause they were lining up for our 2pm time. when we got to the very back of the line and tried to get in line the gustopo herself was there telling people they could not line up yet when we told her what the women upfront said she became nasty then her idiot manager came and we were treated poorly. Lots of people were not happy. Well done, for a city that was bankrupt this was not a good way to represent and welcome people downtown.
Written November 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MidwestKathM
Detroit, MI743 contributions
World-class art collection in a COVID-safe environment
Sep 2020
We love the DIA! As longtime members, we visit several times a year. And attend the Friday Night Live often as well as talks, senior activities, and films every month. Lots of terrific art to see in their permanent collection...including the Diego Rivera murals, Caravaggio, Italian Renaissance, John Singer Sargent, Whistler, Van Gogh, John Singleton Copley, Kehinde Wiley, Abstract Expressionists, African-American works, Asian antiquities, and Egyptian mummies. And then there are the excellent temporary exhibitions and the special exhibitions. During these COVID times, we wanted to show our support after the museum reopened. The DIA is perhaps the safest art museum we've visited in the last 4 months. Advance timed tickets, masks required, temperature check, contactless entry, social distancing, galleries grouped with one entrance, one exit, hand sanitizer.
Written October 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cubsfan_1974
Aurora, IL321 contributions
Nice and quiet visit
Jun 2021
Due to covid restrictions, they were only letting in a certain number of people at every reservation time and that made for a very intimate visit to the museum. I loved it. We were in some rooms by ourselves! Nice displays, big rooms, good flow through the museum, and a lot to see. Just a nice visit overall.
Written June 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lisamarie L
Madison, WI775 contributions
Beautiful art museum downtown
Dec 2022
The DIA is a gorgeous, world class museum. We were there for the Van Gogh exhibit which had an amazing collection of portraits (including a few in the DIA's own collection) and didn't have much time afterwards, but the rest of the museum is truly beautiful and a great place to enjoy art across several centuries. The building itself is also a work of art.
Written March 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Nathan Smith Jr
Los Angeles, CA642 contributions
A world class art museum in the heart of Detroit. A must visit.
Oct 2022 • Solo
It’s funny, I’ve been all over the world. To the Louvre, the Brit, the Met etc., and have never thought to stop in the DIA right in the heart of my hometown. Yesterday I did so for the first time and was instantly blown away by the quality of the museum.

The British, Italian and Golden age Dutch exhibits are amazing and full of some absolutely world class art. During my visit I noticed there’s even places where people can learn to draw and practice in the Golden Age Dutch section which was awesome to see. Who knows. The next Picasso or Van Gogh could be right in the inner city of Detroit and not know it because they’ve never been exposed to art. So having a world class facility where they can become immersed in it is awesome.

The Native American exhibit was also really interesting and probably the most underrated part of the museum based on the number of people I saw walking around.

My only complaint with the museum is I found that the number of exhibits was lacking. It would be nice if there were more Asian and African art on display at the museum as well as aboriginal stuff from Australia. Still, for being in Detroit, this is absolutely incredible and a must see for any visitor or resident of the city.
Written October 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mei
7 contributions
Beautiful collection and rooms
Nov 2022
This gallery had many different collections from different parts of the world and different time periods and constructed many rooms to reflect an appropriate architectural style. We spent about 4h there but could have used longer to take our time browsing through the rest of the collections. Definitely check out the Kresge Cafe while you're there and grab a pamphlet on the architectural design!
Written November 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detroit Institute of Arts - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts is open:
  • Wed - Fri 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Sat - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Detroit Institute of Arts tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Detroit Institute of Arts tours on Tripadvisor