The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric Sites
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Experience the Original Model T Factory Visiting the Piquette Avenue Ford Plant is a unique experience-it's the oldest auto plant open to the public anywhere in the world. Almost unchanged since Henry Ford's day, the plant is a three-story New England-style mill building. Each floor is divided into sections by the original metal fire doors, complete with the shadows of Henry Ford's "Positively NO Smoking" stencils. The old plank floors are worn from the 12,000 Model Ts built on them, so wear appropriate shoes for your visit. The plant is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a designated National Historic Landmark and a Michigan State Historic Site. Walk the worn wood floors and touch the brick walls where Henry Ford and his team of automotive pioneers developed the car that led to an automotive and social revolution. See Henry Ford's office as it was in 1908 when he was on the cusp of fame. And learn why it still matters today. See a selection of rare Detroit-built cars from the first decade of the 20th century and learn their fates.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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  • Gilbo0254
    3 contributions
    A must see historical time capsule
    Amazing place with amazing people! Our tour guide Tom was fantastic. If you like cars and history, it is a must do. It gives an incredible insight into the beginnings of not only Ford Motor, but also the whole automotive industry. Great value and 2 hours very well spent.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written March 12, 2023
  • Dream174727
    24 contributions
    This was a fantastic little gem.
    This was a fantastic little gem. I'm surprised that the Ford family doesn't incorporate this within the Henry Ford Umbrella. We had a great tour from a former Ford employee who had a wealth of knowledge and stories to share. This is the only location with a version of all the cars Ford made up to and including the Model T.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 21, 2023
  • Brendan S
    Arlington, Virginia1,575 contributions
    Famous auto history site
    This Plant is the first significant factory of the Ford Motor Company and the birthplace of the legendary Model T. Cars were hand assembled here until production moved to an assembly line. There is little left of that operation other than the building itself, but Henry Ford’s office and the Secret Engineering Room where the Model T were designed have been reconstructed. There are also dozens of antique Fords and a few other brands’ cars on display, most in excellent condition. There is a lengthy (90-minute tour) by a docent who explains the history, the Plant and even how to drive the cars. Unlike many air and car museums, it doesn’t get too bogged down in the technical details, providing just enough information for visitors with general interest.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written September 1, 2023
  • Anonymous855
    1,680 contributions
    Wow! What a terrific experience and I know Detroit
    We had a terrific docent and a small group. He was so knowledgeable that our tour ran over but the guys hung in there and a couple of us sat and waited comfortably. Parking was right across from the structure and it was good to see renovation happening in that building and the neighborhood. The cars are exceptional and it tells that epoch of our history very well. I wholeheartedly recommend this tour!
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 28, 2023
  • rgoben
    Grand Junction, Colorado620 contributions
    Very Interesting to get some accurate information about Ford's first auto plant.
    We actually liked this Ford Museum the best. We really got to see how Ford Autos Progressed over the eary years. Also lots of interesting information about how the first plant came about.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 15, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

5.0
572 reviews
Excellent
462
Very good
95
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
1

Ashok B
New York, NY6 contributions
Sep 2020 • Solo
This is a magical wonderland of automotive history. I spent about 3 hours there yesterday. Highly recommend the guided tour. Jerry's tour was filled with rich history and stories, I asked plenty of questions and he had damn near every answer.

At one point I blurted out the title of this review, "more people need to know about this!!" He seemed to enjoy that.

This is the birthplace of American automotive ingenuity, and it DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

auditor_g-s
Paris, France243 contributions
Feb 2020
Really enjoyed the tour of the Ford Piquette museum, this is the historical place where the Ford adventure started, and the museum is fully maintained by passionate people. You will learn a lot on cars and history even if you are an old time addict. The museum is huge, you can really spend 3 hours there. I will definitely come back when the whole museum is converted to show the production lines and also has a roof opening view! Thank you for such a great tour !
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don M
Grosse Pointe, MI69 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
Walk the floors that automotive pioneers walked.
This building is an amazing tribute to the automotive industry.
Even the structure is an engineering tribute of an earlier era.
Henry Ford would be proud to see the Piquette Plant today.
The collection of cars rotate, but each vehicle has a story of its own. Anyone interested in architecture, history or automobiles this is a must see.
Written October 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jbentleyinkc
Kansas City, MO25 contributions
Aug 2022 • Friends
Do not miss a tour of this amazing place! It is both a remarkable preservation story of an important building in American industrial history, and a fascinating story of how Ford’s early cars were invented and produced in this building, which would have been demolished if not for dedicated volunteers & Ford History Junkies & Collectors. The enthusiasm of our guide, retired Ford engineer Tom Genoa, is contagious. He is a living encyclopedia of Ford history and is a joy to learn from.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Angela S
1 contribution
Jun 2021
Tom gave THE BEST tour of the plant. He was both extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. It looks like a small museum but gives the full history not just of the start of Ford but of the automotive industry in general. It also has every ford from the Model A to the Model T on display so you can really see and appreciate all the progress and history. The tour lasted two hours but we easily could have spent at least another hour with Tom (they do encourage you take some time to look around on your own afterwards too). This is a must do in Detroit.
Written June 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brent W
Windsor, Canada5 contributions
Feb 2020
The tour begins with a 15 minute documentary of the Ford Piquette Plant which sets the stage for the tour with a docent. We were fortunate to have Tom as our docent and he shared tons of trivia and information about the Fords and the activity of the plant in the early 1900's. Even if you're not a car enthusiast, you'll appreciate the historical and cultural events that are part of the whole story. The entire tour was a bit over an hour; well worth it and I highly recommend it! It was extremely cold the day we went and the factory is not very warm. This was the only downside.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bobx77
Florida2,353 contributions
Aug 2022
It’s only $ 17 for the guided tour.
There is this one guy giving all the tours of today, but unfortunately I don’t remember his name (but it was something short eg Tom…):
But this guy is awesome! He literally knows ALL about the Ford history, legacy and the cars in this museum.
Some of these cars are very rare !

So don’t miss the guided tour!!!
You could book over the internet at least one day in advance…
Written August 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia17,646 contributions
Apr 2022
After visiting the magnificent Ford museum of American innovation the day before, we drove here on purpose next day to see where it all began in automotive industry.
I was greatly disappointed finding the space closed.
As I learnt there they're only open for few hours and only Thu-Sun, very strange.
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brendan S
Arlington, VA1,575 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
This Plant is the first significant factory of the Ford Motor Company and the birthplace of the legendary Model T.

Cars were hand assembled here until production moved to an assembly line. There is little left of that operation other than the building itself, but Henry Ford’s office and the Secret Engineering Room where the Model T were designed have been reconstructed. There are also dozens of antique Fords and a few other brands’ cars on display, most in excellent condition.

There is a lengthy (90-minute tour) by a docent who explains the history, the Plant and even how to drive the cars. Unlike many air and car museums, it doesn’t get too bogged down in the technical details, providing just enough information for visitors with general interest.
Written September 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TJmom
washington dc1,849 contributions
Jul 2022
What a wonderful museum and such an informative docent!
This museum is small. It has all the old Ford models. This visit was the best museum experience because the docent was very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. He was a retired engineer who had worked at the Ford plant and knew all the history behind each car model on display.
A must visit when you are in Detroit!
Written October 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is open:
  • Wed - Sun 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM


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