A Simplified Guide to the Henry Ford Museum

Hello, my fellow explorers! If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you may recall our recent trip to Detroit, Michigan, back in September. We covered so much territory while we were there that I still have adventures I need to share with you! So this week, I want to give you a simplified guide to the Henry Ford Museum.

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The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation was founded by Mr. Ford himself back in the 1920s! I was surprised to hear that he started the museum less than 20 years after his company really took off. I guess he knew right away that he was making history that America would remember forever!

Entrance to the Henry Ford Museum — *The outside of the Henry Ford Museum*

The museum is now packed with memorabilia and machines of all kinds, from the first steam engine that Ford built to power his original factory to the car that Kennedy was assassinated in. You’ll tour 20 sections on air transportation, trains, science, furniture manufacturing, futuristic houses, and even entertainment through history.

This museum is not just about Henry Ford’s legacy, although a good part of it is dedicated to his company. It’s about America and the amazing things people in our country have come up with through the ages.

As you can imagine, then, it’s pretty impossible to give you a fully comprehensive post about the museum. So instead, I’m going to give you an overview of each section and highlight some of the particularly fun exhibits to hit if you’re short on time.

Presidential Vehicles

When you first enter the main museum, you’ll see a large gallery with entrances to multiple exhibits. If you turn right, you’ll see a long line of dark vehicles. Each of these cars (and one carriage) transported U.S. presidents, including Kennedy, Nixon, Roosevelt, Carter, Reagan, Ford, and more!

Presidential vehicle at the Henry Ford Museum — *The car Kennedy was assassinated in!*

Clockwork

In a small gallery off to the side of the presidential vehicles, there’s a large collection of four centuries worth of beautiful clocks! Personally, I liked this one outside the exhibit.

Railroads

The railroad section is incredibly fun and educational! You’ll see full trains on display, including the Allegheny locomotive, which was one of the largest steam engines ever built! I also enjoyed the adorable train of connected carriages pulled by a tiny little engine (Dewitt Clinton Steam Locomotive).

Don’t forget to stop by the model train tables. If you’re willing to say, “All aboard! Toot toot!” (with hand motions), a special train will start going around the track in exchange for your dignity.

Driving America

The largest exhibit in the museum is, fittingly, all about the history of the automotive industry.

I particularly enjoyed the timeline of vehicles from carriages to modern cars, as well as the sections on road trips and diners! I appreciated the museum’s detail in recreating these exhibits as they were back in the 1900s, like an old Holiday Inn motel room, a refurbished Volkswagon camper with an awning, and even a mobile diner surrounded by 1960s cars and original McDonald’s signs!

Other notable displays here include the very first Ford Mustang ever made (serial number one), a section on original safety efforts, and the progression of vehicle engines through the years.

Classic 1965 Ford Mustang convertible at the Henry Ford Museum — *Ford Mustang Serial number 1*

Each exhibit was educational but also fun and engaging! Leave plenty of time to explore this area because there is so much to read and learn.

Heroes of the Sky

The next section takes you from the ground to the skies with the evolution of flight! This area is packed with original and replicas of ground-breaking airplanes, from a life-size model of the Wright Flyer to a Boeing 737.

You’ll also find some great side-line exhibits here, including a circus-like area that tells the stories of famous wing-walkers and another that focuses on women in flight.

Made in America: Power

The Power Exhibit was one of the most fascinating ones for me, with its giant engines run by water, steam, electricity, and more. As mentioned in the introduction, the original engine that powered Ford’s first factory was moved and reassembled here. It’s larger than my house!

*On the second-story of Ford’s steam engine*

It’s so neat to see how the manufacturing industry evolved over the centuries as the machines changed power sources and became smaller and more modern.

Firearms

A couple of aisles within the manufacturing power section display firearms of all kinds throughout history. If you’re a gun-buff, you’ll definitely enjoy all the pistols, muskets, and more!

Your Place, Your Time

The Your Place, Your Time exhibit was unexpected but such a fun area to walk through! The first area of displays encapsulated America’s children one decade at a time, while the 90’s kid display had toys like Furby’s and Tamagotchis, and the 60’s display showed off a Jetson lunchbox and War of the Worlds comic books.

Further in, more cultural displays popped up, with clothes from the ’50s, a one-room schoolhouse, a geoponic dome, and a collection of movie posters from the television industry’s first hits like Shirley Temple and Gone with the Wind.

Dymaxion House

The Dymaxion House is such a cool “futuristic” exhibit designed by Buckminster Fuller and built in 1945. This circular design was supposed to make homes spacious but portable and cost-effective.

Agriculture

This large section of the museum showcases farm equipment for every part of farm life, from growing crops to processing dairy! You’ll see combines, plows, harvesters, and more on display!

Home Arts

A small exhibit right next to agriculture apparently features many modern innovations that have made life so much easier at home. I actually walked right by this, so keep an eye out for it!

Mathematica

Mathematica is such a cool exhibit that you’ll want to spend a while exploring. Each display here shows the results of a math problem or theory, such as probability, how planets orbit, and multiplication, in an entertaining way. For example, cascades of falling balls show probability statistics, while complex bubble shapes demonstrate minimal surfaces with square and pyramid-shaped bubbles!

Fully Furnished

If you’re interested in furniture, you’ll really enjoy this section. The museum displays furniture dating all the way back to 1670, including some pretty inventive pieces.

Dollhouses & Lighting

These two small sections next to the furniture display a wide variety of cool lights and adorable dollhouses from centuries of American history.

*I loved this collection of chandeliers*

Made in America: Manufacturing

This section picks apart the various machines that helped America become a manufacturing powerhouse and displays all the different pieces for you to discover. You’ll enjoy some hands-on activities here as well, such as participating in Henry Ford’s assembly line and helping “build” a Model T.

The next three sections are tucked around the Manufacturing exhibit’s perimeter, and, unfortunately, we didn’t even see them. So sadly, I can only give you summaries of what they hold.

Henry Ford’s Violins

Apparently, Henry Ford collected quite a few violins, and you can see his collection on display. According to the museum, each was “selected for tonal quality.”

Telephones

History is calling! Check out this massive collection of telephones through the ages.

Coverlets

If you like textiles, you’ll also enjoy walking through the museum’s lovely collection of blankets and coverlets.

Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery

The Modern Glass Gallery was one of my favorite exhibits in the whole museum. If you’ve seen Netflix’s series Blown Away, you’ll certainly appreciate not only the beauty but also the craftsmanship of these stunning pieces.

The museum displays many different kinds of glasswork here, from fancy dishware to stunning decor.

As you can see, the Henry Ford Museum is absolutely brimming with exhibits, which themselves are brimming with cool stuff! We accidentally missed several small exhibits in the maze-like setup, so be sure to carry a map with you if you plan to hit everything.

We spent over two hours touring the museum, and I would highly recommend you set aside closer to three to make sure you have plenty of time to read and examine all the displays. We had to rush a bit with a looming flight that afternoon, but we definitely could have spent far more time exploring.

This museum is such a fun stop, and it’s great for kids and adults. If you’re also interested in touring Greenwich Village (Ford’s cacophony of famous buildings he relocated onto the property), you’ll need to block out most of your day.

I hope that this guide gives you a good idea of what to look forward to at the museum! Feel free to leave questions or comments below, and please take a moment to share this with your friends via email or social media!

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