Congress Excursion
HENRY FORD MUSEUM
It began as a simple yet bold idea to document the genius of ordinary people by recognizing and preserving the objects they used in the course of their everyday lives. It grew into the ultimate place to explore what Americans past and present have imagined and invented — a remarkable destination that brings American ideas and innovations to life. The sheer scope and design of Henry Ford Museum is as grand as the vision that inspired it. It’s impossible not to feel a sense of awe as your mind adjusts to a different sense of scale — more vast, more expansive and more diverse — by far — than anything you'll encounter in everyday life. The sweeping, single-floor space with its soaring 40-foot ceilings covers nine acres dedicated to showcasing the finest collection of its kind ever assembled.
IMAX Theatre (with museum tour)
The IMAX "ultimate film experience" combines a variety of technological innovations: special cameras, special projectors, giant screens, and footage shot on 70mm negative stock.
The experience
Our IMAX motion picture projection system, invented and developed by Imax Corporation, is the finest motion picture projection system in the world. Images of unsurpassed size, clarity, and impact, enhanced by a superb specially-designed six-channel, multi-speaker sound system, are projected onto our giant rectangular screen which is eight stories wide (84 feet) and six stories tall (62 feet). Our IMAX Theatre is the largest IMAX Theatre in the State of Michigan having the capability to show both 2D and 3D IMAX films. Seating capacity is 440 for 2D, 410 for 3D, and is fully handicapped accessible in accordance with ADA regulations. Go to http://www.thehenryford.org/imax/about.aspx to learn more about the IMAX experience.
GREENFIELD VILLAGE
Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning. There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America.
Trace the life of Henry Ford, one of America's greatest industrialists and innovators, from childhood through the founding of his Ford Motor Company. Move from the home where he was born to a replica of the factory where he built his first automobiles. You can even take a test ride in a restored Model T! Visit
http://www.thehenryford.org/village/about.aspx for to step back in time in American history.
RIVER ROUGE FACTORY TOUR
Ford Rouge Factory Tour is a self-guided five-part experience that includes: Legacy Theatre, Art of Manufacturing Theatre, Observation Deck, Dearborn Truck Plant and the Legacy Gallery. Theatre seating is limited to 79 guests per show; shows run continuously until 4:00 PM and are seated on a first come first serve basis.
Legacy Theatre
Learn about the triumphs and tragedies surrounding the Rouge, much of it told through rare, never-before-seen historic footage. Approximate time: 13 minutes
Art of Manufacturing Theatre
A multi-sensory theater experience including a 360-degree look at how automobiles are made! Approximate time: 14 minutes
Observation Deck Tour
View the world’s largest living roof from our 80-foot-high Observation Deck. Variable time: 5-15 minutes
Assembly Plant Walking Tour
See where the new Ford F-150s are assembled in a new lean and flexible manufacturing plant. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the final assembly process from an elevated walkway. Variable time: 30-45 minutes
Legacy Gallery
View five historic vehicles made at the Rouge including the 20,000,000th Ford, hop in a new F-150, and visit our Factory Store.
Photography
Photography and video recording are strictly prohibited in both theaters and the Dearborn Truck Plant. Photography is allowed in the Legacy Gallery and Observation Deck.
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
(Dinner at the DIA follows ALL tours)
Founded in 1885, the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) has been a beacon of culture for the Detroit area. The museum covers 658,000 square feet that includes more than 100 galleries, a 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture/recital hall, an art reference library, and a state-of-the-art conservation services laboratory. The DIA's collection is among the top six in the United States, comprising a multicultural and multinational survey of human creativity from prehistory through the 21st century.
Explore American and European Art while you enjoy a strolling dinner at the DIA.
Learn more about the Detroit Institute of Arts at
http://www.dia.org/.