The Henry Ford

Monday and Tuesday, July 16 and 17, 2018

I really don't know how to show how nice this museum is in this brief record of our travels.  I can say if you ever have a chance to visit the Henry Ford, do it.  It is a bucket list item.

We purchased an all All Access Pass for $67.50 each.  This gave us an admission to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, and the Giant Screen Experience.

We started out with the factory tour.  After being taken up to the observation level, our guide gave us a lot of information about the history of the factory.  We were also able to see the living roof that has been installed on the roof of the factory.

Plants that make up the living roof.

Other materials used in the living roof.

 Next, from a level above the factory floor, we were able to walk at our own pace and look down at the famous assembly line.  We were able to see many of the operations that go into assembling a Ford 150 pickup truck.  We found this tour to be fascinating and spent a pretty long time there.  Of course being a working factory, no pictures allowed inside, but they had the magic of the green screen.

Once back at the museum, we spent the rest of the day inside.  Here are some of the highlights.

The actual bus.

We sat on the bus while hearing and seeing the actual event.

Having taken the Booth Escape Tour in April, we found out the chair at Fords Theater is not the actual one.  It is in The Henry Ford.

Dymaxion House

The next day we spent most of the day at Greenfield Villiage.  I think this was my favorite place.  We rode a  Model T, horse-drawn carriage, an old bus.  We rode a steam locomotive. We saw Edison's recreated Menlo Park lab. The Wright Brothers workshop.   Their sister's house where they stayed.  We saw reenactments from the Wright Brothers after the first flight at Kitty Hawk.  We listened to Thomas Edison making plans.  We listened to his phonograph.  We had lunch at an authentic 1800-era Michigan tavern.  The sad part was there was so much more to do.  But time and energy prevented us from doing it all.  Guess we will have to go back someday.

The WrightBrothers

Thomas A. Edison

This chair is nailed to the floor in the exact place Edison sat in it.  He was there to let Mr. Ford know how accurate his recreation of Edison's Lab was.  Only one other person sat in this chair, Helen Keller.

This straw is made from pasta.

We will definitely visit this place again when we are in Michigan.