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Locations

Welcome to MotorCities National Heritage Area (MotorCities), where you can Experience Everything Automotive! We invite you to join us as we take a drive down memory lane, gaze into the future and share with you an amazing automotive journey.

Pull out a calendar, road map and pen, and let the fun begin! We invite you to browse the many wonderful automotive museums, homes and gardens, tours and sporting events located in MotorCities and plot your path through the heart of the American automotive industry. If you need help, we're ready to jump in! Whether your visit lasts a few hours or a few days, you are guaranteed an exciting variety of places to see and things to do.

With over 100 sites and experiences waiting to be explored, go ahead and choose your category of interest - and get ready to Experience Everything Automotive!

City

Tours

Interest

Sunday, 16 February 2020 23:40

The Orchard Lake Beach Trolley Stop

In the early 1900s many Detroiters escaped to the wonders of nature by using the trolleys such as the Orchard Lake Beach stop that was…
Published in Locations
As electric trolleys and automobiles appeared around the turn of the 20th century the landscape of rural West Bloomfield was being transformed. Several people wer…
Published in Locations
Sunday, 16 February 2020 23:55

Lakes and Attractions

No stop in the entire Detroit United Railway (DUR) trolley system was more popular than the Orchard Lake stop located here. People who came here…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 00:00

Waiting Room and the "WYE"

At this location, the Detroit United Railway (DUR) built a "wye" which was a Y-shaped track that allowed trolley cars to turn around and go…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 00:06

Remembering Historic Railways

At Cass Lake Road the light rail electric trolley track that was built in 1899 is still noticeable. It served communities from Pontiac through Farmington…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 00:26

Orchard Lake Museum

The first building here was a small tavern named the Orchard Lake House whcih was built in 1857 for stagecoach travelers. Various owners rebuilt and…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 00:43

A Lake and a Trolley

"Weekenders" were brought to Cass Lake from the Detroit and Pontiac areas in 1895. In 1912, Joseph E. Sawyer began selling lots of homes and…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 01:01

Intersecting Lines Put Wixom on the Map

Trains came from all directions and made Wixom a hub of commerce. The intersecting Grand Trunk Railway was completed in 1883, and by then Willard…
Published in Locations
Monday, 17 February 2020 14:46

The Power of Water at the Mill Pond Dam

In 1838 the Clark brothers built the original dam to hold Clinton River water to a depth of 22 feet, producing the mill pond and…
Published in Locations
Over 500 acres of land at the far end of Deer Lake were once owned by Ford Motor Company. Deer Lake Hills Farm opened in…
Published in Locations
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