If you’re even slightly familiar with Detroit, you’ll likely recognize the iconic Michigan Central Station. Located in historic Corktown, this building became Detroit’s main passenger train depot in 1913 and operated for decades before closing in 1988. For 30 years, the building was off-limits to the public, with scads of trespassers and the occasional film crew comprising the bulk of those who set foot inside. Now, with Ford Motor Company’s recent acquisition of the building, the old Michigan Central Station is about to get a makeover and become an integral part of Detroit once again. Needless to say, Detroiters (for the most part, it seems) are thrilled with the announcement and looking forward to what’s in store for the historic site.
Ford recently opened the doors of Michigan Central to the public for a weekend, allowing visitors to see inside the long-vacant building. Brad and I of course signed up for a tour the second we found out, and based on how crowded the event was, I’m so glad we did! Even with reservations, visitors waited upwards of two hours to go inside Michigan Central. We were able to get in after 45 to 50-ish minutes, and I have to say . . . I was getting pretty antsy by the end of our wait. But boy, was it worth it.
I literally got goosebumps the second we walked inside Michigan Central Station. The sheer size and realness of the old building were all-encompassing, and even if there had been no fanfare (lights, screens, etc.), the “ruins” that surrounded us made it feel like we’d stumbled upon a long-forgotten tomb or shipwreck. Remember in the movie Titanic when 1997-era Rose looks at the ship’s artifacts, then starts to have flashbacks to what everything was like in its early grandeur? In a similar way, Michigan Central Station in its current state—cleaned up a bit, but not yet redone—transports you to a different time and place where trains are king and the bustle of the city has yet to yield to suburban life.
The Ford event featured a self-guided tour around the building, with close-up looks at the original architecture and salvaged remnants. One item of particular interest: a clock that was stolen from the closed-up property decades ago. Just days before the Ford event, an anonymous person texted in the cross street location where the clock could be found, citing that the clock just wanted to “go home.” The clock was successfully retrieved with no questions asked, so it looks like the clock (and the thief) will finally see a successful homecoming, after all.
Above: Inside the recently reopened Michigan Central Station in Detroit
Above: Old ticket windows inside Detroit’s Michigan Central Station
While Ford still has a lot of work to do on the old building, I’m excited to see how the automaker transforms this space into a central part of its evolving Corktown campus. You can learn more about Ford’s plans to transform Michigan Central Station in the video below:
