It may look the same from the outside, but inside, it's Detroit history as you've never experienced it, reports Mark Stryker in the Free Press.
The Detroit Historical Museum, closed since May, will reopen the day after Thanksgiving with a $12-million makeover that reaches into nearly every corner.
Nearly 70% of the exhibitions greeting the public are new, from a sweeping journey through the cultural history of Detroit in the 20th Century to in-depth explorations of the city's diverse musical legacy to its role in the Underground Railroad and as the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II.
Interactive displays, films and other technological amenities that have become standard in the museum world have been integrated into the renovated historical museum's DNA. Exhibits that aren't new, among them the beloved "The Streets of Old Detroit" and "America's Motor City," have been polished to a bright shine.
The museum has also eliminated its admission charge, previously $6 for adults and $4 for students.
"We needed to go big or go home," said Bob Bury, executive director of the Detroit Historical Society, the nonprofit organization that operates the Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle. "Incremental change was not going to be a winning formula for the continued viability of the museums and the collections."
