Things to see in Detroit

The Charles H Wright Museum of African-American History was the vision of a Dr. Charles Wright, who wanted a centre to document and preserve black history, life, and culture. Once a travelling museum housed in a mobile home, it has grown into one of the world's largest museums dedicated to African-American history. Its exhibits focus on many aspects of black history, from the initial journey from Africa to the Underground Railroad, jazz, Malcolm X, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and the Harlem Renaissance.

The surprisingly low-key Detroit Institute of Arts houses one of the largest fine arts collections in the USA. The museum is dominated by a number of murals by Diego Rivera, who was commissioned to produce frescos on the Detroit motor industry. The musuem’s collections encompass a wide diversity of genres and include works by Rembrandt, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and Francis Bacon.

The brainchild of Walter Dossin, a power-boat racing magnate, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum chronicles the flavourful history of Great Lakes boating and shipping through models, exhibits, paintings, and memorabilia. One of its most enticing attractions is the Gothic Room, which features 7.5 tonnes of carved gothic oak removed from the elegant turn-of-the-century river luxury liner, the City of Detroit III.