Henry Ford's 150th Birthday January - December 2013
Ideas and Innovations that Changed the World
Henry Ford founded the Edison Institute (today, known as The Henry Ford) in 1929, as a place where young people could learn by doing. He believed that studying objects from our past “gives us a sense of unity with our people through the generations, and conveys the inspiration of American genius to our young.”
To achieve his goals for educating youth, Ford created an unprecedented collection covering three centuries of American history, ranging from ordinary household objects to inventions that document technological and social change. He invited researchers and inventors to visit and work, and he created a bold and ambitious new way for people of all ages to discover and explore the richness of the American experience for themselves. Learn more about Henry Ford's life including onsite and online reference materials and resources. Then watch the interview with our Curator of Transportation about Ford and his radical innovations.
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Henry Ford's birth with an unforgettable visit to one of Henry Ford's greatest legacies
Providing an unparalleled depth and breadth of exhibits, demonstrations, programs and reenactments - immerse yourself in Henry Ford and America's stories of traditions and innovations at America's greatest history destination, The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford Museum
A cornerstone of The Henry Ford, Henry Ford Museum is a remarkable showcase of the people and ideas that have changed the world. Henry Ford’s influence is everywhere in Henry Ford Museum. You’d expect to find it in some places, like the iconic vehicles in our new Driving America exhibit. There’s his very first car, the Quadricycle, along with the world-changing Model T and the first mass market V-8s, among others. But Henry Ford was an adventurous spirit, so look around and you’ll find surprises like the remarkable Ford Tri-Motor plane and the Fair Lane, Henry Ford’s personal railroad car. Most telling, though, are the examples in Made in America, where you’ll find an “exploded” version of Henry Ford’s Model T along with a miniaturized assembly line and a real Model T that you can help build, all representing innovations that shaped the modern world.
Driving America Exhibition
Experience the world’s premier automotive exhibition featuring artifacts, media, and interactive play telling the story of people, cars and our culture. One section of the exhibit highlights Henry Ford’s innovative contributions to the industry. Featured vehicles include a 1903 Model A from Ford Motor Company’s earliest days, a 1914 Model T representing the assembly line and the five dollar day, and a 1932 Cabriolet with Ford’s affordable V-8 engine.
Discovering Henry Ford Multi-Media Show
Daily programming: April – December 2013
Access digital assets (movies, photos, etc.) related to Henry Ford
Guided Museum Tours
January - April 2013, upon request year-round
Our master presenters show and tell Henry Ford’s success with the moving assembly line and how it led to The Henry Ford.
Henry’s Assembly Line
Year-round
Build wooden Model Ts to be assembled "on the line"
Maker Faire Detroit
July 27-28, 2013
More than 400 makers will bring their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to this two-day festival that celebrates unconventional ingenuity, unbridled creativity and a whole lot of forward thinking.
Greenfield Village
Spanning more than 300 years of history over 80 acres, Greenfield Village is a journey into the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. It is filled with reminders of Henry Ford – everything from his childhood home to a fleet of operating Model Ts. And, it is also home to a collection of buildings connected to the man who inspired Ford, Thomas Edison. The most fascinating is Edison’s Menlo Park Complex, where many of his most famous inventions were created. And don’t miss a pair of often-overlooked gems: Ford’s Bagley Avenue workshop, where he built his very first motorized vehicle, and the Edison Illuminating Company’s Station A, where the youthful Henry Ford honed his leadership skills.
Young Henry and His Machines
June 17 - August 18
Experience young Henry’s informal education, and tinker with watch parts, machines and principles that challenged young Henry.
Henry’s T
Dramatic Presentation May - August
Meet Henry Ford in this interactive 15-minute play and hear how he was inspired to build the world’s universal car.
Guided Village Tour upon request –
contact The Henry Ford Call Center (open 7 days a week, 9am - 5pm) 313-982-6001
Motor Muster
June 15-16, 2013
The streets of Greenfield Village will be filled with hundreds of classic cars, vintage trucks, and motorcycles from 1933-1976.
63rd Annual Old Car Festival
September 7-8, 2013
America's Longest Running Antique Car Show features hundreds of authentic vehicles from the 1890s through 1932.
Ford Rouge Factory Tour
The Rouge, as we affectionately call this factory, was the centerpiece of one of the great wonders of the industrial world when construction began in 1917. Henry Ford envisioned – and then created – the world’s largest automotive complex where every element that went into the making of a car could be manufactured. Eventually, more than 100,000 people worked here. Today, thanks to the film and multi-sensory portions of our tour, you can step right into the sprawling world that Henry Ford built here. And then, as you step into the factory itself, you’ll see how much Henry Ford’s factory has evolved into the enlightened modern manufacturing experience.
Benson Ford Research Center
In addition to what you will see when you visit The Henry Ford, we have extensive historical holdings that document the American experience for you to explore. Access our growing digitized collections of objects, archives, photographs, video and audio records. Click here to look at our catalog of books, trade catalogs, archival materials, periodicals and more. We offer a range of services related to our collections, including “behind-the-scenes tours” of our collections storage and conservation labs. Contact us to find out more about our collections and services.
The Henry Ford is located in Dearborn, Michigan on the corner of Village Road and Oakwood Boulevard, just west of the Southfield Freeway (M-39) and south of Michigan Avenue (US-12).
The Henry Ford
20900 Oakwood Blvd.
Dearborn, MI 48124-5029
From the East or West via I-94:
Take I-94 to the Oakwood Boulevard exit; go north on Oakwood. The Henry Ford is 2.5 miles from the exit on the corner of Village Road and Oakwood Boulevard.
From the South via I-75:
Exit to northbound Southfield Freeway (M-39); drive 4.1 miles to Oakwood Boulevard (Exit 4). Left on Oakwood and drive 1.8 miles.
From the North via Southfield Road (or I-96):
Take Southfield Freeway (M-39) south 4.5 miles past I-96 and exit at Michigan avenue (Exit 6). Continue on the Southfield service drive (veer left) for .5 mile. At the first stoplight, turn right onto Village Road (through the iron gates) and drive .75 mile.
Metro Detroit often has major construction projects. Please check the following sites for the latest on construction areas and road closures.
