1999
National Conference

Things to See and Do in Detroit

Ethnic Shopping and Restaurants

Greektown features a lively district that is easily reached from the downtown People Mover. Mexicantown is located in southwest Detroit is the place to go for authentic Latin gifts, food, and music. Dearborn, MI, a Detroit suburb just west of the city, has one of America's oldest Arab communities and is a great place to sample Middle Eastern cuisine and culture. Hamtramck, a little city entirely surrounded by Detroit, is home to authentic Polish bakeries and eateries.

Museums  and Libraries

The Charles H. Wright Museum located on East Warren Avenue in Detroit's Cultural Center is the world's largest museum of its kind. Also located in the Cultural Center are the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center, the Center for Creative Studies, Your Hertiage House, the Children's Museum, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. The library system which includes the Great Lakes Patent and Trademark Center, the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library, the Rare Book Collection, and the National Automotive History Collection. Across the street from the Public Library main branch is the Walter P. Reuther Library located on the campus of Wayne State University, is home to the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, the Douglas Fraser Center for Workplace Issues, and the Wayne State University Archives. The Motown Historical Museum, founded to honor and preserve the history of Motown Records, is housed at Hitsville U.S.A. on West Grand Boulevard, the original home of the Motown sounds headquarters and recording studio. Included among the artifacts on display are gold records, sheet music, original album covers, and Michael Jackson's famous sequined glove.

Theaters

Detroit boasts more than 40 professional and community theaters which delight visitors and residents with top-notch billings, from the latest Broadway offerings to a variety of world renowned entertainers. The Fox Theatre, a city landmark located less than a mile from the downtown riverfront, features a 10-story neon marquee at its entrance, a 13-foot gilded metal and stained glass chandelier in its lobby, and a Wurlitzer pipe organ. The Fox has been classified as the world's second-largest movie theater. The Detroit Opera House has a 7,500 square foot stage, an orchestra pit large enough to accommodate nearly 100 musicians, and superb acoustics. The Fisher Theatre in Detroit's New Center is a 3,000-seat theater which often hosts touring Broadway shows. It was originally decorated in a Mayan-temple style and began as a vaudeville and movie house in the late 1920s. The Attic Theatre is located in the Trapper's Alley complex in Greektown and presents several top-notch shows each year. The Bonstelle Theatre, distinguished by its prominent dome, features the work of Wayne State University undergraduate students. The Detroit Film Theatre offers a variety of films of cultural interest and historic significance. Detroit Repertory Theatre is a 36-year old institution where comedy and drama are popular fare. The Hilberry Theatre, also affiliated with Wayne State University, is the only graduate repertory company in the country. The Masonic Temple is acoustically unparalleled, boasts the largest stage in the Midwest, and often hosts major theatrical productions and internationally acclaimed entertainers. Detroit's historic Music Hall has had some of the world's finest drama, opera, jazz, and dance performed on its downtown stage.

Information

Informtion on these or any other Detroit attractions can be obtained by contacting the Metropolitan Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800)-DETROIT.

African American Health Care Exhibit

The Kellogg African American Health Care Project and the Detroit Public Library present a health care exhibit of photographs and medical artifacts at the Detroit Public Library from February to March 1999. This community-based exhibit is a direct collaboration between the University of Michigan Medical School and Hospital, the Detroit Medical Society, the Walter Reuther and Bentley Historical Libraries, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and several community residents.

Conference Facility

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan is dedicatedto the preservation and presentation of African and African American history and culture. It is the largest African American historical and cultural institution in the world. The new museum encompasses 120,000 square feet and includes expanded exhibition galleries, an orientation theater, classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, a research library, and a museum store.

Conference Location and Map

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is located in the heart of Detroit's Cultural Center at 315 East Warren at Brush Street. The museum is located next to the Detroit Science Center and within one block walking distance of the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Hotel Accommodations

Several Detroit area hotels are listed.
Applicants should contact the individual hotel for reservations.