2024 Preservation Detroit Historic Ferry Street Weekday Tour

Preservation Detroit's summer weekday walking tour season returns for 2024. The day of the week and time varies by tour so please check each event listing carefully!

Walk Back in Time Down Historic Ferry Street

Ferry Street today is known for its beautiful historic homes: Hecker House, Charles Lang Freer House, and the houses that make up the Inn on Ferry Street.

On select dates, we explore the street that originated with the Ferry Seed Company farm established in the mid-1850s at the corner of East Ferry and Woodward to grow the seeds that were sold nationwide. Then came the prosperous residences in the mid-1880s and the Merrill Palmer Institute in the 1920s as well as population shifts to Jewish in the mid-1910s and to African American in the 1930s. Learn more about the people and institutions who made Ferry Street one of Detroit’s most historic neighborhoods.

The tour departs from the Josephine Ford Sculpture Garden on the College of Creative Studies campus at John R and E. Kirby.

Parking: Metered and non-metered street parking is available in the immediate area. Paid parking is also available at the DIA parking lot.

Items to note about our tours:

THIS IS A WALKING TOUR. All guests should be prepared to walk, sometimes on surfaces under construction, for more than two hours.

All tours take place rain or shine and are about 2 to 2.5 hours long. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour. Advance ticket purchases are available through the afternoon of the Tuesday before the tour.

Note: Some buildings remain closed or, if they are open, they may have restricted access and require a mask to be worn. Restroom facilities may be unavailable along the tour route.

If you are not feeling well or have any cold or flu-like symptoms, please do not come on the tour; we will gladly work to reschedule your tour. Contact [email protected] to make arrangements.

Host or Publisher Preservation Detroit