One hundred galleries in the colossal Detroit Institute of Arts , 5200 Woodward Ave (Wed-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; $4; tel 313/833-7900, ), trace a history of civilization, most notably Chinese, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Italian, Dutch and American. No fewer than 93 Rembrandts, 77 Matisses and 67 Picassos are in its collection, as are masterpieces such as a Van Gogh self-portrait and Joos Van Cleeve's Adoration of the Magi . However, Diego Rivera's enormous 1932 mural Detroit Industry steals the show. Guided tours of what ranks as one of America's most prestigious art museums take place at 1pm with an extra tour at 2.30pm on Sunday, for no additional charge.
The impressive new Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History , 315 E Warren St (daily except Mon 9.30am-5pm; $5; ), is the largest African-American museum in the world. Its massive core exhibit covers 600 years of history in eight distinct segments, starting with a chilling sculpture of a slave boat, before moving through the Civil War, the Depression, and the respective work of Dr Martin Luther King and Malcolm X before settling on contemporary African-American society. Also in the Cultural Center, the Detroit Historical Museum , 5401 Woodward Ave (Wed-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; $3; ), interprets the city's past through its " Streets of Old Detroit " display. Its most interesting exhibit, not surprisingly, examines the automobile, with an automated display of the "body drop" process on an assembly line.
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