Detroit area folks. Henry Ford Museum question

[egoldber]

Here's an odd question for you. :)

Later this summer, older DD will be staying with my ILs who live near Detroit. They want to take her to the Henry Ford Museum.

http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/index.aspx

They want her to do the Factory Tour, but the day they are planning to go, the factory is not running. They are wondering if she will still enjoy the tour? i've never been and DH doesn't really remember from when he was a kid.

Thoughts?

[AshleyAnn]

My grandparents took my brother and I to the ford muesum when we were 8 and 6 or so and we LOVED it. We did not do the factory tour and still enjoyed the museum. The website says the line is suspended so while she won't see the workers building the cars she'll get a general idea of how it works.

I can't wait until DD is old enough to go. It was one of my best childhood memories.

[TwinFoxes]

The day DH took me, the factory wasn't running either, so we didn't do the tour. But I thought the museum was pretty cool. If your DD is into history, like if she likes the National Museum of American History, she should like the Ford Museum.

[egoldber]

She does like history. She prefers hands on type museums though.

I think the ILs are trying to squeeze it in and they have time for the museum OR the tour, but not both.

[Gena]

DS loves the Henry Ford Museum. He wants to go there every time we go visit my parents (in the Detroit area).

I had expected that he would like the huge train engines, since he loves all things trains. Much to my surprise, he has developed an intense fascination with the Dymaxion House (http://www.hfmgv.org/museum/dymaxion.aspx).

We haven't taken DS on the factoty tour yet.

[trales]

DD loves it, we go every time we visit my parents. Lot's of hands on stuff inside, lots outside. She will love the whole thing.

I have never done the factory tour. Just the village and museum.

[mytwosons]

The museum is much more hands on now then when I was a child. I'm sure she would love the museum or the village. BTW, the Village now has "rides" including in old Model Ts.

[egoldber]

So MIL now says, they wanted to do the tour OR the IMAX in addition to the museum AND the village. But I would think the village and museum are plenty?

[TwinFoxes]

So MIL now says, the wanted to do the tour OR the IMAX in addition to the museum AND the village. But I would think the village and museum are plenty?

I would think so.

I'm kind of anti-Imax, they're so expensive, and after awhile watching, they seem like just another movie (I feel un-American writing that!)

I think the tour + village + museum is a lot. The village isn't tiny, and neither is the museum.

[egoldber]

That's what I thought. My MIL tends to want to do everything and usually over plans and over commits.

[elliput]

You need one day each to do any justice to the Village and the Museum. Both are very fascinating and have hands on things to do. The Village has lots of demonstrations to watch also (glass blowing, tin-smithing, silk spinning, pottery, etc).

Unfortunately, I never took the factory tour so I can't really comment on it. I have been to both the Museum and the Village multiple times (we lived about a mile from there in Dearborn).

[Momit]

As a former Detroiter who has done the Village and Museum several times, I agree that those 2 things together are enough for a full day for a kid. There's so much to see and do, and in the Village during the summer they have lots of extra activities like old fashioned baseball games, antique car shows etc.

[swissair81]

My kids prefer the Village to the Museum. The museum is pretty fun too. I love the old dollhouses exhibit. I always wished I could take one home with me.

If I'm going to pay for museum admission- I prefer the Detroit Science Center http://www.sciencedetroit.org/
or the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum http://www.aahom.org/

[egoldber]

I know they are also going to the DIA and maybe the Science Center.

The ILs have been planning this trip for a long time. :)