An American Journey (final)

Today is the conclusion to our American Journey. Early in June, we traveled across northern IN (see part 1 and part 2), stopped in OH (see part 3) and ended up in MI. Our final stop of the trip was The Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn. The indoor and outdoor museum complex is the largest in the United States and makes an outstanding destination for both young and old. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there!

We saw a few presidential limousines.

Old business buildings and signs are on display in the museum.

Everything there is from Mr. Ford's personal collection and it's extensive! Some of the objects date back to the early 1900s. The Ford site encompasses 12 acres and hosts mostly antique machinery, transportation and pop cultural items.

Rosa Parks' bus is in the collection.

Abraham Lincoln's chair from Ford Theatre is also there.

After enjoying numerous planes, trains and automobiles...

we moved outside to explore Greenfield Village. Set up in village-fashion, old buildings line winding roads in this living history museum. Authentic locomotives chug along tracks cutting through farmlands. I found the village's perfect finishing touch to be the John Philip Sousa music playing over the sound system in the background. 🙂

Thomas Edison's laboratory is authentic and fascinating.

The Wright Brothers' Cycle Company was moved to the village and one of the brothers set-up the shop to perfectly replicate how it appeared for the two of them.

Noah Webster's home sits in the village.

I found the following quote on Wikipedia. It originally appeared on the Ford site in "Explore and Learn, Pic-of-the-Month". Of his museum, Hendry Ford said...

I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used.... When we are through, we shall have reproduced American life as lived, and that, I think, is the best way of preserving at least a part of our history and tradition...

What I have shared is just a glimpse of what is there. If you ever happen to be in this region of MI, I would highly recommend a stop at the Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

It was a super American Journey, but this sign reminds us that it's always nice to go back home.