I visited Cranbrook with my parents last week, and I really enjoyed my visit…read more Cranbrook has a fascinating history. It's a whole campus: art museum, sculpture garden, grounds, historic homes... The campus began when Detroit newspaper mogul George Booth and his wife Ellen Scripps Booth founded the complex, which eventually included schools, an academy of art, their house and gardens, a church, and more. Cranbrook is a hot spot for architecture nerds. Why? Much of the campus was designed by famed architect Eliel Saarinen. On campus, you can find the Saarinen House (the house Eliel Saarinen and his family designed on the Cranbrook campus as their home and studio) and the Cranbrook House (the Albert Kahn house built for George and Ellen Scripps Booth). Just off the campus (a five-minute drive away) is the Smith House (a Frank Lloyd Wright-house designed for school teachers Sara Stein Smith and Melvyn Maxwell Smith. All three homes are open seasonally for tours, either individually or together (Cranbrook offers a Three Houses Tour). We did the Three Houses Tour. While it's a lot (3.5 hours), it was incredible to see these three very different homes while visiting Cranbrook. A Frank Lloyd Wright is always a treat (but the Smith House is extra special given the story about the couple who built it), but the Saarinen House was also special, because of the relationship between Saarinen and the Cranbrook campus. The grounds are incredible. There are extensive walking paths on the grounds, and I wish we'd had time to see more of it. For example, we didn't have time to find the Japanese Garden! I did love the Carl Milles sculptures around the grounds. There's a lot to do at Cranbrook: the art museum, the grounds, the houses. The grounds on their own are worth a visit, and it seemed like some people who live in the area explore or walk their dogs in the area, which is very peaceful. We spent pretty much a whole day at Cranbrook between a visit to the art museum and the Three Houses Tour! I wish we'd gotten there earlier to allow more time to explore the grounds and gardens. It's a must visit for anyone who loves art or architecture!

Cranbrook, my love! A staple in Oakland County all my life! As a child, I came here for summer…read morecamps at the Science Institute, climbed that stegosaurus, and played about in the fountains. As a teenager, Cranbrook was my rival, as I went to Country Day for high school! As an adult, Cranbrook is one of my favorite places to walk with my dog all year round. We love coming here to appreciate the House & Gardens, walk around the lake, soak in the architecture & art, and share it all with our family and friends! Every time we come here, we see photoshoots happening (and maybe I have done a few for my dog too in the past) - whether it be senior photos, weddings, family photos, or what - Cranbrook is the perfect backdrop! It's dog-friendly, if you haven't gathered that yet, and the campus is so big that there is so much to do here. Nowadays, we love parking at the art museum and walking over to the House & Gardens and around the lake to the Japanese Garden and just doing that path regularly! It's a fantastic time every time we come here and I hope we can continue doing it for years on end. Thanks for being you, Cranbrook!

This place has many different locations inside the campus…read more This was my first time visiting the planetarium. OMG the mineral exhibit is spectacular. Please make it a point to check them out online and in person the events hosted has a wonderful selection and the people attending are so nice.

This is an amazing space! There is a lot more to see and do that. I did not show, but this is a…read moreperfect place to take children (and adults) who love science. There are different exhibits with varying levels of hands on experiences. Check their website for days and hours I also found out they have a "Free First Friday" experience each month.

I recently had the chance to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum is a great balance…read morebetween being expansive and still manageable. You can easily spend a few hours here without feeling overwhelmed. What stood out most was the diversity of the collection. From classic European paintings to modern and contemporary works, there's something for every kind of art lover. The layout of the museum is intuitive, and I appreciated how easy it was to move between galleries without getting lost. Staff were friendly and helpful without being intrusive, and the overall atmosphere felt relaxed rather than stuffy. Overall, I'd highly recommend the Detroit Institute of Arts to anyone visiting Detroit or even locals who haven't been in a while. It's a thoughtfully curated, enriching experience that feels both accessible and inspiring.

I wished I paid attention to the KIND of museum it was. I grew up with a father who was a professor…read morewho taught art history. I know my way around art and their time periods. Needless to say I have some periods I detest. This museum filled that RAGE BAITING once again. Do not get me wrong, I appreciate these time periods and why they exist, the influences we have today are a result FROM these movements. I was hoping for some more recent movements of the 1920's to the 1950's. Detroit is a beautiful city, if you know where to look and where to see. A huge amount of art deco and mid century designs galore. Too bad this city needs to move it around/away to make room for the new wave of living in Detroit. I'm just glad there was an outfit of art in this city. Not my to liking but I did feel my dad surrounding me again was a nice memory...

So, I went to the auction for the free drink. That's it. I had no idea art auctions were even a…read morething on cruises. I ended up going back. And then again. I kept asking about piece after piece and Ronél Ströh never made me feel like I was wasting her time. Over the course of the trip she really learned my taste and found a stunning painting by Jim Warren. She Tracked it down in the catalog, wasn't even on the ship. She just knew I'd want it. Over different days she explained the difference between lithographs, serigraphs, hand-embellished pieces. I price-checked in front of her, never felt embarrassed. Didn't buy until basically the last day. Zero pressure, ever. I Left with two Kre8s, a Peter Max, a Fazzino, and that Warren. About the pricing, yes it's above street market, but the frames alone are stunning. I tried framing the complimentary lithographs I received and got a reality check fast on what framing actually costs. So honestly, the framing alone and when you include shipping is already at least 250+ everything arrived faster than I expected, beautifully packed. No issues whatsoever. One thing nobody mentions: once you buy, suddenly everyone on the ship has an auction story. There's this whole little art community that forms onboard. Genuinely fun. Go for the free drink. See what happens. I sincerely smile every time I see these prices and am so glad and feel cool to say I own fine art. Thanks Park west and thanks especially Ronnie.

I've done probably six cruises with PW auctions and bought art on every one so far…read more I have no more room to hang art, but they keep showing me cool art I MUST have, so job well done! I've been taken care of on the Jewel, the Dawn, the Prima, and now the Viva. Shyan made sure I got all the art I ever wanted this recent voyage...he will track it down for you and make sure you can hang the best at home to enjoy every day.

This is a museum art. It is at the middle of campus. I would suggest visit at Sunday which parking…read moreon the street is free at that day. The museum is free. The building has three floors. The outside has a few sculptures. The visit takes about 1.5 hours. The collection is interesting. The display actually has some display on half floor. The collection has some Asian art.

I attended an evening reception at the museum. I had not been inside the museum since my undergrad…read moredays. A lot has changed including new additions that were not in existence when I was a student. For a small university museum, there is a wonderful Asian art collection and Picasso paintings. If you are a student or a visitor to the U of M campus, the museum is worth a visit.

What a cool place to spend a couple of hours. On a whim we stopped to check out the the Sharp…read morefamily farm and view the art gallery they had on the property. The tour of the house was guided and it was just two of us and the guide. The guide had a wealth of knowledge and we appreciated what she had to say about the house and the Sharp family. One interesting and impressive fact, their well was inside the house. This way they didn't have to go out in Michigan winters to get their water. My daughter is a big fan of old homes especially Victorian style homes. While it's a Victorian style house it also had Italian influences in the structure. The art gallery had a World War I exhibit (100 year anniversary), sculptures and a quilt exhibit.

I thought "Free Museum Day" at Ella Sharp would be a nice treat. What a joke. First, I stopped by…read morethe gift shop to buy a little trinket for my grandbaby, but they don't even take cash. What kind of museum doesn't accept cash? Are we living in the future or something? The real disaster was trying to see the actual Ella Sharp house. There was a woman standing guard at the door who looked like she'd lost a fight with a highlighter her hair was the color of stale piss. She was clearly having a terrible day and decided to take it out on anyone with a baby. When I approached with my stroller, she huffed and puffed and snapped, "We're trying to limit strollers, so you can leave it with me." Excuse me? Leave my grandbaby with you? I don't even know you, lady, and based on your attitude, I wouldn't trust you to water a plant. Calm down, Stephanie Swift, you're a museum guide, not a prison warden. I wasn't asking to bring in a pack of wild dogs, just my sleeping grandchild. The whole experience left me wishing I'd just stayed home and saved myself the aggravation.

Wow, what an museum!!! I don't mean to sound elitist, but…read moreone doesn't think Toledo, Ohio when it comes to world class art. This place is on another level of awesome! As is the glass museum across the street, this museum is free to visit. The exhibits here are world class and include a massive array of art over a 4,000+ year time frame. We also enjoyed the sculpture works outside the museum. I mean, who the hell doesn't want to get on a huge tire swing, play musical instruments or lay on a hammock made of glass?! Just blown away amazed with this place! Thank you!!!

Another museum that's a must to do! Get to know your US nation history. Go beyond what you learned…read morein HS. Amazing

MOCAD is a great little spot located off Woodward in Detroit…read more It is quaint & the time to get through the museum is quicker than most museums. The set up is perfect for the featured artists. There are discounts for veterans also. There is a cafe located at the end of the tour. This is also an event space!

Here's another gem in the city. I've visited this museum on several occasions as well. The first…read moretime was to see the artwork on display. They were featuring a local artist from Detroit at the time. The museum is big on the outside but inside there isn't many pieces of art. It's contemporary which I enjoy. The other portion of the museum is used for shows/events. I went a few weeks ago to see Terri Lyne Carrington and Mickalene Thomas do a collaboration. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! I would definitely recommend visiting when there's an event taking place.

Great art museum in flint featuring top quality contemporary, classic, and modern art!…read more I was really impressed with the featured show as well as works from the permanent collection. They have art from different parts of the world as well... and its grouped by region.. and in some cases art movements. Very happy i got to check it out before my trip back home! An added bonus is that there is free admission on Saturdays!

I've been meaning to check out this art museum for a while, and finally had the chance to make it…read moreup here to see what all the excitement's about. Let me tell you, it was totally worth it! While it's no DIA, it actually is super cool. For starters, every Saturday is free admission thanks to Huntington Bank. If you don't come here on a Saturday, that's fine, admissions only like $10 which is super cool. Staff here was friendly and helpful, and we did the whole museum in about an hour and a half. They have plenty of cool artwork here and there's LOTS to see and do. What we loved about it was the different styles of art, and it wasn't just painting. Glass sculptures, a beautiful horse made out of wood, and a library! The library was cool but we didn't go in and check out any books. They also have a QR audio guide if you want additional info about the specific piece of art that you're viewing. Lots of modern art along with historic art from several hundred years ago. They also have a glass blowing section where you can watch artists make glass art forms and they have a person giving descriptions of what their doing and why. We watched for about 15 minutes and really enjoyed the experience. Worth watching and checking out. You don't get to see glass blowing all that often, so that was a lot of fun as well. There's a gift shop and a cafe here, which had a nice variety of products. We weren't hungry so we didn't eat anything especially since had lunch immediately before coming here. I would have stopped to have a coffee if I wanted, but we were not needing coffee or snacks so we passed. Art museums are always worth the trip and if you want a wonderful experience come check this place out. It's also immediately next door to the planetarium, so you can easily walk next door (as long as the weather is cooperative) and check that out as well. It's also across the street from the Sloan Museum but I think their still closed for remodeling from what I understand. Overall a really great day trip to come up and do. Easy to find and a lot of good fun for all!

For a free museum, a great spot to learn about the beautiful peninsula and greater world about you…read more While most of the exhibit spaces were either closed or empty, the top floor had a litany of natural exhibits about native wildlife, current and now extinct, that roamed the wild. My favorite parts were the allosaurus skeleton and the giant globe that shared love data via an interactive touch screen. Definitely worth a visit, especially when school is in session and the exhibits are not in transition.

Deeply disappointing after the renovation. What happened to actual history and science? The idea…read morethat AI even deserves a full exhibit (predictably, centered on the African diaspora) is absurd. AI only does what you tell it to; who cares? Meanwhile, the actual nature and science is relegated to a room upstairs now. If this is the direction the university is going, I fear we may soon no longer even study science and history on university grounds at all. The globe with the projections on it for earthquakes and tsunamis is worth it, though.