As someone who grew up in Detroit, touring Michigan Central Station was something I had been…read morelooking forward to for a long time, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. The restoration work is incredible. It's hard to put into words how amazing it is to see such an iconic Detroit landmark brought back to life after sitting vacant for so many years. Our tour guide, Joe, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about both the history of the station and the city itself. He shared a great mix of historical information, restoration details, and stories that made the experience even more memorable. Whether you're a lifelong Detroiter, a former resident like me, or just someone interested in architecture and history, this tour is well worth your time. Seeing the transformation of Michigan Central Station firsthand was truly special, and I highly recommend it.

We toured Michigan Central Station. The guide was very knowledgeable and personable. She added…read moreher own flair to the tour. It was fun having a few trivia questions. We liked the fact that we had ear pieces to amplify her voice since there were many visitors to the station as well as big open spaces. Lots of history. It's a beautiful structure inside and outside.

Best tour and the ABSOLUTE BEST tour guide! From first interaction on the telephone, I knew Ma Pat…read morewas special. She is very responsive, detailed oriented, and gives personalized service. Hands down would recommend her to friend, family... even foe!

Absolutely wonderful! Relaxed, informative, informal, personalized, nothing could have made it…read morebetier. Highly recommend Pat as a tour guide.

Fantastic ~2 hour cruise along St. Claire river and onto Lake Huron! We experienced a competent…read more crew, interesting information along the way, plenty of sitting space, clean bathrooms, room to walk around for views and photos, and available snacks and drinks. Pictures are taken at the beginning. I was a tad annoyed that they didn't seem to be optional and I wasn't interested. However, after seeing the photos, the reasonable $10 charge wasn't bad.

This was different! A cruise into Port Huron to watch the beginning of the Mackinac race. It was a…read morecloudy day and still exciting to follow the sailboats to the starting point. They played the starts on the radio (at times it was difficult to hear due to poor reception). So fun to watch and at one point we were so close the coast guard came by and told us to "MOVE BACk!" Great time easy to see and still protected from the rain .

If you are looking for a family-friendly fun outing consider touring the Sanders Chocolate Factory…read more I had the guided tour. I found the film quite interesting. I liked seeing the factory and smelling all that delicious caramel being made. We were given various treats to taste, in the case of our tour all the samples were of new products. Everything we tried was excellent. I especially loved the incredibly tasty lemon-ice-tea ice cream...OH...MY...Goodness was it ever good. I have to say my favorite part was shopping at the candy shop. There was a crazy selection of Sanders items I didn't even know existed. Oh happy day. Michigan-made, Michigan-proud. Go Sanders!

The new Sanders hot fudge tastes similar to Hershey's syrup. The taste is nothing like the old hot…read morefudge. I will not be making any more special trips to a Sanders store to buy this product. A real disappointment after waiting so long for the hot fudge to return to store shelves.

We just spent a fantastic couple of hours with Joe, who is funny, smart, insightful, wry and…read morepassionate about the city where he'd lived in and around his entire life. Our two hour tour went by too quickly and we wished we'd taken the four hour option instead! Joe was not only a terrific tour guide, he worked with with our schedules. We really appreciated getting a real insider's glimpse of a fascinating, complicated city. Cannot recommend Joe and Backseat Detroit tours more highly!

My husband, sister-in-law, niece, and I (age range 7-31) took a tour with Joe of Backseat Detroit…read morein January of 2014 and the experience was unforgettable for all of us! Joe served as a treasure trove of knowledge regarding the city as he provided interesting facts, historical data (and even hilarious jokes) while we traversed neighborhoods such as the affluent Boston Edison District, historic Corktown, the colorful Heidelberg Project, and many, many more. The best part was that though Joe had a planned route, he offered to customize our tour on the spot to meet our varied personal interests--a service that Joe said he provides to all his guests. For instance, Joe said that if we were interested in a particular theme, such as the Motor City's vibrant music history, he would include Hitsville USA and other prominent music sights within the city. My seven-year-old niece said she was interested in toys, which made us laugh due to its randomness, but alas, Joe guided us through the aforementioned Heidelberg Project (a neighborhood in which the houses are adorned with colorful polka dots and teddy bears) and even led us into the Fisher where we gazed upon a stunning detailed Lego replica of the skyscraper in which we were standing (see pics). Whatever your specific interests are, Joe will ensure that you leave satisfied! We also appreciated that Joe provided a well-rounded and as-unbiased-as-possible perspective of the long-troubled, yet vibrant city. For instance, when we asked Joe a specific question regarding the politically-polarizing Detroit mogul Matty Maroun, he was sure to note when his facts ventured into opinion territory. This perspective proved invaluable to the sights as well: Most visitors will have heard of and/or seen photos of Detroit's tremendous blight, but Joe also showed us breathtaking extant structures from Detroit's grandiose past and he was sure to also point out new developments in the city; we visited the decrepit remains of Michigan Central Station, but Joe also took us into the spectacular Guardian Building (Wait until Joe tells you the story about the building's roof--you'll be astonished), and Joe even showed us the wonderful new Beethoven Cafe on Third Avenue where we purchased delicious coffee and pastries. Of course, any smartphone could provide both navigation and a web browser set to Wikipedia that could guide visitors on a tour of Detroit, right? WRONG! For starters, Joe is a long-time resident of Detroit, so he provided a unique and authentic perspective of life in the city. Moreover, Joe maintains an active role in Detroit city politics and stays current on city planning; therefore, Joe provided us with fascinating information regarding the city's past, present and future that we likely could not have obtained through the internet. And if you require further proof that Joe's tour provided invaluable information, consider this: out of our group of four, all of us were born and raised in the Metro-Detroit-area and all four of us have lived in the city at one point in our lives; yet Joe still showed us new sights and provided us with a wealth of new knowledge regarding our former home. Book a tour with Backseat Detroit. You will not be disappointed!

The Ford Rouge Factory tour is an excellent experience and one worth taking if you are a car…read moreenthusiast or simply a history buff. If for nothing more, you can appreciate this tour for its showcase of manufacturing history. After all, the Ford vehicle is the father of automotive history. On the tour you'll learn about much of the owner's early labor standards and America's rich automotive industry history including defining moments like the establishment of labor unions, integrating technology on the assembly line, and community engagement. What makes this tour special is the building is not just a museum, but a real working truck factory located at the Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Truck Plant. On the tour you'll be able to view the vehicle assembly area. I recommend purchasing tour tickets online to see if discounts are available. Overall, a very good tour worth taking.

An interesting, EPCOT-like factory tour…read more Bought a combination for the Ford Rouge Factory Tour and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. My favorite part of the tour was talking to the security guard who gave more insight into the assembly line. Took a 15 minute bus ride from the museum to the factory. Check the schedule as the buses do run on time. The factory tour has five stations. A movie, a laser Ford truck assembly show, the observation deck, the factory, a smallish room filled with a collection of Ford cars over the past century. The movie glossed over the beginnings of Henry Ford's inventions with an emphasis on the creation of an assembly line to cut down the time to build a car from 12 hours to 93 minutes. The moving part assembly line in Highland Park was super efficient. By breaking down the process to 84 steps and having stationary workers build each car, it really streamlined the process. This dropped the price of the Model T from $850 in 1908 to $260 in 1925 making the luxury vehicle affordable for an average family in America. Workers were paid $2.50 a day, but as the company became more profitable (and many workers were quitting due to boredom with monotonous tasks) the wages were increased to $5 a day. Ford had many conflicts with the Automobile Unions (UAW). Fights were physical and bloody. Graphic images released in the news in the 1930s turned public opinion against Ford. In the 1940s, he held out signing a Union contract until his wife Clara Ford threatened to leave him unless he signed a contract to stop the bloodshed. The 1941 UAW gave the workers the best benefits and wages at the time. The "assembly" laser 360 movie show was very EPCOT-like. Interesting, but not informative. The guide at the observation deck was very good. This is one of two places where photos were allowed. The elevated walk over the assembly line was self guided. Since they are very behind on construction, shift work is done on the weekends. Interesting to see the F-150s being assembled station by station. Spoke to a security guard who gave us insight into the safety gear needed, the energy efficient design of the building and how strikes and the union still advocate for workers salaries, working conditions and benefits. Otherwise, it would have been more like walking through another area with labels but limited explanation. No photos allowed here. The building is very interesting. No air conditioning, but the high ceilings allow heat to rise and the green roof with living plants make the building more climate controlled and energy efficient. Teams work in groups of 8 at each station. Lunch breaks are taken at the same. Key to know if you want to see the assembly line in action. The latest strike brought back more benefits. Workers wear eye protection and hearing protection. So interesting to learn more after asking questions. The last part of the self guided part of the tour brings you back to the main building for a view of cars like the Model A, the Thunderbird and the Mustang. Make sure to check the schedule to get a bus to go back to the Museum after the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is completed. An interesting tour, but not the best factory experience that I have taken.

This handle bar bike is so much fun if you haven't experienced it. It's a must, the absolute…read morefunniest thing to do with friends and family . Great laughs and Just pure enjoyment we had a blast. Rode around downtown Detroit with great music and a great staff. They let you control the music and even get in the middle and bartend if you like. Worth every penny!

We had a fantastic work wellness outing featuring a site seeing around the revitalized Detroit…read morecommunity. Carrie was our tour driver and made sure it was customized and fit all active interest and capability levels.

I spent a fabulous day & 1/2 touring Detroit with Becky. We started with the murals near the…read moreEastern Market and concluded with a fantastic Lebanese brunch in Dearborn. Others in my small group went on to tour downtown Detroit and the Canal District. Becky's passion for Detroit is evident. She thoughtfully combined our interests with contacts that she has to really round out our experiences by sharing stories about Detroit's music and food culture. Without Becky's insights I would not have been able to see as much of what makes Detroit such a vibrant city. I could not have asked for a better guide and I am looking forward to a return visit!

Went to the Capital Park Strolling Brunch tour and have to say the strolling brunch part was a…read morestretch. The tour part was food and why I gave it 4 stars but the brunch part left a lot to be desired. When you arrive you got a handful of peanuts with a cup of coffee and some cold spinach pie that was cut into 1/5ths. After a little tour of some buildings surrounding the park we were served a very small portion of pizza margherite and a little bit of a charcuterie board with small bottled water. We then toured more of the city attractions and ended at Cannelle pastry shop back in capital park for portions of eclair and almond croissants which were very tasty. You did not go home hungry nor would I say satisfied but the tour was fun. It was a good experience if you didn't know much about the city which wasn't the case with us but still enjoyable. If you're looking for a good brunch this is not for you. If your looking for a fun tour then don't worry about the brunch part. Overall we enjoyed it.

I was a little sticker shocked at first. $55 to visit three bars on an old school bus. While on the…read morebus, we learned that our $55 was actually supporting transportation for kids to school and after school programs. Definitely changed my tune. Our tour guide was able to share the history of prohibition in Detroit as well as shared the unique history at each of our stops. I would definitely recommend to try this tour.

My 1st experience with The Detroit Bus Co. was unforgettable! Boy, do they know how to entertain…read moreyou! We had 3 stops on this tour and music/trivia on the bus between each stop! Check-in was easy and the bus was packed. We met at Checker Bar to start the journey. It was a well lit area, with paid street parking. A part of each ticket sold helps provide bus rides for students in Detroit that could use the support. Take a look at their planned events and get on board!

I'm not much for haunted houses but I have to say- I really enjoyed myself here. The pumpkin patch…read moreis a nice edition.

Wow this place- Eloise- we finally got to check it out. I'm glad we went for the haunted houses!!…read moreIt was amazing- they were the longest and coolest ones I've ever walked through. They utilized the hospital in most of the attraction, which made the whole experience even more creepy! I went for a private event, but it opened this weekend. I recommend everyone to go check out this historical site. So much has happened here in the past, you can feel the grounds energy as you pull into the parking lot. Looking up at those old windows, you can just feel someone or something peering from one! Go check out Eloise Asylum! The best haunted attraction in the state of Michigan!