The Road Trip That Began All Road Trips

So you are going on a road trip, and you are driving a car. Gosh – wouldn't it be great to know all about that car, and how it came to being?

You don't have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate The Henry Ford. Anything and everything to do with American history – and not just car history – can be found right in Dearborn Michigan, just a hop skip and jump away from the place the automotive industry was born. The best part of it is, there are so many different areas for you to explore, so there is something for everyone!

Touch the stuff your parents only saw on TV

The Henry Ford Museum is a modern American History museum, and for the most part it is self-guided but there are usually staged demonstrations for certain exhibits. There's a rotation of interesting exhibits on various aspects of American culture, from manufacturing to profiles on certain generations, although some are pretty regular staples of the museum, for obvious reasons.

Given that you are at The Henry Ford, you would expect a good range of cars – but the array is quite simply staggering. Probably the most amazing display are the presidential limousines, including the Kennedy limo, made famous on that fateful day.

There is also the chair Lincoln was shot in. You'll see some discoloration on the chair itself, and some people think this is blood from Lincoln. This is actually not the case. Residue from the many people who sat in the chair wore it out. There is also a good array of planes including a few of Howard Hugh's planes and a replica of the Write Bros, which brings me to the Greenfield Village.

Walk through the houses they actually lived in

The Village is a bit different from the Museum in focus. It still covers American history, but with a much broader scope, ranging from colonization until the early 20th century. It is a predominantly outdoor place, and the buildings are either the actual building as it originally stood, or reconstructions of historical buildings.

Most of these places are self-guided with staff positioned at the important spots. Most staff are in costume or full-on character, giving you a real feel for how it actually was way back when. It is truly a magical and lovely place to be.

Some of the buildings include the Edison Lab, the first electrified home, which is placed in the exact relative location to the lab. Also there is the Wright brothers home and garage, and the Heinz home – as in Heinz 57.

New ways to explore yet more neat old stuff

Two very new additions are the Ford Rouge Factory Tour and the Benson Ford Research Center, which is essentially a research-focused museum and curator. I haven't been on the factory tour in it's current rendition, since it has been tossed around in ownership through the years. It was first run by Ford Motor Company itself, and in lieu of a factory tour there was a ride which simulated what building a car would be like – with you as a car. I'm not sure what they are doing now, so you will just have to see for yourself!

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