Start here: Explore Detroit history through original stories, films, free walking guides, and historic-home research resources. If you are new to HLC, begin with the starter kit. If you are planning a day out, start with the walking tours and things-to-do guides. If you are researching a building or family story, use the archives and home-history resources.
Use This Hub By What You Want To Do
Choose a starting point for your visit, research project, or next history read.
I want the quick start
Get the essential timeline, context, and recurring themes before you dive into the bigger library.
I want something to watch
Use the video archive to pair History Loves Company episodes with companion articles.
I want to explore Detroit
Use the free walking tours, seasonal ideas, and historic things to do guides for a real-world history day.
I am researching a home
Find public-domain photos, architecture context, neighborhood history, and house-research steps.
I want spooky or seasonal history
Start with haunted Detroit, cemeteries, and the fall guide for Halloween-season exploration.
I want the full index
Jump to the complete topic library when you want Detroit history topics in one place.
For the best flow: watch an episode, read the matching article, then follow the related links at the bottom of each page. The related guides offer more context on the people, places, and events in each story.
Find your next Detroit history guide
Choose a guide for what you want to do: watch a film, walk through the city, research a house, explore seasonal stories, or learn about historic neighborhoods.
- Start from zero:Detroit History Starter Kit and Detroit History Timeline.
- Watch the story:They Lied To Us About Detroit episode archive.
- Explore in person:self-guided Detroit walking tours and historic things to do in Detroit.
- Explore in October:Haunted Detroit History, the haunted walking tour, and historic cemeteries.
- Research homes and buildings:how to research a Detroit home, Detroit architecture, and Detroit buildings we lost.
- Go beyond Detroit:Pontiac history and Boblo Island and Boblo boats.
Start Here
- Detroit History Starter Kit - the first stop for people who want the big picture.
- Detroit History Timeline - the major eras, turning points, and patterns.
- They Lied To Us About Detroit Episode Guide - the HLC video-series archive.
- Detroit Historic Neighborhoods Guide - neighborhoods, districts, and streetscapes.
Explore Detroit On Foot
- Historic Things to Do in Detroit - museums, districts, buildings, cemeteries, tours, and places worth seeing.
- Self-Guided Detroit Walking Tours - free routes you can take at your own pace.
- Detroit Lost Buildings Walking Tour - follow the memory of demolished landmarks downtown.
- Historic Detroit Fall Guide - seasonal places, stories, and routes.
Haunted And October History
- Haunted Detroit History - ghost stories with historical context.
- Self-Guided Haunted Detroit Walking Tour - a free Halloween-season route.
- Historic Cemeteries of Detroit and Southeast Michigan - cemetery history, memorial landscapes, and research tips.
Research, Archives, And Old Photos
- How to Research the History of Your Detroit Home - deeds, maps, directories, photos, and archives.
- Public Domain Detroit History Photos - where to find reusable images and maps.
- How to Research Your Historic Home - the evergreen HLC homeowner research guide.
- Editorial Standards - how HLC handles sources, corrections, and local memory.
Architecture, Buildings, And Places We Lost
- Detroit Architecture Guide - styles, landmarks, apartment districts, factories, and historic homes.
- Buildings We’ve Lost - the main lost-landmarks hub.
- Detroit Buildings We Lost Guide - a blog guide to major losses and memory.
- Detroit Historic Districts - local districts, architecture, and preservation context.
Beyond Detroit
- Pontiac Michigan History Guide - downtown Pontiac, cemeteries, auto history, and comeback stories.
- Boblo Island and Boblo Boats History Guide - the island, boats, river memory, and Boblo Day.
- Michigan History - statewide stories and regional paths.
- Michigan History by County - an entry point for all 83 counties.
Historic Homes
- Historic Homes - buying, selling, and storytelling around old houses.
- Historic Home Resources - the homeowner resource library.
- Buying a Historic Home in Michigan - what buyers should know before they fall in love.
- Planning a Historic Home Restoration - preservation-minded planning.
How To Use This Hub
Start with a question or a place. Read the relevant guide, follow its sources when you want to investigate further, and watch a related HLC film for context. If you plan to visit, check current access and opening hours with the venue. Keep your notes, photographs, and source references together so you can return to the evidence.
Keep going:watch the HLC films, read the written archive, or share a Detroit or Michigan memory.
Detroit history: frequently asked questions
What is the best place to start learning Detroit history?
Start with the Detroit History Starter Kit, then use the Detroit History Timeline and the They Lied To Us About Detroit episode archive to follow the story in order.
Are the HLC Detroit walking tours free?
Yes. The self-guided Detroit walking guides are free to read. Admission, transport, parking, and other costs at individual stops are separate; check with each venue before visiting.
Where can I find public-domain Detroit history photos?
Use the Public Domain Detroit History Photos guide to find archival images and maps. Check the rights statement for each individual item before reusing it, and retain the institution, creator, date, and item link in your notes.
Can HLC help with historic homes in Michigan?
Yes. HLC connects Detroit and Michigan history with historic real estate. Start with Historic Homes and the home-history research guide.
Does every HLC video have a matching article?
Not every video has a companion article. Use the episode archive and the links on each story to find the related material currently available.
Keep going with History Loves Company
If this hub helped, the next step is simple: watch the videos, join the newsletter, and use these guides when you explore Detroit, research a house, or share a story with someone who still believes Detroit history is simple.
Deep dive: Detroit History Topic Library
If you want the deeper master map, use the Detroit History Topic Library. It organizes HLC's Detroit coverage by era, neighborhood, Black history, transportation, architecture, labor, music, sports, cemeteries, Boblo, the river, and historic homes.
Land, freedom, and neighborhood memory
Explore the land and water before the city, Detroit as a freedom gateway, and the Black neighborhoods whose destruction still shapes downtown memory. These guides offer distinct starting points for a deeper look.
How Detroit moved
Follow the streets and systems that changed Detroit: streetcars, Woodward Avenue, freeways, and the growth of suburbs.
- Detroit Transportation History Guide
- Detroit's Lost Streetcars
- Woodward Avenue Detroit History
- Detroit Freeway History
- Why America Really Built the Suburbs
- They Lied To Us About Detroit Episode Archive
Detroit Landmarks & Memory
Detroit buildings we lost
Explore the department stores, stadiums, theaters, and other landmarks that Detroit remembers. Follow each story for the building’s history and its place in the city’s changing landscape.
Watch next: Pair these pages with History Loves Company's downtown Detroit video, the They Lied To Us About Detroit episode archive, and the Detroit History Topic Library.
