Michigan Central Station expands tours after 100,000 visitors so far

DETROIT — Detroit’s Michigan Central Station is extending its summer tours after hitting another visitor milestone Thursday, station officials said.

The station is now extending its public tours through Labor Day weekend because station officials say more than 100,000 people have visited the restored station since June.

“This response has been truly inspiring,” said Joshua Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central. “The station is more than just a building; it is a symbol of the city’s strength and a catalyst for innovation, and we are proud to welcome people back to this iconic Detroit landmark.”

The renovated station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood reopened on June 6 with an all-star concert followed by 10 days of public tours. It was the first time anyone had been able to peek inside the former station since Ford bought the building six years ago.

The station is open to the public on Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through August 31. The station will now also be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Labor Day weekend on September 1 and 2.

Tours averaged 3,000 visitors on Fridays and 5,000 on Saturdays. Tours are self-guided and no tickets or registration are required to enter the station.

After the station reopens in June, officials will begin a phased reactivation of the building over the coming months and years, with plans to attract restaurants, retailers and other commercial and community-focused partners.

Ford spent about a billion dollars to renovate the iconic station, which was abandoned in 1988. Workers had to pump about 3.5 billion gallons of water out of the station, which took about 18 months. Officials then used photographs and parts of the station to recreate what the station looked like in its glory years.