Visitors Guide
For the Amateur Mendicant Society’s 80th Anniversary
We’re pleased you’re considering joining us for our 80th anniversary celebration. In this guide, we have the following:
Informal Schedule of Events
Hotel Information
Other Activities
Getting Around — parking & public transportation
[If you’re viewing this on the web, the lines on the left side of your screen allow you to jump to different sections below. Otherwise, click the section headings above.]
Informal Schedule of Events
None of these are required; we are giving you options for attending. There are certain things for which we’ll need to plan — in that case, we’ll ask you to let us know in advance if you plan to attend.
Friday
5:00 p.m. — Cocktails at Saksey’s, 1550 Woodward Avenue (directions)
Join us for an upscale cocktail at the midcentury speakeasy, located in the alley (yeah, you read that right) behind 1550 Woodward Avenue.
They do require reservations in advance, so if you plan to attend, please let us know via this form (which you can also use for our dinner plans below).
6:30 p.m. — Dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, 1565 Broadway (directions)
Around the corner (and through a parking lot shortcut) from Saksey’s is Buddy’s Pizza. If you’ve heard the buzz about or tried Detroit-style pizza, Buddy’s is where it got its start. And in 1946 — the same year as the Mendicants!
Join us for pizza (or whatever you’d care to order from the menu). We’ll need reservations, so please let me know if you plan to attend by using this form.
Saturday
10:00 a.m. — John K. King Books, 901 W. Lafayette Blvd. (directions)
Join us for a trip to Michigan’s largest bookstore — truly a sight to behold. This former glove factory has over 1,000,000 volumes on four floors. If we can’t visit a furniture warehouse, this is the next best thing!
1:30 p.m. — Amateur Mendicant Society 80th Anniversary Dinner @ Cliff Bells
Sunday
9:30 a.m. — Breakfast / Brunch at The Hudson Cafe, 1241 Woodward Ave. (directions)
Start the day off with a hearty meal, the namesake of Hudson’s, the legendary department store (second largest in the nation after Macy’s) that occupied an entire block across the street. We recommend making reservations ahead of time.
Hotel Information
There are a number of hotels nearby that will suit your needs. You can see them on a map here. All are a short walk to Cliff Bell’s and our Friday evening outing.
Please look around and see what suits your taste and budget. You may want to check your preferred hotel loyalty program for your preferences or deals.
Other Activities
The Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. (directions)
Ranked as one of the finest art museums in the country, the DIA is widely known as the home to Diego Rivera’s murals honoring Detroit Industry, as well as collections of over 65,000 items — including Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum collection — and ongoing exhibitions.
Accessible by car or the Q line (free streetcar running down Woodward — see Getting Around below).
Detroit Riverfront — (directions)
Voted best riverwalk in America
The Henry Ford Museum of Innovation — 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn (directions)
Three venues: Located in Dearborn (a little further afield but worth the visit). The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, and the Rouge Factory Tour.
The main museum is not about transportation, but about innovation. See the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, the chair Lincoln sat in that fateful night in Ford’s Theater, four presidential limousines (including JFK’s), see how air travel has evolved, step into a Buckminster Fuller-designed Dymaxion House, and much more. Currently, there’s a DaVinci exhibition.
Separate admission to Greenfield Village for an outdoor walking tour of America pre-1920, including the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shop, Edison’s laboratory, Henry Ford’s birthplace, a working farm, glass-blowing shop, weaving, and Model-T rides. There are actually seven separate historic districts.
And if you have a little extra time, try the Rouge Factory tour, America's Greatest Manufacturing Experience — where the legendary Ford F-150 is made. It’s a 5-part tour of the factory that created vertical integration and is a testament to Henry Ford’s genius along with Albert Kahn’s expertise.
Michigan Central Station — 2001 15th Street (directions)
Opened in 1913, then abandoned for years, this former train station was completely overhauled and renovated by Ford at a cost of over $1 billion. Tours available — book ahead.
Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Visitors Bureau has everything you need to know about the city. There’s so much to see in Detroit! If you like Art Deco, you should pass through the lobbies of the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building. You might want to to see how many of these 10 Instagram-Worthy Architectural Must-Sees in Detroit you can snap.
Detroit Food
Lafayette & American Coney Islands — 114 and 118 W. Lafayette Blvd (directions)
If you’re not familiar with classic Detroit coney dogs, the legendary hot dogs covered in chili, yellow mustard, and onions, this is where it got started. Two Greek brothers opened up restaurants next to each other and have been competing for hot dog supremacy ever since. Read the whole story here and stop by for a quick bite, via the QLine or the People Mover.
But if you don’t want a coney, don’t worry — Detroit has so many good places for food, you won’t run out of options. There’s literally something for everyone, whether you venture into Greektown, Mexicantown, or just stay along Woodward, you can’t go wrong.
Getting Around
Parking Information
If you are driving into the city, we recommend the following options for parking:
There is street parking available, and it is all handled by kiosks. The best way to handle this is to download the Park Detroit app and put in your vehicle information ahead of time. Instructions on their website walk you through exactly how it works. The cost is $1 per hour.
There are also a number of lots and garages nearby; Spot Hero can snag you a parking spot in advance so you don’t have to worry about hunting for a place to park when you arrive. That link will take you to the geography and date for our event.
Public Transportation
QLine — Free Detroit Streetcar. Convenient for visiting most major sites downtown. See the red line on the map below for routes.
Detroit People Mover — built in 1983 to test how a fully automated transit system could revitalize a city, this 3-mile long one-way loop operates on a single track encircling downtown Detroit. Great for exploring the Riverfront, Greektown, and other parts of downtown without using your car. See the Stations Guide for stops (purple line on the map below).
