FreeBee

Free museums and attractions in Detroit

7 listings in Detroit, MI: always-free spots and free admission days. Each one checked against its official source, every catch spelled out.

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Tomorrow 2

AttractionsFree (usually $20)Eligibility applies

Free general admission at the Detroit Institute of Arts for tri-county residents

Tue–Thu 9am–4pm, Fri 9am–9pm, Sat–Sun 10am–5pm (closed Mondays)

Detroit Institute of Arts

Residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties get into the DIA free every day it's open: Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals and more than 100 galleries. Show an ID at the front desk. Open Tue–Thu 9am–4pm, Fri 9am–9pm, Sat–Sun 10am–5pm; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Juneteenth and Independence Day.

Verified Oct 27 · dia.org

Catch: Free only for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties (and members): show ID at the front desk

AttractionsFree (worth about $8)

Pewabic Pottery: free museum and self-guided studio tours

Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat 10am–5pm; Fri 10am–6:30pm (studio tours 10am–4pm); Sun 11am–4pm

Pewabic PotteryDetroit

Detroit's 1907 National Historic Landmark pottery is free to visit: see historic Pewabic tiles and vessels in the second-floor museum galleries and the courtyard tile fountain, and on Fridays from 10am to 4pm take a self-guided tour of the working studio to watch artists press tiles and glaze pots. Open Tue–Sun; parking is free.

Verified Oct 27 · pewabic.org

No catch

This weekend 1

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Belle Isle Aquarium: free entry to the country's oldest aquarium

Thursday–Sunday, 10am–4pm

Belle Isle AquariumDetroit

See fish from around the world under the green-tiled ceiling of the Belle Isle Aquarium, opened in 1904 and designed by Albert Kahn. Admission is free (a $5 donation is encouraged). Open year-round Thursday to Sunday, 10am–4pm.

Verified Oct 27 · belleisleconservancy.org

Catch: Driving onto Belle Isle needs a Michigan Recreation Passport (no cost on foot or by bike)

Coming up 2

AttractionsFree (usually $15)

Free evening at the Detroit Historical Museum, Thursday Oct 29

Thu, Oct 29, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Detroit Historical Museum

The Detroit Historical Museum stays open late with free admission from 5 to 8pm for the Detroit Historical Society's anniversary celebration. At 6:30pm students from the University of Detroit and Wayne State give free history lectures (registration required for the lectures). Regular adult admission is $15.

Verified Oct 27 · detroithistorical.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (usually $15)Eligibility applies

In Honor of Service: free museum day for veterans at the Detroit Historical Museum

Sun, Nov 8, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Detroit Historical Museum

A Veterans Day program at the Detroit Historical Museum with a color guard from Western International High School cadets, a presentation by museum educators and Detroit students, and a veterans oral history workshop. Veterans, active military and first responders get in free (with parking) and are invited to bring photos, medals or uniforms to share their stories. Others pay regular admission.

Verified Oct 27 · detroithistorical.org

Catch: Free only for veterans, active military and first responders (and members): adults otherwise $15, children 6–12 $8 · Register on the Detroit Historical Society website

Always free 2

AttractionsFree (usually $60)Eligibility applies

Free Detroiter membership to the Detroit Historical Society's two museums

Any day

Detroit Historical Museum

Residents of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park can get a Detroiter membership at no cost: it carries the Society's core member benefits, including free unlimited general admission to the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, for one named adult and the named children under 18 in their household. Activate it online; it stays pending until the membership team confirms your residency.

Verified Oct 27 · detroithistorical.org

Catch: Residents of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park only: residency is confirmed before the membership is active · Covers one named adult plus named children under 18 in the same household

AttractionsFree (usually $12)

Free Thursdays at Cranbrook Art Museum, 11am to 8pm

Thursdays, 11am–8pm

Cranbrook Art MuseumDetroit

Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, on the campus of the famed art academy, is free every Thursday from 11am to 8pm. Regular adult admission is $12. Children 12 and under are always free. Closed Thanksgiving (Nov 26), Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and New Year's Eve (Dec 31), all Thursdays this year.

Verified Oct 27 · cranbrookartmuseum.org

Catch: Individuals and family groups only: groups larger than 10 can't be accommodated on Thursdays