Greenfield Village

Founded by Henry Ford and his wife, Clara, Greenfield Village lets visitors take a step back in time to the era when the Model T was hitting the streets and speeding up the pace of life. The Fords dedicated Greenfield Village on Oct. 21, 1929, as a place focused on preserving history and highlighting innovation. Its opening even coincided with the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s creation of the incandescent lightbulb. 

Today, Greenfield Village covers over 80 developed acres and has more than 90 historic buildings to explore. Visitors can see the original Dayton, Ohio, bike shop where the Wright brothers once worked and visit the Alabama home of Dr. Sullivan Jackson and Mrs. Richie Jean Sherrod, which served as a home base for Martin Luther King Jr. during his Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. (Known as The Jackson Home, it will open in 2026.) 

Elsewhere on the property, reenactors demonstrate past trades and activities, including at the Firestone Farm. There is also Liberty Craftworks, where costumed demonstrators are busy creating blown-glass and pottery works. 20900 Oakwood Ave., Dearborn, Michigan 48124, 313/982-6001, thehenryford.org