For thirty years it stood empty, Detroit’s most photographed ruin. Today, Michigan Central Station is the city’s most photographed comeback. The 1913 Beaux-Arts train station in Corktown reopened in June 2024 after a painstaking six-year restoration by Ford Motor Company, which transformed it into the centerpiece of a 30-acre innovation district.
The numbers tell the story: some 3,100 workers spent years repairing the Guastavino-tiled waiting room, re-creating ornate plasterwork and sourcing matching limestone from the original Indiana quarry. The grand concourse now hosts public events, tours and community programming, and the surrounding campus — including the renovated Book Depository building — is filling with tech and mobility startups.
Even from the sidewalk on Michigan Avenue, the 18-story tower is a stunner, especially at dusk. Visit Michigan Central’s official site for tour and event announcements, then stay for dinner in Corktown.
