The Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village

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TrainTrac

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Last Friday was my birthday, so my wife planned a family trip (or, I guess you could call it a pilgrimage for a Ford fan :grin:) to Dearborn to visit the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. If you ever get the opportunity, go visit this place. It's phenomenal. Greenfield Village is very cool, and the Henry Ford is a great showcase of American history. There were several things there that I was thrilled to see: The Mustang I two-seater experimental car built in 1962, the very first Mustang built (1964.5, VIN #00000001), Henry Ford's first "quadricycle", one of the about 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence that were made for distribution amongst the colonies back in 1776, the actual rocking chair that President Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated, and many other things.



I also experienced a moment that just leaves you with a lump in your throat: In one section that talked about slavery, civil rights, etc., they have the actual bus from Montgomery, AL in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. As I entered that area, I noticed that a museum staff member was holding everyone up from getting on the bus. At the rear door of the bus he was assisting an elderly black woman from her wheel chair and up the steps onto the bus. She had a younger man with her (I'm guessing a grandson or other relative). As she entered the bus, the museum employee explained to us that the lady was in her 90's, was from Montgomery, AL, and it was highly possible that she'd ridden this very bus as a young woman. Just watching this woman enter the bus, and use all the strength she could muster to walk up and sit in Rosa Parks' seat was very moving. It was pretty emotional for me to watch her actually reliving history. I can only imagine what she was feeling.



At the Henry Ford, they also offer tours of the River Rouge (F150) Assembly Plant. We didn't do that, since we'd already toured LAP in 2008.



Another really cool thing about this place is that it's right next to Ford's test track. The track is surrounded by a bout a 12' high brick wall. But we went on this trip in our RV.:grin: So when we parked on Friday, I climbed up to the roof of the RV to take a look at the track. I'm glad I did, because I saw four different 2015 Mustang test mules running on the track! :driving: One was a camouflaged convertible, a white convertible, a red coupe, and a gray coupe. It was very cool to see those new Ponys out running. I even snapped a few pictures of them. I kinda felt like a spy photographer for Motor Trend or something.:grin:



I also got a few pictures of the Glass House (FoMoCo World HQ) as we drove by it on the interstate.



Bottom line: If you ever get a chance, check this place out. A definite "bucket list" item for any Ford fan, and also a great place to go for any history buff.:supercool:
 
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I agree 100% Train Trac!



I had the opportunity to tour this stuff when I worked the National Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills contest a few years ago. The Henry Ford Museum is so awesome- a person could spend 2 days there and not see everything!



The River Rouge plant tour was worth it too. We got to crawl all over and sit in a fully-loaded Raptor in the lobby of the tour entrance. They had several examples of Mustangs that had been built there, as well as a pretty neat video explaining the history of this unique plant. I learned so much! The plant is much smaller than it was in 1979 when I last toured it. The roof is covered in grass. The tour doesn't really take you through much of the plant, but it shows the assembly end from walkways above, and there are videos that show you the rest of the process. The plant is very clean, light, airy, and there is quite a bit of automation. It looks like a wonderful place to work.



The Ford/AAA competition was held in the front yard of FMC headquarters. We could see Alan Mulally's office balcony. We held the awards ceremony in the very fancy auditorium of the office building.



I would encourage anyone who has an interest in cars to spend a day or two in Dearborn. There is so much history and stuff documented that shows what a great country the USA once was in manufacturing and industrial processes.



The link Train Trac posted above has all the info about the museum, the plant tour, etc.

 
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I was there about a year and a half ago and I agree completely. The Henry Ford and the Rouge tours were both very interesting and educational. There was even a scale model in the museum of one of Thomas Edison's original power plants that had the name of the company I work for on the front of the building. :grin:
 
It would be great to see it but since I live in Canada and don't have a passport or enhanced drivers licence I can't cross over the border.:(
 
Yep, I went to Greenfield Village on a field trip with my 5th grade class (when I lived in Parma, Ohio). I was only about 10 or 11 years old then, but I enjoyed it and would like to go back again. I know I would have a better appreciation now then when I was 11 years old.



...Rich
 
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