Hancock Historical Museum hosts taste of Detroit tour

The Hancock Historical Museum is sponsoring a Historic Taste of Detroit Tour on Wednesday, June 13.

Participants will learn more about the historical development of Detroit, how the influences of several immigrant populations have shaped the culinary landscape in this now trendy “foodie” locale, tour prominent architectural landmarks, and sample delicious cuisine around the city.

The tour will depart from the Hancock Historical Museum at 422 W. Sandusky Street in Findlay at 7 a.m. Upon arriving in Detroit, guests will enjoy a walking, brunch tour of the Eastern Market, one of the oldest and largest year-round markets in the country.

Guests will visit some of the market’s specialty stores and learn more about its history. Samples will include cheese pairings at family-owned DeVries, pizza at Supino Pizzeria, and Greek specialties at Gabriel Import. Guests will also view many of the market’s famous murals and see the Motown Room at Bert’s Jazz Club.

Next, guests will enjoy a driving tour of historic Brush Park, Capitol Park, Woodward Avenue, and the International Riverwalk, as well as an extensive guided tour of the Guardian Building. Known as “Detroit’s Cathedral of Finance,” the 1929 Guardian Building is a National Historic Landmark and one of the world’s preeminent examples of the Art Deco style. The lobby beckons visitors with a three-story vaulted ceiling covered in Rookwood and Pewabic tiles.

Visitors will continue the day by touring Mexicantown and Southwest Detroit, visiting the family-owned HoneyBee market to sample housemaid guacamole, salsa, and tamales. Guests will also enjoy a guided tour of the historic Ste. Anne de Detroit Church, built in 1886. The parish is the second oldest Roman Catholic parish in the United States, founded in 1701.

Guests will continue on a driving tour of Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, dating back to the 1830s. Corktown is home to many beautifully preserved Victorian homes and commercial buildings.

In recent years, it has seen a resurgence of investment by a young, creative class. Guests will take part in a guided tour of the Fisher Building, designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1928. According to the National Park Service, the building displays the finest craftsmanship of any Art Deco building constructed in the United States in the 1920s. While at the Fisher Building, guests will enjoy samples of baked goods from Stella Café and City Bakery.

Tour participants will end the day with a sit-down dinner at Traffic Jam & Snug, a Detroit icon and Michigan’s first brew pub. Space on the tour is limited and advanced reservations are required.

The cost of the day trip is $145 for members of the Museum, $160 for nonmembers, and includes charter bus travel, guided tours of the destinations above with local tour guides, all samples and tastings, and dinner.  

All reservations and payment must be received by June 1st. For more information, or to make a reservation, call the Hancock Historical Museum at (419)423-4433 or visit www.hancockhistoricalmuseum.org.