Events by Month

Ages 6+

Families are invited to join us for a group tour of the museum, featuring our Origins: Life Where the River Bends, America's Motor City and Streets of Old Detroit exhibitions. After the tour, participants are welcome to stay and explore the rest of the galleries.

$6 per child, $10 per adult (includes admission and programming for all participants)

Pre-registration is required

Limited tickets still available!

Art, social justice, craft, and empowerment are just a few things you will find at Rebel Nell studio. Founded in 2014, this woman-owned business offers on-the-job training for community members and repurposes mural materials by using them to create jewelry and accessories. Tour the facility and learn about their business model, artistic craft, and community outreach.

Unmaking (and Remaking) the Motor City in the Age of Mass Incarceration

Over the last five decades the City of Detroit has felt the crisis of mass incarceration first-hand and most acutely. Historian Heather Ann Thompson will discuss the origins of this crisis nationally and locally, its lived impact on city residents as well as on the city itself. From this history, she argues, we can better understand not only why this is the civil and human rights crisis of the 21st century, but what it will take to undo it.

Microplastic presence in our environment continues to grow, having major impacts on land and the Great Lakes. How do these microplastics end up in our drinking water? What effect could this have on our health? 

Ages 6+

The Friends of Detroit's Black Historic Sites Committee invites you to the return of their signature Jazz in the Streets of Old Detroit concert series featuring the contemporary, soulful sound of The James Russell Project.

“Trash/litter is here to stay, but I can make it beautiful” -Laura Quattrocchi

Join us at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Saturday, May 20 from 2-3 p.m. for a special presentation by Detroit artist Laura Quattrocchi on her work “All that Shines Under the Dirt” and “Trash Actions.” Through the collection of trash in Detroit’s Dexter Linwood community, Laura recycles cans and various items left behind into beautiful sculptures and performance pieces to relate spiritually to nature and her environment.

Registration is free with museum admission.

The Sergeant: The Incredible Life of Nicholas Said: Son of an African General, Slave of the Ottomans, Free Man Under the Tsars, Hero of the Union Army

Showcasing Detroit fashion through the decades; theme is Hollywood Fashion. Attire is Red Carpet Ready.

•  $50 General Admission, food and drink available to purchase.
•  $75 VIP ticket includes food and drink.
•  $50 discounted VIP is available only to members of Detroit Historical Society and Detroit Fashion Community.

Self-serve parking in Detroit Historical Museum lot for $10 per car.

Doors open at 6:30 PM. Event begins at 7:00 PM and ends at 11:00 PM.

Washington Hill Pictures, the production team behind the feature length film God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, invites you learn the basics of documentary storytelling. Find out more about their 12-yearlong international filmmaking journey, and get the opportunity to workshop your own documentary idea!  For all ages.

Free for members

Free for non-members with museum admission

Register now!

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum will be open with special holiday hours from 1-5 p.m. on Monday, May 29. Even better - admission will be free!

Walk-in visitors are welcome, no pre-registration is necessary.