Ford House, the historic estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford, is open to the public, showcasing its first major expansion in over 90 years— a 40,000 square-foot Visitor Center and 17,000 square-foot Administration Building in in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. The state-of-the-art Visitor Center will bring a new restaurant, four event spaces, exhibition spaces, expanded program offerings, and breathtaking views of Ford Cove. The Ford family’s legacy will never change, but this expansion project has allowed Ford House to convey the history of one of America and Detroit’s most renowned families in an interactive and immersive style.
The Visitor Center and Administration Building were designed to be net-zero energy-efficient, with great care to emphasize sustainability and the surrounding natural ecosystem. The buildings will enhance the visitor experience and allow the National Historic Landmark estate to plan and pursue long-term restoration and rehabilitation projects.
Our goal is to weave together the Ford family legacy with 21st century technology,” said Ford House President & CEO Mark Heppner. “This milestone expansion project was designed with the visitor experience top of mind. The brand-new, state of the art Visitor Center is our commitment that Ford House will always be an inclusive community destination.”
The Visitor Center will open with three exhibitions—an orientation gallery and two rotating exhibitions. The Ford Family Story is a permanent exhibition that introduces visitors to Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s estate, demonstrates how the Fords built a life and home that paid tribute to the property’s natural environment, the arts, and interior design. Equipped with multiple interactive displays including a virtual scrapbook and projected home movies, the exhibit shares intimate moments throughout the Fords’ lives on the estate.
