Campus Martius Park Facts for Kids

This page is about the park in Detroit. For the public area of ancient Rome, see Campus Martius. For the historic fortification in Ohio, see Campus Martius (Ohio). For other uses, see Campus Martius (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Campus Martius Park
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Campus Martius
Type	Municipal (City of Detroit)
Location	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Area	1.2 acres (4,900 m²)
Created	1850; 2004
Operated by	Detroit 300 Conservancy
Open	All year
Public transit access	Cadillac Center Detroit People Mover station and QLine streetcar.

Cadillac Square Park
Bagley Memorial Fountain on Cadillac Square facing Campus Martius
Type	Municipal (City of Detroit)
Location	Detroit
Created	2007
Open	All year

Campus Martius Park is a special park located in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Its name comes from Latin, meaning "Field of Mars." This name was inspired by a place in ancient Rome where heroes walked.

After a big fire in 1805, Campus Martius became the main point for Judge Augustus Woodward's plan to rebuild Detroit. It was named after a similar important square in Marietta, Ohio.

Discovering Campus Martius Park
Cadillac Square Park
- Future Plans and Fun Sports
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Campus Martius Park

Campus Martius in 1907

Campus Martius in 1914

This park is found where Woodward Avenue and Michigan Avenue meet. It is four blocks south of Grand Circus Park. The original park was much larger and a key meeting spot for people.

Over time, the park was lost as Detroit's downtown changed. More roads were built for cars. Hart Plaza was built along the river to be a new important area. But many people missed having a green park space downtown. This led to calls to rebuild Campus Martius.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

The park is home to the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This monument honors soldiers and sailors from the American Civil War. It stands across from the modern Compuware Headquarters building.

Detroit's Starting Point

Campus Martius Park also holds a special marker. It is the "point of origin" for Detroit's road system. This means it's where all the main roads are measured from. For example, Seven Mile Road is 7 miles north of this spot. Eight Mile Road is 8 miles north, and so on.

You can find this point marked by a special medallion. It is set into the stone walkway. Look for it in the western part of the diamond shape around the Woodward Fountain. It's right in front of the park's snack building.

A Modern Park for Everyone

The new Campus Martius Park officially opened on November 19, 2004. It features two stages for performances. You can also see sculptures and open public areas. In winter, a fun ice skating rink opens up.

The park is about 1.2 acres in size. This is smaller than the original park. Making it bigger would have meant tearing down several buildings. To add more green space, the city built Cadillac Square Park nearby.

Skating Fun and Holiday Cheer

The park's skating rink looks a lot like the famous one at Rockefeller Center in New York City. In fact, Detroit's rink is even bigger! A company called Magic Ice USA, Inc. has managed the rink since it opened.

Campus Martius Park hosts many exciting events. It is the home of the annual Motown Winter Blast. This event brings over 450,000 people to downtown Detroit each year. The park also hosts the city's yearly Christmas tree lighting. This celebration happens the Monday before Thanksgiving. Thousands of people gather to enjoy Christmas music. They count down to the moment the city's official Christmas tree lights up. This event marks the start of the holiday season.

Cadillac Square Park

Cadillac Square Park is another park that was brought back to life in the area. It is located right next to Campus Martius Park, to its east. Before 2001, this area was a bus station built in the 1960s. From 1841 to 1891, Cadillac Square was actually the site of the Detroit Farmer's Market.

The new park is now home to the Bagley Memorial Fountain. This fountain used to be in Campus Martius.

Future Plans and Fun Sports

In 2008, there were plans for a new building called Cadillac Centre. It was going to be a large building with homes, shops, and entertainment. It was designed to be a 24-story skyscraper. Construction was planned for 2009. However, the city later put these plans on hold. The developers could not meet their agreements with the city.

If you visit Cadillac Square, you might see people playing a French sport called pétanque. It's played there every workday from noon to 1 p.m. A similar Italian sport called bocce is also played there.

Images for kids

Augustus Woodward's plan for Detroit's streets after the 1805 fire. It shows a design with radial avenues and Grand Circus.
Cadillac Tower, looking up from Cadillac Square.
The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in December 2015.
The Detroit Financial District as seen from Campus Martius.
A view from the Campus Martius Park ice rink.
Another view from the Campus Martius Park ice rink.
The Campus Martius Park skating rink.
The Campus Martius Park skating rink in December 2015.
Campus Martius at night.
Looking north up Woodward Avenue.
The Hard Rock Cafe sign at Compuware World Headquarters.
The Woodward Fountain.
Cadillac Square in 1899. The City Hall is on the left, and the Majestic Building is on the right.
The same view of Cadillac Square in 2007. One Kennedy Square stands where the old City Hall was, and 1001 Woodward has replaced the Majestic Building.