Detroit International Riverfront facts for kids

Skyline of Detroit at night

The Detroit International Riverfront is a popular place to visit and a famous landmark in Detroit, Michigan. It stretches for 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) along the Detroit River, from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east.

This area has many cool features. You can find a place for cruise ships, a marina for boats, lots of parks, restaurants, shops, tall buildings (skyscrapers), and homes. Big hotels like the Marriott at the Renaissance Center are also here. Many groups, including private companies, foundations, and the government, have invested millions of dollars to make the riverfront what it is today.

Key spots along the riverfront include the RiverWalk, the Dequindre Cut Greenway, William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, and a cruise ship dock at Hart Plaza. These places fit well with the amazing buildings in the area. The riverfront also hosts many fun events and festivals every year, like music festivals, marathons, and car shows.

History of the Riverfront
Cool Features of the Riverfront
Fun Activities at the Riverfront
Photo gallery
See also

History of the Riverfront

A wide view of the Detroit International Riverfront

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is a special group that helped raise money for the International Riverfront project. They planned to spend about $559 million on the first part of the riverfront walkway. This included large donations, like $135 million from GM and $50 million from the Kresge foundation.

Cool Features of the Riverfront

The riverfront area is home to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. This is the only international wildlife preserve in North America. It's special because it's right in the middle of a big city! The refuge includes islands, wetlands, marshes, and waterfront lands along 48 miles (77 kilometers) of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline. It's a safe place for many animals and plants.

Belle Isle Park

James Scott Fountain and Belle Isle Casino

Belle Isle Park is a large island state park in the Detroit River. It covers 982 acres (397 hectares). The State of Michigan now manages it. Before November 2013, the City of Detroit ran the park.

You can get to the island from the city by the MacArthur Bridge. Belle Isle has many attractions. It's home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, which opened in 1904 and is the oldest conservatory in the United States. You'll also find the Detroit Yacht Club, the Detroit Boat Club, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a Coast Guard station, and a public golf course.

The park also has a Nature Center. Here, visitors can walk on wooded trails and see animals in their natural homes. There's even a half-mile (800 meter) swimming beach on the island.

Aretha Franklin Amphitheater

Quick facts for kids Aretha Franklin Amphitheater
Aretha Franklin Amphitheater
Type	Municipal
Location	2600 Atwater St., Detroit

The Aretha Franklin Amphitheater is a concert venue located on the east side of Detroit. It sits right on the banks of the Detroit River, near William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. This place has a 6,000-seat amphitheater where concerts happen regularly each summer. You can often hear Jazz, Classic Soul, and Rhythm and Blues music here.

The park also has walking trails, a fountain, and a bar called the Lake Lounge. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has connected this park to the Renaissance Center with a riverside walkway.

The park was first named Chene Park. On September 4, 2018, the Detroit City Council voted to rename it after the famous singer, who passed away shortly before. The new name was used starting in the 2019 concert season.

Dequindre Cut Greenway

Dequindre Cut Greenway looking north.

The Dequindre Cut Greenway is a special trail where you can walk or bike. It starts at the Detroit River and goes north. Eventually, it might connect to other trails in Oakland County. This one-mile (1.6 kilometer) trail mainly links the Lafayette Park neighborhood and Eastern Market to the Riverwalk.

The greenway uses half of an old railway corridor. It has a 20-foot (6 meter) wide paved path with separate lanes for biking and walking. The first part of the Dequindre Cut Greenway opened on May 14, 2009. It has a smooth path, ramps for bikes and walkers, lights, signs, and security cameras.

The Dequindre Cut is famous for its amazing graffiti art on the walls. The Riverfront Conservancy, which runs the greenway, allows this artwork to stay as long as it's not offensive. This trail is one of the city's few public art parks and is a popular spot for photographers.

GM Plaza and Promenade

Detroit Financial District skyline at Hart Plaza

The Renaissance Center, often called the RenCen, is a group of seven connected skyscrapers in Detroit. It has been the tallest building in Michigan since 1977. Located right on the Detroit International Riverfront, the entire Renaissance Center is owned by General Motors.

The main tower is home to the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. This is the tallest hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. It also has a huge rooftop restaurant called Coach Insignia. The complex has many other restaurants, shops, and a display area for GM vehicles called GM World. GM gave its part of the plaza and promenade to the Riverfront Conservancy when it was finished. A cruise ship terminal is also nearby at Hart Plaza.

In 2003, General Motors spent $500 million to update the Renaissance Center. This included adding a five-story Wintergarden, which gives easy access to the Detroit International Riverfront. The Renaissance Center is very large, covering 5.5 million square feet (511,000 square meters), making it one of the biggest office complexes in the world.

Hart Plaza and the Dock of Detroit

Tall ships occasionally dock in Detroit.

Philip A. Hart Plaza is a city plaza in downtown Detroit, right along the Detroit River. This spot is close to where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed in 1701 to start the settlement that became Detroit. In 2011, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority opened a new cruise ship terminal and dock at Hart Plaza. This dock welcomes large cruise ships like the MS Columbus.

The 14-acre (5.7 hectare) plaza is named after U.S. Senator Philip Hart. It opened in 1975 and can hold about 40,000 people. In the middle of the plaza is the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain, designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1978.

River Place

The historic Stroh River Place complex is a mix of homes and businesses. It's next to the Roberts Riverwalk Hotel and Residence. This area used to be the Parke-Davis research laboratory, which is a very important historic site. The historic Dry Dock Complex is another redeveloped area along the east riverfront with homes and shops.

River Walk

River Walk
GM Plaza and Promenade on the riverfront at the Renaissance Center
Type	Municipal
Location	Detroit
Created	2007

The Detroit International Riverfront has a 5.5-mile (8.8 kilometer) long walkway called the River Walk. It will eventually stretch from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle. The path is right on the river, sometimes even bridging over it. It's 62 feet (18.75 meters) wide in most places. It has separate lanes for people walking and those on wheels, like bicycles or inline skates. You'll find covered areas, fishing spots, and benches along the way.

The east riverfront promenade connects an area called Rivertown. It goes from the TCF Center to the Belle Isle State Park bridge. Along this path, you'll see the Renaissance Center, GM Plaza, William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, Stroh River Place, Chene Park, Mt Elliott Park, and Gabriel Richard Park. The River Walk is designed to go along with new shops and homes.

The first 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of the River Walk opened on June 6, 2007. Rivard Plaza, at the foot of Rivard Street, has covered seating, a carousel, snacks, and bike rentals. Richard Plaza in Gabriel Richard Park has covered seating, snacks, and a butterfly garden. The River Walk is continuous from Joe Louis Arena to Milliken State Park. The west riverfront part of the promenade is still being developed and is expected to be finished around 2022.

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor

View of the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor from across the Detroit River

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is a state park in Michigan. It's one of only two state parks located inside a city. This park includes the former St. Aubin Park and Marina. It's just east of downtown Detroit and covers 31 acres (12.5 hectares) on the Detroit River. It also has a harbor with 52 boat slips. A 63-foot (19 meter) brick lighthouse marks the harbor entrance.

The first part of the park opened in 2003, with a refurbished marina and the lighthouse. More construction finished in 2009. In the fall of 2009, the park was renamed to honor former Michigan Governor William G. Milliken.

Fun Activities at the Riverfront

Freedom festival's fireworks

Detroit River Days is a five-day festival on the International Riverfront. It celebrates the opening of the riverfront promenade and leads up to the Detroit-Windsor International Freedom Festival fireworks. Detroit and Windsor celebrate this festival together in late June. About 3.5 million visitors come to enjoy it. It celebrates the national holidays of both countries: US Independence Day (July 4) and Canada Day (July 1). The festival started in 1959.

This festival usually has several days of events. It ends with one of the world's largest fireworks shows. On the Windsor side, there's a carnival with rides and food during the festival.

The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) is a big electronic dance music event. It takes place in Hart Plaza every Memorial Day weekend since 2000. Other similar festivals, like Movement, have continued this tradition. They all feature musicians and DJs and highlight the exciting culture of electronic music.

The International Riverfront also hosts part of the Detroit International Jazz Festival. This festival is held in Hart Plaza every Labor Day weekend. Hart Plaza is also where people gather to celebrate when Detroit's major sports teams win championships. Both Detroit and Windsor have also hosted the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on the International Riverfront.