The Henry Ford

When time allows – and it seldom does – I enjoy seeing local museums and other attractions. A few years ago I visited The Henry Ford. It is an incredible museum, and I jumped at the opportunity to take a colleague there this year.

The Henry Ford is a museum in Detroit dedicated to European history – if European history was American history, civil rights, technology and innovation. The museum is huge and has two parts: Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford museum. The Greenfield Village is amazing and deserves a post of its own, however it was closed this visit. The Henry Ford Museum is an odd collection of things that you would think would be in the Smithsonian, but instead are in the Henry Ford museum collection.

The museum has a collection of presidential limousines, starting with a carriage and ending with the more modern Beast of current presidents. In the middle there are the rides of FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy (yes, that limo), Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan (also the limo you are likely thing of) and Bush Sr. It is incredible to see these pieces of American history presented at the birthplace of the American automobile.

The automotive collection is impressive in its breadth and diversity. Among the highlights are the electric car Henry Ford purchased for his wife (it didn’t require a hand crank and was easier to drive… go figure), cars that raced at Le Mans (see the movie if you haven’t already), and the first model of the Dodge minivan that I remember from countless soccer games growing up. They somehow even have an EV1. Apparently GM missed one in its rush to crush history.

Also included in the collection are massive locomotives, steam engines, airplanes (the Ford Tristar was a thing at one point), furniture and farm equipment. The furniture is unique in that the pieces have historical significance. A dining table that was used by Samuel L Clemens (also known as Mark Twain), the portable desk used by Edgar Alan Poe, and a rocking chair used by Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Further on, the collection on American history is also unique. The bus that Rosa Parks famously refused to leave her seat in the front, creating a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, is there and open for visitors to sit in either the front or the back. This is when I realized that the bus was stunningly small for its historical significance. The distance between the front and the back is maybe 10 feet.

There is also the camp set and cot used by George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. It looks about as comfortable as you would expect from a 180-year-old camping bed. Then there is the chair from Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. where Lincoln sat when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth.

The collection is better than some I’ve seen in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and with the private money used I think it offers better context for many of the items. When it comes to a museum, the collection can be amazing but it should tell a story that helps us understand the past and think about our future. This is something The Henry Ford does exceptionally well.

The car Kennedy rode in during his trip to Dallas, Texas when he was assassinated.

The electric car purchased by Henry Ford for his wife, Clara Ford.

The camp set used by George Washington during the American Revolutionary War.

Lincoln’s chair from the Ford Theater.