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Queen City Discovery Home > Gallery Home > Urban Exploration > Detroit

		Michigan Central Station Perhaps the most common symbol of Detroit's abandoned past, the 18 story tall Michigan Central Station towers above it's surroundings. Completed in 1913, the building sports an 18 story tower above it's train station designed after a Roman bath house. The building never quite reached full occupancy and as railroad ridership decreased following World War Two, so did Michigan Central's tenants. In 1978, an ambitious plan to renovate the facility by passenger rail company Amtrak failed after six years when the station was closed, shuttered and abandoned. Since it's closing the station has been featured in numerous films (such as 'Transformers' (2007)) and music videos. Today the station awaits an uncertain future and has become the main symbol of Detroit Urban Exploration.

	h	City Airport Neighborhood In 1994, the Detroit City Council approved a plan to purchase nearly 500 properties in the neighborhoods surrounding Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport. 15 years later, after the council failed to make good on their plan, many residents are still waiting for the city to purchase their properties as they continue to amidst a "no-mans land" of vacant and crumbling houses.

		Boblo Island Ferry Terminal This large storage warehouse located along the Detroit River once served as the dock for the ferry boats which took visitors to Boblo Island Amusement Park as well as a joint railroad and river freight terminal.

		Highland Park Police Station Amidst a flurry of financial troubles in the early 90's, the city of Highland Park shut down it's police and fire departments and boarded up it's city hall, relying on the public services of surrounding Detroit. While the Highland Park Police Department was reinstated in 2007, this former precinct station was not.

		Packard Automobile Plant The Packard Automobile Plant on Detroit's East Grand Boulevard opened in 1903 covering 35 acres and 7 city blocks. Aside from producing automobiles, the plant served as a production facility for war materials during World War Two. In 1956, all Packard plants closed, the E. Grand Blvd. plant included. Today the dilapidated factory still stands and often serves as a target for vandalism, arson and chop shops. On the day we attempted to photograph it, scrap thieves throwing metal pieces from the upper floors prevented us from entering.

		St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church The parish of St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church moved to this Gothic style place of worship in 1924 and called it and it's adjoining school home until 1989 when the parish was closed. The parish was re-established as the Martyr's of Uganda by the Archdiocese of Detroit who recently decided to close it due to the rising maintenance costs of the old building.

		Belle Island Children's Zoo The Children's Zoo on Belle Island opened in 1947 and entertained visitors until 2002 when disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ignored a city council veto and voter approved ballot issue to continue funding of the zoo. The remaining animals were sold off except for the collection of Fallow Deer who are now housed in a new nature preserve and enclosure on the island. The new enclosure was built at a cost of approximately $1 Million by a company owned by Bobby Ferguson, Kilpatrick's longtime best friend.
		Detroit Nightlife Small collection of photographs taken while exploring the streets of the Motor City at night.