This weekend, metro residents have a chance to see how Detroit royalty lived, on one of the region’s most beautiful cultural touchstones.
On Saturday, April 5, Grosse Pointe Shores’ Ford House will open its grounds for a free-admission Community Appreciation Day, inviting visitors to experience the history, architecture, and natural beauty of the 87-acre estate that once belonged to Eleanor and Edsel Ford.
Located on Lake St. Clair, Ford House is a National Historic Landmark that offers insight into the lives of Edsel Ford, who played a key role in shaping the Ford Motor Co., and Eleanor Ford, a community leader and philanthropist. Built in 1928, the estate features distinctive architecture, well-preserved interiors, and meticulously maintained gardens.
On Community Appreciation Day, guests can choose between two experiences on the property. Grounds admission offers an opportunity to explore the beautiful gardens and lakefront paths, as well as historic auxiliary buildings and the visitor center. A house and grounds admission option offers an additional chance to tour the main residence, where the Ford family lived, as well as exploring the grounds.
The Ford House’s restaurant, The Continental, will be open, serving food and drink.
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“You may not know this, but we actually straddle two different cities and two different counties,” said Ford House President and CEO Mark J. Heppner. “The way the property is divided, we’re in Wayne County and Macomb County. We’re in Grosse Pointe Shores and St. Clair Shores. We get great benefits from both cities, both counties, great support, and one day, I said, ‘I would love to do something where we could just thank everybody.’ And the idea ended up being this free Community Day.
“And, let’s be honest, we do it because we want to share what Eleanor and the Ford family left for the community. A lot of people still say, ‘I drive past that all the time, but I didn’t know it was open; I didn’t know it was something you could visit. I didn’t know that I was welcome.’ So it’s a way to just get people to come out and feel welcome, to see themselves here, to enjoy themselves here.”
Heppner said when Eleanor Ford died in 1976, she stated in her will that Ford House should be preserved and open for the benefit of the community.
“I know she would be smiling to know that we’re offering an opportunity for everybody in our communities to come out and have a taste of Ford House,” he said, “and experience the beauty, the inspiration, the design, the horticulture, the history here at the museum. It is really when you step foot on the estate, when you walk around, you smell the flowers, you hear the birds, you see the water lapping, you see the history, the textiles, the collections, that you understand.
“We’re very proud. At the end of the day, my goal is I want every Michigander to be proud to know that our Ford House is in our state, representing and raising arts and culture in the brand in our state, nationally and internationally.”
Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Rd., Grosse Pointe Shores. Admission for Community Day is free, but advance registration is encouraged. The last entry is at 7 p.m.; visitors are allowed to explore the estate until sunset. For more information and to register, visit fordhouse.org or call (313) 884-4222.
Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Grosse Pointe Shores’ historic, scenic Ford House to host free Community Day this Saturday
Reporting by Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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