One Of 'America's Most Popular Attractions' Thrives In A Michigan City With Coffee Culture And Automobile History

Detroit is a strong contender for the title of most underrated U.S. metropolis. For many, it's defined by its historically high crime rate and its dubious distinction as the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy. Over the years, though, the city has bounced back in a big way. From fishing and sailing the Detroit River in the Marina District to the Motown history and hip cafes in Corktown, Detroit today has a lot to offer visitors.

Dearborn is a must-visit stop on any Detroit area itinerary. Though often referred to as a suburb of Detroit, located less than 10 miles west of downtown, Dearborn is a thriving city in its own right — in fact, the seventh largest in Michigan, home to more than 100,000 people. More than half (55%) of those residents are of Middle Eastern or North African descent as of 2023, making it the first majority Arab city in America.

The Dearborn area was first settled back in 1786 but was still rural farmland by the time Henry Ford was born there in 1863. It was Ford who really put the city on the map when he built his River Rouge Plant manufacturing complex in 1917. By the time Dearborn incorporated in 1929, the Rouge Plant employed 103,000 workers—almost as many people as live in the city today. Modern Dearborn still celebrates its manufacturing past, weaving this history together with the cultures of its diverse and growing population to create a truly unique identity that makes the city well worth a visit.

While Henry Ford didn't actually invent the automobile, he did revolutionize the manufacturing process when he started using a moving assembly line in 1913. That innovation, and Ford's other accomplishments, are celebrated at Dearborn's Henry Ford Museum. Some two million people visit the museum every year, making it the most-visited museum in Michigan; it was ranked as one of the most popular attractions in the United States by Reader's Digest. The museum first opened as the Edison Institute of Technology in 1929, founded by Ford himself as part of the historic Greenfield Village, which by 1940 grew to over 70 buildings, including homes, operational mills, and shops where traditional artisans demonstrate their craft.

The Henry Ford doesn't only celebrate the innovations of its namesake. Edison at Work is a recreation of Thomas Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, integrating several original items from the 1886 laboratory. Two buildings from Edison's lab complex, Sarah Jordan Boarding House and the Glass House, were also moved to Greenfield Village. Heroes of the Sky tells the history of American aviation, centered around a 1903 Wright Flyer replica. The museum also exhibits other artifacts from American history, like the rocking chair where Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was assassinated and the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.

Dearborn is also the location of Fair Lane, Henry Ford's personal estate where he lived with his wife, Clara, starting in 1915. While the Main Residence and Powerhouse are closed for renovations as of this writing, the grounds and gardens remain open for visitors to explore for free any day of the week.

You don't need to travel all the way to the U.S. coffee capital of Portland to enjoy a delicious cup of Joe. Dearborn's thriving cafe culture is driven largely by the city's Arab American community, which is the largest outside of the Middle East. Because of that, you can order drinks that you wouldn't find on a typical Starbucks menu.

Qahwah House was the first Yemeni coffee shop in the United States when it opened in 2017. Along with familiar lattes and americanos, their menu features Yemeni style beverages like qishr (coffee husks with ginger and cinnamon) and mofawar (coffee with cardamom and cream). Galata Sweets takes guests "one bite away from Istanbul" with their full menu of Turkish cuisine, which includes Dibek and Turkish coffee as well as pastries like simit, baklava, and katmer. For the full Arabic-style cafe experience, Diwan Cafe has majlis seating, the first coffee shop in Dearborn furnished with these low communal couches, and you can enjoy its Yemeni coffee, teas, and smoothies until midnight daily.

You can also find other cultures represented among Dearborn's cafes. Gateaux Patisserie gives guests European vibes with delectable French pastries and tea time complete with finger sandwiches. Their drinks are brewed with Bakri Coffee Roasters beans, a local small-batch roastery that also sells drinks directly from their truck (which usually parks outside their flagship store in-progress). Lamy's Diner, inside the Henry Ford Museum, takes visitors back to the '40s with period décor and a menu of classic comfort food (the cherry pie is a particular favorite). Considering the quantity and quality of the city's cafes, it's no wonder mayor Abdullah Hammoud calls Dearborn "the coffee capital here in the state of Michigan." (via CBS News)