I’ve always been a big museum person and every time I go somewhere new, I have to visit one. Historical museums are my favorite. I love learning about a place’s history and seeing actual artifacts from the past. Their ability to survive the test of time always impresses me.

Part of my Detroit trip was visiting the Detroit Institute of Arts for one afternoon. I was really excited because it’s one of the museums with the largest art collections in the US.

The whole building was beautiful! It was unassuming from where we entered and the map made it seem like it was small, but once we were on the second floor, the whole place transformed. It was like the museums in the movies!

I’m fascinated with ancient history so it’s the first exhibit I went to. It’s my first time to see ancient history artifacts so I was really impressed with their collection and they looked new/well preserved. Beside it was ancient Egypt and I was curious about it too because I have always wanted to see a mummy. Funny enough, I didn’t realize how scary it was going to be because the mummies were toward the dimly-lit part of the museum and it’s where the exhibit ends.

My second favorite part of the museum was the Roman Catholic exhibit. While I’m not a devout Catholic, I always think that our churches have the best kind of art. The museum had some pretty old Roman Catholic art and I’m not sure what the style is called, but it’s a lot like some of the churches we had built from the Spanish era as well as more traditional Catholic materials such as prayer booklets and photos.

One room was dedicated to Picasso. I’ve always felt he was around during the 1800s and not closer to my time. There were also Van Gogh works, including his self-portrait.

I think I took hundreds of photos inside because I wanted to show it to my family and friends back home.

Another special part in the museum is Diego Rivera’s mural. It was in a huge hall and it’s all about the industry in Detroit and Ford. I know how long Ford has been around, but being in Detroit is where I really felt and saw how much it changed the people’s lives.

While the Detroit Institute of Arts is not exactly a museum that will be on top of my list — I usually avoid art museums because I’m not a fan of contemporary art, but this had the historical art I wanted so I was really happy and satisfied!

A lot of the exhibits felt surreal to me because these were stuff I would only see in books or movies and TV. I never really thought I’d see these exhibits in person, such as actual knight costumes, Picasso paintings, and mummies. I feel so lucky and thankful I was able to see it and can only wish that people I love the most get to see it too!

Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
Closed every Mondays; T-F (9:00 – 16:00); Saturday and Sunday (10:00 – 17:00)
Ticket for adults cost $14