DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
I must admit, when I first heard about the Outdoor Adventure Center, I was skeptical. I couldn’t help but wonder why it was in Detroit and what purposes such a building could offer. After numerous visits spanning a few years, I can happily say that my previous stereotypes of the Center were incorrect, and it’s quite lovely!
Before we dive into the center, let’s chat about the building a little.
The complex was originally much larger, but a significant portion was demolished during renovations. The oldest structures on the campus date back as far as the 1860s. Originally related to the shipping industry, it would later house a stove company and a company that sold machinery wholesale. By the 1970s, this section of Detroit was struggling. Small industry was hurting, and, at some point, the structure became empty.
By 2007, the structure was accepting bids for redevelopment at the hands of the City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. By 2012, the Roxbury Group was planning the redevelopment to be a part of the “mixed-use development,” including “a welcome center and Milliken State Park interactive displays, classrooms and office space for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.”
On July 20, 2015, the Outdoor Adventure Center was open to the public.
Inside is a waterfall, a canopy bridge, exhibits on Michigan’s animals, lakes, rivers, and State Parks, a large model airplane, bike, snowmobile, ATV simulators, and classrooms and offices.
Throughout the year, the center offers programming for children and adults. The most recent one that we attended was on owls, and there were DNR employees there to answer questions and give out owl pellets for kids to dissect. Admission to the center is cheap, too, which is a bonus.
If you don’t have kids, the Outdoor Adventure Center still may appeal to you. There are adult-only events, too, like archery. Plus, they have pamphlets for all of the state parks in Michigan, which is handy to have before you embark on a trip.
Whether you have young ones at home that you want to make a fun weekend trip with, want to attend an event on a specific kind of animal or activity, or just want to get out of the house, the Outdoor Adventure Center has something for everyone!
