Motown Museum

State: Michigan. Type: music history museum in Detroit occupying the original Hitsville U.S.A. building. Address: 2648 W. Grand Boulevard (Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard), Detroit, MI 48208. Berry Gordy purchased the house in 1959 and converted it into Motown Records' administrative building and recording studio. Admission is by guided tour only, lasting approximately one hour.

The Motown Museum preserves Hitsville U.S.A., the modest Detroit house that Berry Gordy bought in 1959 and converted into the administrative offices and recording studio of Motown Records, the label that produced some of the best-known American popular music of the 1960s and beyond. The museum today occupies both the original house and an adjacent former residence, and its centerpiece is Studio A, the recording space where Motown's hits were made, complete with its original control room and a Hammond B3 organ. Visitors also see Berry Gordy's apartment, preserved as it looked during the label's 1960s heyday, along with displays of costumes, photographs and records from Motown's most successful years. An 1877 Steinway grand piano used in the studio was restored by Steinway & Sons in 2012 with support from former visitor Paul McCartney. In 2016 the museum announced a $50 million expansion plan, backed by major foundation donors, to add interactive exhibits and additional recording studio space, part of an ongoing evolution of the campus that today includes the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence.

The museum sits at 2648 W. Grand Boulevard (also addressed as Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard) in Detroit's New Center area, a short distance northwest of downtown Detroit.

Detroit has a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold winters; since a Motown Museum visit is almost entirely indoors, weather has limited impact on the experience beyond travel to and from the site.

Because admission is guided-tour-only with limited, first-come-first-served ticket availability, timing a visit around ticket release and arriving early in the day is more important than choosing a particular season; the museum's modified summer evening hours (5-8 p.m., Wednesday-Friday, during specific camp dates in June-August) are worth checking if visiting in summer.

Berry Gordy bought the house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in 1959, converting what had been a photographer's studio into Motown Records' administrative building and recording studio, which came to be known as Hitsville U.S.A. Studio A within the house became the site where Motown recorded many of its landmark 1960s and 1970s hits, using equipment including the Hammond B3 organ and an 1877 Steinway grand piano still on display. The museum opened to preserve this history, expanding over time to include an adjacent former residence and, more recently, the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence, home to rotating exhibits such as "Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm and Time," running through September 27, 2026. In October 2016 the museum announced a $50 million expansion plan, supported by donations including from The Kresge Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to add interactive galleries and new recording studio facilities. Musician Paul McCartney visited in 2011 and supported the 2012 restoration of the studio's historic Steinway piano by Steinway & Sons.

The core experience is the approximately one-hour guided tour through Hitsville U.S.A., including Studio A, its original control room, and Berry Gordy's 1960s-era apartment. Visitors can also see the museum's current special exhibit, "Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm and Time," at the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence (through September 27, 2026), and shop at the on-site Campus Store, open seasonally June 7-September 27, 2026.

Studio A and its original control room, Berry Gordy's preserved apartment, the historic 1877 Steinway grand piano, and the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence with its rotating special exhibits are the museum's key sights.

The museum is located in Detroit's New Center area at 2648 W. Grand Boulevard, a short drive from downtown Detroit; specific airport distance and public-transit routing were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Regular hours (Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence): Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Modified summer hours apply on specific camp dates in June-August (Wednesday-Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday unchanged). The museum is closed on major holidays including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Easter, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Confirm current hours at motownmuseum.org before visiting.

As of research (per the museum's official guidelines page): adults $20; seniors (62+), students and veterans $17; children ages 5-17 $17; children under 4 free. Admission is by guided tour only, first-come-first-served, and tickets cannot be rescheduled or refunded. Bank of America cardholders receive complimentary admission during the first full weekend of each month through the Museums On Us program.

The guided tour itself lasts about one hour; budget additional time for the Campus Store and any special exhibit at the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre For Excellence, so a total visit of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours is reasonable.

The museum sits in Detroit's New Center area, a short drive from downtown Detroit's full range of hotels, from major chains to boutique properties; specific nearby property names were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Detroit's New Center and Midtown areas, close to the museum, offer a range of casual and sit-down dining options; specific restaurant names were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Downtown Detroit's broader museum and cultural district, including other Detroit landmarks, is a short drive from the Motown Museum; specific nearby sites were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Specific nearest-airport and public-transit details were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry; Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the region's main air gateway, though exact distance to the museum was not verified.

No backpacks, luggage, strollers, outside food/beverages or videography are permitted inside the museum, per its official guidelines; photography is allowed except in the Video Presentation room. As with any urban site, standard city safety practices apply outside the museum. For any emergency, dial 911.

Photo ID and your ticket confirmation for entry, since tours are first-come-first-served with limited tickets; leave large bags, backpacks and strollers behind, as they are not permitted inside per museum guidelines.

Because tours are guided-only with limited, non-refundable, first-come-first-served tickets, buying in advance through the official box office link is strongly recommended, especially for visitors on a tight schedule. Bank of America cardholders should note the free-admission first-full-weekend-of-the-month Museums On Us benefit. Check the museum's holiday closure list before planning a visit around a major U.S. holiday.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The Motown Museum's general phone line is (313) 875-2264, per its official visitor information.

Motown Museum (Hitsville U.S.A.) - https://www.motownmuseum.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.