Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Barnard’s Inn building, home to Gresham College.
Gresham College
The Hell’s Gate Airtram gondola and footbridge.
Hell's Gate, British Columbia
Goa's Daugim Cross
The two 36-inch refracting lenses in the Lick Observatory telescope are among the largest ever built.
James Lick’s Grave
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
about 4 hours ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
1 day ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
3 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Michigan Detroit Motown Museum

Motown Museum

Berry Gordy Jr.'s old home was the original headquarters of Motown Record Corporation.

Detroit, Michigan

Added By
Nick Jackson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
  Michelle Gerard
April 2021   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
April 2021   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
April 2021   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Motown USA   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Every year, the Motown Museum attracts thousands of visitors from around the world to see the place where the genre was born. 

Located in a quaint blue and white house in Detroit, the Motown Museum is the former home of Motown Records label founder Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy and his family lived in the two-resident flat, which also housed a recording studio and office. From 1959 until 1985, it was the headquarters of the label.

After Gordy moved to California in the 1980s, his sister Esther Gordy Edwards converted the space into a museum but left it largely untouched, save for some restoration work. The space that visitors tour today (aside from the exhibits featuring artwork, costumes, photographs, and other historic memorabilia) largely resembles the place as it was during Motown's heyday. 

Guests to the museum can visit the storied Studio A, where the Jackson Five, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and many others recorded unforgettable hits that remain popular today. 

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Museums

Know Before You Go

Photos are permitted but audio and video recording is prohibited. There is parking available on the street.

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Edited By

paulypaul, Vicki Arkoff, lesiku, elizabethhorkley...

  • paulypaul
  • Vicki Arkoff
  • lesiku
  • elizabethhorkley
  • ccesare
  • Jason Michael Walker

Published

October 9, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Hitsville U.S.A.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitsville_U.S.A.
  • Yelp: Motown Historical Museum: http://www.yelp.com/biz/motown-historical-museum-detroit
  • Trip Advisor: Motown Historical Museum: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g42139-d216637-Reviews-Motown_Historical_Museum-Detroit_Michigan.html
  • Metromix: Motown Historical Museum: http://detroit.metromix.com/arts-culture/history/motown-historical-museum-detroit/334272/content
Motown Museum
2648 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit, Michigan, 48208
United States
42.364141, -83.088346
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

St. Agnes Church and School

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

Baobab Fare

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

MBAD African Bead Museum

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Detroit

Detroit

Michigan

Places 47
Stories 18

Nearby Places

St. Agnes Church and School

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

Baobab Fare

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

MBAD African Bead Museum

Detroit, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Detroit

Detroit

Michigan

Places 47
Stories 18

Related Stories and Lists

35 Places to Celebrate Black Musicians and How They Changed the World

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • “Yo Soy el Buen Pastor Ego Sum Pastor Bonus” by Bernardo Ramonfaur.

    Monterrey, Mexico

    Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacro (Archdiocese Sacred Art Museum)

    Its collection features not only Christian-themed art but also works made by members of the clergy.

  • Can’t forget the firetruck.

    Harrisville, West Virginia

    Cliff’s Museum of Car Memorabilia

    A lifetime collection of thousands of automobile and vintage gas station items at no charge to view.

  • Livingstone, Zambia

    David Livingstone’s Shaving Mirror

    Combing through this David Livingstone tribute will escort you on adventures through the looking glass.

  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Hunterian Zoology Museum

    An extended zoological collection that doubles as a time capsule.

  • Denver, Colorado

    Clyfford Still Museum

    Soak in the life’s work of one of the country’s foremost modern artists.

    Sponsored by Visit Denver
  • The eternal flame.

    Chennai, India

    Perarignar Anna Memorial

    The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians.

  • Tucson, Arizona

    Pima Air & Space Museum

    Browse an impressive collection of passenger and military aircraft dating back to World War II.

  • Display Cases

    La Rochelle, France

    Le Bunker De La Rochelle

    Under the streets of La Rochelle, a former wartime bunker holds some surprising secrets.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.