Belle Isle Park
Encyclopedia
Belle Isle is a 982 acre (1.5 sq mi; 397.4 ha) island park in the Detroit River
, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge
. It is the largest island city park in the United States
and the third largest island in the Detroit River after Grosse Ile
and Fighting Island
.
It is home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904), the Detroit Yacht Club
on an adjacent island, the Detroit Boat Club
, James Scott Memorial Fountain
, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum
, a Coast Guard
station, and a municipal golf
facility. The city maintains a Nature Center where visitors are able to traverse wooded trails and view wildlife natural habitats. The island includes a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach.
in the 18th century, who named it Île aux Cochons (Hog Island). The Island was once the estate of General Alexander Macomb, Jr.
, whose monument stands in the Washington Boulevard Historic District
. In 1845 it was given its present name.
A design for the island was created in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted
, a prominent urban park designer; only some elements of his design were carried out. The 1908 Belle Isle Casino building is not an actual gambling
facility but rather, is used for occasional public events. A highlight of Belle Isle is a beautiful botanical garden
and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904). Both the conservatory and the adjacent aquarium were designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn, who designed city landmarks such as Cadillac Place
and the Ford Rouge Factory.
The island park served as a staging ground by the U.S. military during World War II
for a re-enactment of a Pacific island invasion by the Navy and Marine Corps. The island was temporarily renamed Bella Jima, and Detroiters were treated to the sight of an island invasion without the bloodshed. It was conducted after the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Architect Cass Gilbert
designed Belle Isle's James Scott Memorial Fountain. Gilbert's other works include the U. S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. William Livingstone Memorial Light, the only marble lighthouse in the United States, is on the east end of the island, with sumptuous materials and architecture. It was named for the president of the Lakes Carriers Association who advocated safety and navigational improvements in Great Lakes shipping. Additional recreational options include a nature center, wheelchair accessible nature trail, fishing piers, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and handball, tennis and basketball courts, baseball fields, and even a cricket pitch.
There was a canoe concession (which provided rental canoes and stored private ones) and a band shell, and canoe riders often stopped nearby to enjoy the concert. Concerts occurred at the Remick Band Shell from 1950 to 1980. The band shell replaced an earlier facility and provided more amenities for performers and audience members. It was constructed at a cost of $150,000 and was named for resident Jerome H. Remick
, who owned the world's largest music publishing house at the time.
The Detroit Boat Club moved to the island in 1902 but the marina and building is currently closed and only rowing activities still occur at that location. The Belle Isle Golf Course opened in 1922. The Detroit Yacht Club building dates to 1923 and still houses an active private sailing club. The Scott Fountain was finished in 1925. The Activities Building was the site of a restaurant. The Flynn Pavilion (1949) was designed by Eero Saarinen
and used for ice skating rental. A ferry service to the island existed from 1840–1957, although the bridge was completed to the island in 1923. Riding stables were housed in a 1863 market building that was relocated from Detroit to the island in the 1890s. The building was disassembled and stored by Greenfield Village in the 2000s. The park headquarters and police station are each located in 1860s houses.
The island was home to a large herd of European fallow deer
for more than 50 years. However, this isolated population fell prey to disease at the close of the 20th century. The children's zoo on the island and the aquarium closed due to budget constraints. In 2004, the last of the 300 animals were captured and moved to the zoo and nature center properties.
races. The island hosted ten events at Belle Isle from 1992–2001, and racing resumed in 2007 as part of the IndyCar Series and ALMS
.
On December 18, 2008, the scheduled race for 2009 was canceled. The automotive economic crisis, and its impact on the Detroit-area was the primary reason. Roger Penske
did not rule out a return in the future.
On September 20, 2011, race organizers gained approval from Detroit City Council to use the updated track and support area on Belle Isle. On October 11, 2011, it was announced that the race will return starting in 2012. The race weekend will feature Indycar as well as Grand-AM races, with Grand-AM replacing ALMS.
in New York City
, also designed by Olmsted. Although Belle Isle is the largest island park, it is not the largest island near a major city. Key Biscayne
Island adjoining Miami, Florida
has Crandon Park
with about 800 acres (323.7 ha) and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
with 400 acres (161.9 ha) and the island includes the residential village of Key Biscayne
.
Detroit's River Rouge Park is 1172 acres (474.3 ha). The City's Parks and Recreation Department manages 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) of parks. The Huron-Clinton Metroparks
authority manages 24000 acres (9,712.5 ha) of parks and beaches; however, this does not include all parks in the area. There are thousands of additional acres of parks in metropolitan Detroit.
The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904) is a greenhouse
and botanical garden
in Detroit
, Michigan
, United States
. It covers 13 acres (5.3 ha) located three miles (4.8 km) east of the city's downtown on Belle Isle. It is open to the public free of charge every day of the year.
The conservatory was built in 1904, designed by noted architect Albert Kahn, and rebuilt 1952-1954 with aluminum replacing its original wooden beams. In 1953 it was named in honor of Anna Scripps Whitcomb, who left her 600-plant orchid collection to the city. Thanks to her gift and subsequent donations, the conservatory is now home to one of the largest municipally-owned orchid collections in the United States. Rare orchids were saved from Great Britain during the World War II bombing and transported to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory.
The conservatory site contains formal perennial gardens, annual flower beds, a rose garden, and lily pond garden. The conservatory itself covers more than an acre, features an imposing central dome 85 feet (26 m) high (with a total volume of 100,600 cubic feet), and is organized as a palm
house in the dome, the north and south wings, and a show house. The south wing contains tropical plants of economic importance such as banana
s, oranges
, coffee
, sugar cane, and orchids. The north wing hosts the extensive collections of fern
s, cacti
and succulents. The show house, remodeled 1980-1981, features a continuous display of blooming plants.
in Detroit, Michigan
. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River
, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime history. The 16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²) museum features exhibits such as one of the largest collection of model ships in the world, and the bow anchor
of the legendary SS Edmund Fitzgerald
.
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge
MacArthur Bridge (Detroit)
The MacArthur Bridge is a bridge that spans the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan and Belle Isle. The bridge, which features nineteen total arches across , provides main access to Belle Isle. Completed in 1923 for $2,635,000 USD, it replaced a mostly wooden bridge that accidentally caught...
. It is the largest island city park in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the third largest island in the Detroit River after Grosse Ile
Grosse Ile (Michigan)
Grosse Ile is the largest island in the Detroit River and is the most populated island in the state of Michigan. It is on the American side of the river and is part of Wayne County. The island is approximately 9.6 mi² and has a population of 10,894...
and Fighting Island
Fighting Island
Fighting Island is a island in the Detroit River— the largest Canadian island in the river. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte, Michigan and downriver from Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario....
.
It is home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904), the Detroit Yacht Club
Detroit Yacht Club
The Detroit Yacht Club is a private marina and sailing club in Detroit, Michigan, located on its own island off of Belle Isle in the Detroit River between the MacArthur Bridge and the DTE generating plant...
on an adjacent island, the Detroit Boat Club
Detroit Boat Club
The Detroit Boat Club, established in 1839, is the oldest sport rowing club in the United States. It is also the second oldest continuous rowing club in the world. It was first created on the Detroit River during a time in which Detroit, Michigan was just starting to grow.E. A. Brush, Alpheus S....
, James Scott Memorial Fountain
James Scott Memorial Fountain
The James Scott Memorial Fountain in Detroit, Michigan, USA, was designed by architect Cass Gilbert and sculptor Herbert Adams. Located in Belle Isle Park, the fountain was completed in 1925 at a cost of $500,000. The lower bowl has a diameter of and the central spray reaches...
, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is an historical maritime museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime history...
, a Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
station, and a municipal golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
facility. The city maintains a Nature Center where visitors are able to traverse wooded trails and view wildlife natural habitats. The island includes a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach.
History
The island was settled by French colonistsFrench colonization of the Americas
The French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America...
in the 18th century, who named it Île aux Cochons (Hog Island). The Island was once the estate of General Alexander Macomb, Jr.
Alexander Macomb, Jr.
Alexander Macomb was the commanding general of the United States Army from May 29, 1828 to June 25, 1841. Macomb was the field commander at the Battle of Plattsburg, and after the stunning victory was lauded with praise and styled "The Hero of Plattsburgh" by some of the American press...
, whose monument stands in the Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
. In 1845 it was given its present name.
A design for the island was created in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, a prominent urban park designer; only some elements of his design were carried out. The 1908 Belle Isle Casino building is not an actual gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
facility but rather, is used for occasional public events. A highlight of Belle Isle is a beautiful botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904). Both the conservatory and the adjacent aquarium were designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn, who designed city landmarks such as Cadillac Place
Cadillac Place
Cadillac Place is an ornate high-rise class-A office complex in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan constructed of steel, limestone, granite, and marble between 1919 and 1923 and was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The building houses several agencies of the State of Michigan...
and the Ford Rouge Factory.
The island park served as a staging ground by the U.S. military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for a re-enactment of a Pacific island invasion by the Navy and Marine Corps. The island was temporarily renamed Bella Jima, and Detroiters were treated to the sight of an island invasion without the bloodshed. It was conducted after the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Architect Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
designed Belle Isle's James Scott Memorial Fountain. Gilbert's other works include the U. S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. William Livingstone Memorial Light, the only marble lighthouse in the United States, is on the east end of the island, with sumptuous materials and architecture. It was named for the president of the Lakes Carriers Association who advocated safety and navigational improvements in Great Lakes shipping. Additional recreational options include a nature center, wheelchair accessible nature trail, fishing piers, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and handball, tennis and basketball courts, baseball fields, and even a cricket pitch.
There was a canoe concession (which provided rental canoes and stored private ones) and a band shell, and canoe riders often stopped nearby to enjoy the concert. Concerts occurred at the Remick Band Shell from 1950 to 1980. The band shell replaced an earlier facility and provided more amenities for performers and audience members. It was constructed at a cost of $150,000 and was named for resident Jerome H. Remick
Jerome H. Remick
__notoc__Jerome Hosmer Remick , was a Detroit music publisher, philanthropist and businessman from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.-Life and career:...
, who owned the world's largest music publishing house at the time.
The Detroit Boat Club moved to the island in 1902 but the marina and building is currently closed and only rowing activities still occur at that location. The Belle Isle Golf Course opened in 1922. The Detroit Yacht Club building dates to 1923 and still houses an active private sailing club. The Scott Fountain was finished in 1925. The Activities Building was the site of a restaurant. The Flynn Pavilion (1949) was designed by Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
and used for ice skating rental. A ferry service to the island existed from 1840–1957, although the bridge was completed to the island in 1923. Riding stables were housed in a 1863 market building that was relocated from Detroit to the island in the 1890s. The building was disassembled and stored by Greenfield Village in the 2000s. The park headquarters and police station are each located in 1860s houses.
The island was home to a large herd of European fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
for more than 50 years. However, this isolated population fell prey to disease at the close of the 20th century. The children's zoo on the island and the aquarium closed due to budget constraints. In 2004, the last of the 300 animals were captured and moved to the zoo and nature center properties.
Auto racing
In 1992, a temporary street race circuit was constructed on the isle for CARTChamp Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
races. The island hosted ten events at Belle Isle from 1992–2001, and racing resumed in 2007 as part of the IndyCar Series and ALMS
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
.
On December 18, 2008, the scheduled race for 2009 was canceled. The automotive economic crisis, and its impact on the Detroit-area was the primary reason. Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
did not rule out a return in the future.
On September 20, 2011, race organizers gained approval from Detroit City Council to use the updated track and support area on Belle Isle. On October 11, 2011, it was announced that the race will return starting in 2012. The race weekend will feature Indycar as well as Grand-AM races, with Grand-AM replacing ALMS.
Statistics
At 982 acre (1.5 sq mi; 397.4 ha), Belle Isle Park is the largest city island park and is larger than Central ParkCentral Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, also designed by Olmsted. Although Belle Isle is the largest island park, it is not the largest island near a major city. Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
Island adjoining Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
has Crandon Park
Crandon Park
Crandon Park is a urban park in metropolitan Miami, occupying the northern part of Key Biscayne. It is connected to mainland Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway.-History:...
with about 800 acres (323.7 ha) and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park occupies approximately the southern third of the island of Key Biscayne, at coordinates . The park is home to the Cape Florida Light, the oldest standing structure in Greater Miami...
with 400 acres (161.9 ha) and the island includes the residential village of Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
.
Detroit's River Rouge Park is 1172 acres (474.3 ha). The City's Parks and Recreation Department manages 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) of parks. The Huron-Clinton Metroparks
Huron-Clinton Metroparks
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks system is a regional park system in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park system includes 13 parks totalling arranged along the Huron River and Clinton River forming a partial ring around the metro area. Plans are in development to finish the ring by...
authority manages 24000 acres (9,712.5 ha) of parks and beaches; however, this does not include all parks in the area. There are thousands of additional acres of parks in metropolitan Detroit.
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
and botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It covers 13 acres (5.3 ha) located three miles (4.8 km) east of the city's downtown on Belle Isle. It is open to the public free of charge every day of the year.
The conservatory was built in 1904, designed by noted architect Albert Kahn, and rebuilt 1952-1954 with aluminum replacing its original wooden beams. In 1953 it was named in honor of Anna Scripps Whitcomb, who left her 600-plant orchid collection to the city. Thanks to her gift and subsequent donations, the conservatory is now home to one of the largest municipally-owned orchid collections in the United States. Rare orchids were saved from Great Britain during the World War II bombing and transported to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory.
The conservatory site contains formal perennial gardens, annual flower beds, a rose garden, and lily pond garden. The conservatory itself covers more than an acre, features an imposing central dome 85 feet (26 m) high (with a total volume of 100,600 cubic feet), and is organized as a palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
house in the dome, the north and south wings, and a show house. The south wing contains tropical plants of economic importance such as banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, sugar cane, and orchids. The north wing hosts the extensive collections of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
and succulents. The show house, remodeled 1980-1981, features a continuous display of blooming plants.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a maritime museumMaritime museum
A maritime museum is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime history. The 16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²) museum features exhibits such as one of the largest collection of model ships in the world, and the bow anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
of the legendary SS Edmund Fitzgerald
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains...
.
See also
- Architecture of metropolitan DetroitArchitecture of metropolitan DetroitThe architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with...
- Belle Isle AquariumBelle Isle AquariumThe Belle Isle Aquarium, located on Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan, was the oldest continually-operating aquarium in North America. Designed by noted architect Albert Kahn, it opened on August 18, 1904 and closed April 3, 2005 [...
- Cycling in DetroitCycling in DetroitDetroit is a popular city for cycling. It is flat with an extensive road network with a number recreational and competitive opportunities and is, according to David Byrne, one of the top eight biking cities in the world. The city has invested in greenways and bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly...
- Detroit Boat ClubDetroit Boat ClubThe Detroit Boat Club, established in 1839, is the oldest sport rowing club in the United States. It is also the second oldest continuous rowing club in the world. It was first created on the Detroit River during a time in which Detroit, Michigan was just starting to grow.E. A. Brush, Alpheus S....
- Detroit International RiverfrontDetroit International RiverfrontThe Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
- Detroit RiverDetroit RiverThe Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
- Detroit Yacht ClubDetroit Yacht ClubThe Detroit Yacht Club is a private marina and sailing club in Detroit, Michigan, located on its own island off of Belle Isle in the Detroit River between the MacArthur Bridge and the DTE generating plant...
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- Tourism in metropolitan DetroitTourism in metropolitan DetroitTourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 15.9 million people visit Metro Detroit annually, spending an estimated $4.8 billion. Detroit is one of the largest American...
External links
- Belle Isle Park, Detroit
- Detroit Yacht Club
- Dossin Great Lakes Museum
- About Dossin Great Lakes Museum
- Remote-controllable webcam on the island
- Belle Island Coast Guard Post
- Public Aquarium
- Belle Island Botanical Society
- Pictopia.org 1667772 (26-Belle Isle, MI-1) Lighthouse Plan for Belle Isle, Michigan