Detroit Sights

Belle Isle

Belle Isle Review

Belle Isle, 3 mi southeast of the city center on a 1,000-acre island in the Detroit River, is reached by way of East Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Boulevard. Here you'll find woods, walking trails, sports facilities, a 9-hole golf course, and a ½-mi-long beach. Like many other urban parks, Belle Isle is best visited during the day.

Among Belle Isle's other attractions is the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (313/852-405. Free), with one of the largest orchid collections in the country. At the far end of Belle Isle, the Belle Isle Nature Zoo (313/852-4056 Ext. 00. Free) offers family nature programs on weekends focused on Michigan flora and fauna.

Also on Belle Isle, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum (100 Strand Dr. 313/821-2661. www.detroithistorical.org. Free) includes a Gothic Room taken from a 1912 Great Lakes luxury liner, and the pilot house from the S.S. William Clay Ford, a Great Lakes freighter. You can also listen to ship-to-shore radio messages and view the river and city through a periscope.

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