Observation Deck

Ride the elevator up to the Observation Deck to see a remarkable display of industry in motion as Ford F-150s are assembled on the plant floor below. You’ll also get a bird’s-eye view of Ford’s famous “Living Roof.” This eco-industrial wonder – the largest living roof in the world – blankets the top of the final assembly building.

Altogether, the roof spans 10.4 acres, about the size of a nine-hole golf course, and is made up of tens of thousands of tiny sedum plants, a perennial groundcover also known as stonecrop. Its main function is to collect and filter rainfall as part of a natural storm water management system. The roof is capable of cleaning up to four million gallons of water every year. It also decreases the building’s energy consumption by seven percent and improves air quality by as much as 40 percent.

Learn more about the Living Roof

The Observation Deck also highlights the extensive network of environmental innovations throughout the Rouge complex, including a naturalized habitat, porous pavement, solar arrays and energy-saving photovoltaic panels. Two interactive exhibits help explain the environment features in view. Enjoy an excursion into a realm where environmental innovation and industrial production work together to put an entirely new face on modern manufacturing.