Main Street

Experience the beating pulse of the village, a bustling place of automobiles and carriages, events, and amusements.

Daily Activities at Main Street

While there are no scheduled activities today, be sure to see our complete activities listing for upcoming offerings.

Highlights

Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop

Tues.-Sun. — 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 Dining Greenfield Village®  

Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop

This Main Street home of classic confections has candies, chocolates, baked goods, beverages and more. Built in 1931 in Greenfield Village and modeled after the original Sir John Bennett jewelry store in London, the building was scaled down from five to two stories so it would not stand higher than the buildings in the Village.

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Sunday — 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

Village Playground

Unique all-abilities playground

 Feature Greenfield Village®  

Village Playground

Kids will love playing on this unique all-abilities playground. Designed to resemble a 1930s construction site, the playground includes an interactive steam shovel, a 20-foot long boiler tunnel, and 1931 Model AA truck, to help create a play place for kids of all abilities.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

 

A Taste of History

Tues.-Sun. — Open at 9:30 a.m.
Lunch is served 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 Dining Greenfield Village®   LEARN MORE

A Taste of History

Seasonal, locally sourced foods inspired by historic recipes are as fresh and delightful now as they were years ago. Here you'll find dishes informed by George Washington Carver's research, Mrs. Fisher's cookbook, pies served at the Sarah Jordan boarding house and more.

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday-Sunday — Open at 9:30 a.m.
Lunch is served 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

  LEARN MORE

Frozen Custard

Tues.-Sun. — Open at 11 a.m.

 Dining Greenfield Village®  

Frozen Custard

The perfect break from a hot summer day or even a cold weather treat, our genuine frozen custard is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Our stand serves up frozen custard in a cone or cup, plus a selection of beverages.

Featuring a delectable selection of flavors, our frozen custard is sure to delight even the pickiest of palates.

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday-Sunday — Open at 11 a.m.

 

Logan County Courthouse

  Details
Artifact

Courthouse

Date Made

1840

Summary

Between 1840 and 1847, Abraham Lincoln tried cases here as a traveling lawyer. Visiting once or twice a year, he worked mostly on cases resolving neighbors' disagreements over land, contracts, and debts. As Lincoln traveled, people got to know him because he always took time to talk to them. This helped him earn votes later when he went into politics.

Object ID

29.3046.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Detroit Central Market, Built 1860

  Details

Detroit Central Market, Built 1860

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Building (Structure)

Date Made

1860

Summary

The Detroit Central Market's vegetable shed sheltered vendors and customers from 1861 to 1894. The structure was then removed to Belle Isle and was slated for demolition in 2003 when The Henry Ford acquired it. The reconstructed building--which opened in Greenfield Village in 2022--includes several original cast-iron columns and ornamental woodwork, siding, and other details that convey the Swiss-Chalet aesthetic of the original design.

Creators

Schaffer, John 

Object ID

2003.77.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Detroit Central Market, Built 1860

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Eagle Tavern

  Details
Artifact

Tavern

Date Made

1831-1832

Summary

This stagecoach tavern was built in 1831 in Clinton, Michigan, 50 miles west of Detroit. Taverns dotted the American countryside during the first half of the 1800s, a period of massive migration, new settlement, and rapid change in a young America. From 1849-1854, farmer Calvin Wood operated this tavern, offering food, drink, and accommodations to travelers who passed through his village.

Creators

Unknown 

Object ID

27.303.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Wright Cycle Shop

  Details
Artifact

Store

Date Made

circa 1875

Summary

Wilbur and Orville Wright operated their bicycle business in this building from 1897 to 1908 in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers sold and repaired bikes, and they even produced models under their own brands. It was also in this shop that the Wright brothers built their earliest flying machines, including the 1903 Flyer that became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered, controlled aircraft.

Place of Creation

United States, Ohio, Dayton 

Object ID

38.819.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Cohen Millinery

  Details
Artifact

Store

Date Made

circa 1880

Summary

Specialized retail stores like this one served the needs of city dwellers in the late 19th century. During the 1880s, a series of shops selling fancy goods, groceries, dry goods, and flour and feed occupied the building. In the mid-1890s, widow Elizabeth Cohen operated a millinery shop here, offering customers fashionable headwear while supporting her young family. Like other shopkeepers, Mrs. Cohen lived above her store.

Creators

Unknown 

Object ID

35.899.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Herschell-Spillman Carousel

  Details

Herschell-Spillman Carousel

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Carousel (Ride)

Date Made

circa 1913

Summary

Colorful carousels were at the height of their popularity during the early 1900s and could be found all across America in amusement parks, city parks, and seaside resorts. Built in 1913, this "menagerie" carousel's hand-carved animals include storks, goats, zebras, dogs, and even a frog. Although its original location is uncertain, this carousel operated in Spokane, Washington, from 1923 to 1961.

Object ID

73.209.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Herschell-Spillman Carousel

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

J.R. Jones General Store

  Details
Artifact

General store

Date Made

circa 1857

Summary

James R. Jones was one of nine different proprietors who operated a general merchandise store in this building between 1857 and 1927. From 1882 to 1888, Jones sold products like coffee, sugar, fabric, and shoes. He also boasted the first telephone in town. General stores were organized shopping spaces. Long shelves with groupings of similar products lined each side.

Object ID

27.302.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Martha-Mary Chapel

  Details
Artifact

Chapel

Date Made

1929

Summary

Churches were a center of community life in the 1700s, a place where townspeople came together to attend services and socialize. The Martha-Mary Chapel, with its architecture inspired by New England's colonial-era churches, was built in Greenfield Village in 1929. This chapel was named after Henry Ford's mother, Mary Litogot Ford, and his mother-in-law, Martha Bench Bryant.

Object ID

29.3052.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Main Street District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Main Street

Singers

Singers perform regularly along Main Street.  

Shopkeeper

A shopkeeper works in one of the businesses lining Main Street.  

Eagle Tavern

Welcome to Eagle Tavern, providing accommodations to stagecoach travelers (and visitors).  

A Stop for Weary Travelers

Stop for a wonderful, fresh meal of locally grown food at the Eagle Tavern, built in 1831.  

Motor Muster

Vintage cars line the streets during Motor Muster.  

Vintage Cars

A vintage Thunderbird during the annual Motor Muster event.  

Model T

A Model T cruises through Main Street.  

Performances

Actors tell the stories of early America.