Interactive outdoor tours and musical performances offer the community a chance to celebrate the Motown legacy as museum tours are on pause
The birthplace of the Motown Sound is celebrating its legacy in a different way as Motown Museum announces its plans for outdoor activations to connect with the community through the month of August. Tours of the full indoor exhibition are on pause to prepare for Phase Two of the museum’s highly anticipated nearly 50,000 square-foot expansion. Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry made the announcement.
The museum’s tour guides will be available Thursday-Sunday every week in August to continue offering a way for guests to visit and engage with the destination while the full indoor tour experience is paused—taking photographs of fans on the iconic steps of Hitsville U.S.A. They will also engage with Motown fans on two available experiences:
- The “Empire” Tour”: An outdoor tour of the “Empire,” where tour guides will share the history of Motown-era, original homes on W.Grand Blvd, featuring a stop inside Studio A where visitors can stand inside the world famous recording studio. Tickets must be purchased in advance on the museum’s website for $10.
- The “Still Going On” Motown Mile: The free, outdoor, walkable installation, which stretches from Woodward Avenue to the front steps of Hitsville U.S.A., was introduced earlier this summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s groundbreaking ‘What’s Going On’ album. Each stop along the “Still Going On” exhibition is a pairing of historical and contemporary photographs with selected tracks from the album meant to inspire introspection and conversation about what has—and hasn’t—changed since the album was first released in 1971.
“We are keeping our connection to the community alive through the month of August with outdoor activations for Motown fans and we will continue to roll out virtual programming as we prepare for Phase Two of our expansion,” said Terry. “While our full indoor tours will be on pause, there’s still so much to learn and interact with at the museum in the coming months to stay inspired through the history of Motown.”
Phase Two of the Motown Museum expansion includes an outdoor events plaza behind the newly completed Hitsville NEXT, in addition to the historic restoration of Hitsville U.S.A.
Outdoor performances in the museum’s “Dancing in the Street” Park (next to Hitsville U.S.A.) are set for Saturdays Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 29, and include a lineup of singer-songwriter showcases, a salute to James Jamerson, a birthday celebration for Michael Jackson and more. An outdoor pop-up retail shop will offer fans the opportunity to purchase a selection of special Motown-themed merchandise.
For more information on programs and to purchase tour tickets, visit www.motownmuseum.org.
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