Campus Martius Park, Detroit

Campus Martius is a new park in the center of the downtown area and the point of origin for the city of Detroit. Located next to the Compuware building, it is encircled by a large round-about and has a dancing fountain in the center. On site, the sailors and soldiers monument serves as a memorial to Michigan's sailors and soldiers that died in the Civil War. In the summer the park is filled with flowers and in the winter there is an ice rink for skating. Bands regularly perform here and Saturday night is movie night during the warm weather season. Grab a snack at the Au Bon Pain cafe, have lunch at the nearby Hard Rock.

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Campus Martius, located in the heart of downtown Detroit, was designed after the numerous piazzas and squares which are prominent features in the majority of European cities. Construction finished in November 2004, and the area has served as a catalyst for other growth in the Detroit area. There's always something happening at Campus Martius, from ice skating in the winter, and concert fun in the summer.

This is also a WiFi "Hot Spot," so you can update your VT webpage while enjoying the Campus Martius atmosphere.

Skating prices:
Adults 13 Years to 49 Years $7
Children 12 Years and younger $6
Seniors 50 Years and Older $6
Skate Rental $3
Shoe Check available for people with their own skates $2
Skate Sharpening $5

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Among the great gathering centers in Detroit, Campus Martius Park is a circus for seven downtown streets, including Michigan and Woodward Avenues. In winter, there is an open air ice rink and city Christmas Tree. The spot has historic significance as a place to drill the troops starting in 1788, and as a place to display the colors of the Revolutionary War "Iron Brigade" and the 24th Michigan Regiment prior to departing for the Civil War. Several monuments have been moved around a bit to meed the 2001 rededication of the park, the most of important of which is the civil war memorial about which I will write in the next tip.