Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit

For 70 years, this small history museum has fought budget cuts to preserve the often-neglected history of Detroit. It makes for an excellent short outing. A basement exhibit allows visitors to stroll down cobblestone, cedar block and brick streets past recreations of 19th-century shops. Another exhibit documents Detroit's key role in the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves find freedom in Canada. Also illustrated is Detroit's emergence as an automobile manufacturing center.