The Motown Museum will suspend public tours this fall as expansion efforts ramp up, shutting down the popular Detroit mainstay for nearly a year.
The news came June 16 as the “material timelines” for its $75 million expansion have shifted. The Motown Museum has stood as a major attraction in Detroit since its reimagining in 1985. The museum currently sits in the Hitsville, U.S.A. building, Motown’s original headquarters and recording studio. However, a 40,000-square-foot complex will soon stand behind it.
The museum’s chairwoman, Robin Terry, released an update on the extended timeline of the construction. She promised visitors that its new offerings will showcase the full legacy and impact of the hit record label.
“To continue momentum with our expansion, this is a necessary step toward completing our bold vision for Motown Museum,” explained Terry in a statement obtained by The Detroit Free Press. “When we resume tours, the expanded museum will be completed. Visitors from around the world will experience an immersive, one-of-a-kind tribute to the Motown legacy, with more important stories of those who built it being told, inspiring and engaging generations to come. Throughout this process, Hitsville, U.S.A., will continue to be thoughtfully preserved and receive needed maintenance and care.”
After years in the making, the final stage of construction commenced in September 2024. However, its scheduled start date of Summer 2026 will take a few more months. Once completed, it will feature immersive exhibits and a cafe for guests to dine in the middle of music history.
It will join Hitsville, U.S.A.’s other new establishment, the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence. Unveiled in April, the complex will accommodate rehearsal and performance spaces for the Museum’s communal programming. It is also located down the street from Motown’s original space on West Grand Boulevard. Altogether, the buildings will support Motown’s Hitsville NEXT, a creative hub and entertainment space that educates entrepreneurs and artists.
“To actually have a place for us to create (signifies that) Motown isn’t a thing of the past, but is still living and breathing today,” said Mikhaella Norward, winner of the museum’s 2019 “Motown Mic” spoken-word competition, at the time. “This is a very special space for us.”
For those still planning a trip to Hitsville, the museum’s front plaza will remain accessible during this downtime, as well as its retail activation for souvenir-loving patrons. Given its new performance center, Motown’s summer camps, the “Amplify” singing competition, and the “Motown Mic” spoken word event will also take place this summer. The Motown Museum will officially suspend public tours starting October 1.
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