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Belle Isle
Tour Overview
 Belle Isle is America's largest city-owned island
park. Despite recent budget cuts, the
982-acre island remains one of Detroit's premier attractions. Belle Isle has an incredible range of
things to see and do, including 5 miles of scenic shoreline, cultural
institutions, historical monuments, sports facilities, and outdoor
recreation. During your visit,
consider packing a lunch and enjoy great views of the Detroit skyline, Windsor
(Canada), freighter traffic, and the Ambassador Bridge from the beach or shoreline picnic
areas. There are dozens of great
attractions on Belle Isle, and this mini-tour highlights a few of our
favorites.
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Tour Map
More Information
 Scott Memorial Fountain
This huge
white marble fountain welcomes you as you cross the MacArthur Bridge onto Belle Isle. James Scott, an eccentric Detroit gambler and socialite, bequeathed a
$500,000 fortune to build this beautiful display along with a life-sized
statue of himself. The fountain
features 109 water outlets in the shape of human heads and animals, and
colored light and water shows presented Memorial Day through September add to
the spectacle. The fountain is a Belle
Isle landmark and popular gathering place for visitors.
Nancy Brown Peace Carillon
J.E. Leslie was an influential Detroit News columnist from 1919
to 1942 operating under the pseudonym of Nancy Brown. Her Detroit News Experience Column gained
tremendous popularity with its warmth, sincerity, and family-like bond it
created with her readers. So much so
that over 35,000 visitors descended on the Detroit Institute of Arts at the same
time to view artwork discussed in one of her columns. Brown's face rarely appeared in print, and
the anonymity fueled her popularity.
Her fans were finally treated to a "face-to-face" meeting in
1936 during the dedication of the Peace Tower built using
funds generated by her readers. The
beautiful 85-foot tower and carillon serenades island visitors with
occasional musical chimes.
 Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Website
Albert Kahn designed this
fascinating structure after Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and built it on a 13-acre parcel shared by a
perennial garden, rose garden, and lily pond.
It's signature 85-foot dome shelters a wide variety of tropical trees,
a continuous display of blooming plants, and one of the largest orchid
collections in the country donated by Anna Scripps Whitcomb in 1953. The conservatory is free to the public and
open year-round, including holidays.
 Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Website
Discover Detroit's maritime history at the Dossin Great
Lakes Museum located along the western shoreline of the
island. The museum tells the story of
boats, sailors and cargoes on America's inland seas. Dossin visitors can take the helm of
a Great Lakes freighter or admire the carved oak and stained glass
of an early passenger steamer's grand salon or visit one of the three
changing exhibit galleries.
 Outdoor Sports & Recreation
Belle Isle
is an oasis for those looking for outdoor sports and recreation. The array of activities found in one place
is simply incredible. The outdoorsman will enjoy the 200-acre
woodlands, inland lakes, bicycle and nature trails, and Nature Center.
The conventional sportsman will love the handball, racquetball, and
basketball courts, 9 baseball diamonds, 10 lighted tennis courts, 9-hole golf
course, driving range with putting green, running track, World Cup soccer
field, and swimming beach. And let's not forget the Giant Slide and Kingdom
Playscape for the kids!
Livingstone Memorial
Lighthouse
Another
island attraction designed by Albert Kahn, this exquisite lighthouse honors
William Livingstone, a prominent and popular Detroit resident in the early
1900s and president of the Lake Carriers Association from 1902-1925. It is one of two memorial lighthouses in Michigan and the only one in the nation
built entirely of marble. Construction
of the lighthouse was completed in 1930 in time for the opening of the
navigation season. The lighthouse's 80
foot height and 11,500 candlepower makes it visible for 15 miles and a key
navigational aid for Lake St. Clair freighters.
Tour Map
Number of Destinations: 6
Overall Tour Time: 1 hour (scenic shoreline drive) to 1 day
(all attractions)
More Information
Click on the links below for
other attractions near Belle Isle:
City
of Detroit Website
Friends of Belle Isle
Grosse Pointe & Nautical Mile
Riverfront
Windsor
(Canada)
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