10 Places To Explore On Belle Isle That Will Make You Fall In Love With Detroit's Hidden Gem

Belle Isle has several notable features, including the first aquarium in North America, the longest-running conservatory, and the only marble lighthouse in in the country. It has ties to the Underground Railroad and the Prohibition Era. Belle Isle is the largest island park in the country and shares the honor of being designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same man who designed Central Park in New York City.

One of the best parts about visiting is that all of the attractions are free of charge. The only cost comes from the purchase of a recreational passport. As a resident of Michigan, the $11 passport will give you access not only to the park, but all of Michigan’s state parks. If you decide to visit, make sure to plan for an entire day. Don't forget to bring food and water; there are no restaurants on the island.

This marble fountain is located near the entrance of the island. It was designed by Cass Gilbert and erected in 1925. It was named after a local Detroit man who left a bequest in his will to have it built, but there was one catch: a statue in his honor was also a requirement of the will. He was known among the locals as somewhat of a scoundrel for the way he practiced business, so there was some contention as to whether to go through with construction.

Today, the statue of Mr. Scott faces the fountain, perhaps keeping a watchful eye on it to make sure it never has to be turned off again. In 2011, it was shut down for three years due to vandalism and the city’s insolvency. It was refurbished and began running again in 2014. If you want to see it in all of its glory, the fountain flows between June 11 - September 20, from 10 am to 9 pm.

Designed by famous Detroit architect, Albert Kahn, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory opened in 1904 simultaneously with its next door neighbor, the Belle Isle Aquarium. The horticultural center was not originally given this name; it was not until a collection of over 600 different orchid species were donated by Anna Scripps Whitcomb that the conservatory received its present name. It boasts the title of longest-running conservatory in the United States.

As stunning as it is from the outside, the botanical gardens inside are even more incredible. Featuring species of flowers and plants from around the world, there is a tropical flower room, a cactus room, and various other rooms. The palm trees in the main room reach the glass ceiling dome, which is approximately 85 feet high. Inside the tropical flower room is the Children’s Temperance Fountain, which was erected in 1910 and restored in 1963. The fountain’s history dates back to prohibition times when "temperance" was considered a virtue by abstaining from alcohol. Today, people visit to see the various plant species, but also hold weddings in the spectacular garden in front of the building.

Like the James Scott Memorial Fountain, this fountain was named after a prominent Detroit man who left a bequest to the island in his will. During his lifetime, Levi L. Barbour worked hard as lawyer and real estate developer. He also played a large part in lobbying for the city to take over Belle Isle as a park in the late 1800’s. When he died in 1925, a contest was held to determine what type of memorial would be created in his honor.

Frederick Marshall seized this opportunity by entering a cast sculpture – now one of his most renowned pieces – of a wheeling gazelle. It was his first commissioned piece, which led to his increased popularity as a sculptor. Today, Marshall’s work can be found across the United States and Europe. The fountain is located in the courtyard/rose gardens of the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory.

The oldest aquarium on the continent was opened in 1904 alongside its sister structure, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. The inspiration for this historic aquarium came from a trip to the Stazione Zooligica, located in Naples, Italy, when a prominent Detroit man named David Heineman visited as a child. The Italian aquarium was opened in 1874; only 15 years later, in 1899, Heineman obtained approval and funding to open the both the aquarium and the conservatory.

The ceiling of the aquarium is set with Italian-inspired Opaline glass tiles, which gives the illusion of being under the sea. In its inception, the tiles of the Detroit aquarium stretched to the ground floor; however, renovations in the 1950’s changed the style that you will see today. Many original pieces are still available for viewing throughout the historic building. One notable aspect is the skylights, which have been refurbished, yet still retain their initial power-source – humans using an old pulley system.

The aquarium closed in 2005 due to lack of funding, along with other issues. At the time, all of the fish, except the koi, found other homes. Fortunately, there has been a revamping of this historical piece of Detroit; with the help of devoted volunteers, it re-opened in 2012. These days, the aquarium sees two to three thousand visitors each weekend. Visiting hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 am – 4pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

This impressive neo-gothic statuary was built in honor of an early 20th century advice columnist for the Detroit News who wrote under the pen name Nancy Brown. An unknown figure until the unveiling of the carillon in 1940, Brown (her true name was Annie Louise Leslie) was well-known among the public for promoting the local arts and encouraging people to attend the religious sunrise service at Belle Isle.

This monument is one of the first examples of crowd-funding used to achieve a goal. Overall, an estimated 60,000 people donated small sums of money in an effort to build the musical tower. When it was finally unveiled in 1940, there were an estimated 100,000 people present to witness, who attended alongside the Detroit city police. Like the aquarium and the James Scott Fountain, vandals took advantage of this magnificent structure and it sat in silence for years; however, the original bells have been replaced and it now plays a computer-generated song for all to enjoy every half hour.

This museum was constructed in the early 1960’s after receiving a donation from the Dossin family of Detroit. Now run by the Detroit Historical Society, the museum boasts one of the largest collections of model ships in the world. The gothic hallway (pictured here) was originally a smoking lounge on board the City of Detroit III, a side-wheeler steamboat that once transported passengers down the Detroit River between Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, NY.

The museum features a viewing deck that looks out onto the water and faces Canada. The deck is known as the William K. Ford Pilot House; it was originally part of the S.S. William Ford, a freighter that was scrapped in 1987. Below the deck, you can view through the periscope and learn about the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sunk in 1975. The anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald tells its story out front, along with a retired U.S. Coast Guard boat that appears to have been docked there many years ago. Notable pieces of artwork and Native American artifacts are also must-sees when touring this unique maritime museum.

Listed as in the Michigan Register of Historic Places, the original police station is now closed indefinitely. The roof is in severe disrepair and the site will likely remain closed to the public. In front of the station is the Detroit Rotary Native Garden, which features species of Michigan plant life. The designated head of the Rotary Garden is a master gardener whose training focuses on identifying and removing invasive plant species in the garden and throughout the island.

Though out of commission, this spot has earned a renowned spot in history. The historical placard attached to the building reads:

Electrical Engineering Milestone

One-Way Police Radio Communication

At this site on 7 April, 1923, the Detroit Police Department commenced regular one-way radio communication with its patrol cars developed by personnel of the department’s radio bureau. The system was the product of seven years of experimentation under the direction of police commissioner William P. Rutledge. Their work proved the practicality of band-mobile radio for police work and led to its adoption throughout the country.

May 1937

This lighthouse is the second to be placed on Belle Isle; the first was demolished and a parking lot is now in its place. In the early 1900’s, the island was extended to its current size by means of landfill material that came from downtown Detroit. With the addition of the land, the island needed the lighthouse to be placed where boats could see it from a distance.

Named after William Livingstone, another well-known and contributory member of the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the lighthouse now stands at the northeast side of the island. It reaches nearly five stories in height and is formed out of white marble. It continues to light every five minutes or so for any boats that happen to be passing by. It is only one of a handful of marble lighthouses in the world. There is no road that will take you to see it, but there is a half-mile walking path from the U.S. Coast Guard station near Lake Okanaka.

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo replaced the leftover ruins of the original Children’s Zoo. The first zoo opened around the late 19th century; it was later renamed Safariland after being relocated to the suburbs of Detroit. As with the other historical sites of Belle Isle, it fell apart after the city was unable to support it financially. Unlike many other locations on the island, it was not saved. Instead, under former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s direction, a new location was built near the Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse.

The updated zoo features a walking trail, a butterfly garden, an active honeybee hive, and a viewing window for watching local and migratory birds. Other indoor animals include several species of turtles, fish, and snakes. It is a popular halfway destination for bicyclists on the island who meet regularly on Saturdays during the summer.

During certain times of the day, there is a deer encounter, where guests can feed these creatures that once roamed the island. For bibliophiles, there is a take-a-book/leave-a-book post located in front of the center. For the scientifically-minded, exhibits on display allow visitors to examine specimens through a microscope and check out life-sized casts of the different native animals of Belle Isle. The zoo is also involved in the study of the invasive species that have taken over many parts of the island and the Great Lakes region.

The Atom Gazelle is located across the "moat" from the Detroit Yacht Club, near Lakeside and Riverbank Drive. This stainless steel structure was installed in 1991 and was created by Detroit local, Richard Bennett. Approximately 25-30 feet high, this modern version of a gazelle gives a different perspective on the species, with a geometric design.

The most impressive part of this sculpture is that it is supported entirely by its base, which is grounded in concrete and surrounded by a large field. The balance of the creation had to be structured in such a way that it would not be too heavy in any one direction, otherwise it would collapse to the ground. There is a parking lot positioned relatively close to the sculpture, so it only takes but a minute or two to get up close and personal with this public work of art.