DETROIT (WXYZ) — Two weeks from now, downtown Detroit will be filled with hundreds of thousands of football fans for the NFL Draft. While restaurants, bars and hotels hope those visitors stop in, so do tourist attractions like the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Inside the DIA, you'll find two iconic murals that embody the city of Detroit, embracing the blue-collar work ethic that defines this region and it’s football team.
“Just like Detroit as a whole, you can see the Lions are built off that nitty-gritty style," Joe Sanders from Detroit said. "It's displayed here in the Rivera Court very well.”
Sanders is a fan of art and a fan of his Detroit Lions. He says any football fan would enjoy a stroll through the DIA’s 600,000 square feet, especially the Rivera Court, which is home of the Detroit Industry Murals painted by Diego Rivera.
“It is all about teamwork," DIA COO Elliot Broom said. "When you look at these murals and you see all these individuals working together, both panels, they’re working in unison. They’re working as a team. Just like football, great teams win.”
With the draft just two weeks away, Broom says they’re ready and hoping those football fans stop by, saying the museum sees increased traffic during many downtown events.
“Definitely when there are special events in town, even when there are Tigers games and it might be an evening game, we’ll see a spike in attendance," Broom said. "We'll see people walking around in their Tigers gear.”
But the big event later this month is different. Staff will be wearing football jerseys, the building will be lit up in Honolulu Blue and other museums hope to see traffic too.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History has a new exhibit opening draft weekend, and if visitors can’t stop in, they hope the draft experience will bring them back another time.
Learn more about festivities for the NFL Draft in the video player below:
“Tourism is really important to the city, so we’re excited about all the folks coming but also important for the cultural institutions in the city,” said Michon Lartigue, senior vice president of Institutional Advancement. "We also hope it inspires people who get to participate in the activities downtown to come back to visit Detroit and some of the incredible cultural institutions the city has to offer."
Museums are just a few of Detroit’s attractions, but if you ask any Detroiter, they’ll have their own list of must-see spots.
“Definitely DIA, definitely Belle Isle, Lafayette Coney Island or American, whichever one you want to choose,” Sanders said.
If you live in Macomb, Oakland or Wayne counties, admission to the DIA is free. For everyone else, admission costs $18.
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