Bloomfield Hills offers a range of ways to enjoy a stay combining culture and nature, including Cranbrook, gardens and nature trails. A clear landmark is Cranbrook at 39221 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Its attractions focus on different themes: art and architecture, designed landscapes, nature observation and local history. If you are planning a trip, you can first consider these interests separately and then choose the focus of your stay.
Art, Architecture and Tours
The Cranbrook Educational Community was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The Cranbrook Art Museum presents rotating exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and design throughout the year. If you are interested in individual works beyond the exhibitions, you can plan a tour of the Collections Wing, where nearly 6,000 works of art are on display. As tour availability may change, check the current offerings before your visit.
Cranbrook House is the oldest surviving mansion in the greater Detroit area. Guided tours are offered to the public, and their dates may change. Cranbrook’s architectural history can also be explored through a range of examples. Saarinen House is considered a masterpiece of Eliel Saarinen’s Art Deco architecture. Smith House in Bloomfield Hills is an outstanding example of the Usonian ideal of building high-quality homes for the American middle class. Together, a named Art Deco masterpiece and a residential ideal with a social purpose offer two distinct architectural perspectives.
Gardens and Designed Landscapes
Cranbrook Gardens covers 40 acres around Cranbrook House and includes more than 15 gardens. The natural and designed landscapes of the Cranbrook Educational Community also include one of the oldest Japanese gardens in the United States. The garden experience ranges from a large collection of diverse gardens to a distinctive Japanese garden. If you are interested in landscapes, this focus offers a different perspective from the exhibitions and historic houses.
Nature Trails and Wildlife Watching
Nature trails are another option for visitors to Bloomfield Hills. Admission tickets to the Cranbrook Institute of Science include access to the nature trails; access conditions may change. Johnson Nature Center has about 2.0 miles of nature trails. There, you can also observe enclosures with orphaned deer and injured falcons and owls up close. The two attractions have different focuses: trail access is included with admission to the Institute of Science, while Johnson Nature Center combines nature trails with wildlife watching.
Another Look at Local History
The Bloomfield Historical Society offers a curated collection of photographs, documents and stories about the people and events that shaped Bloomfield Hills. This perspective complements art, architecture and landscapes with personal and local history. The materials available online may continue to evolve. For your stay, you can choose between Cranbrook’s institutional and architectural perspective and stories about the area’s development.
Plan Your Visit
When planning, it is useful to distinguish time-specific offerings from the themes that interest you most. Check dates in advance for tours, events and Cranbrook Community programs, as well as the current conditions for accessing the nature trails. Individual offerings may change. Then you can decide whether art and architecture, gardens, wildlife watching or local history will be the focus of your stay.
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