Main Street
Daily Activities at Main Street
While there are no scheduled activities today, be sure to see our complete activities listing for upcoming offerings.
Discover the center of community and commerce from the J.R. Jones General Store and Cohen Millinery to the Logan County Courthouse brimming with American history and heritage. As you stroll down this busy thoroughfare, you'll also encounter a bustling place of Early American automobiles and horse-drawn carriages, as well as some favorite historic figures.
Highlights
Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop
This Main Street home of classic confections has candies, chocolates, baked goods, beverages and more. Built in 1931 in Greenfield Village and modeled after the original Sir John Bennett jewelry store in London, the building was scaled down from five to two stories so it would not stand higher than the buildings in the Village.
Village Playground
Kids will love playing on this unique all-abilities playground. Designed to resemble a 1930s construction site, the playground includes an interactive steam shovel, a 20-foot long boiler tunnel, and 1931 Model AA truck, to help create a play place for kids of all abilities.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
A Taste of History
Seasonal, locally sourced foods inspired by historic recipes are as fresh and delightful now as they were years ago. Here you'll find dishes informed by George Washington Carver's research, Mrs. Fisher's cookbook, pies served at the Sarah Jordan boarding house and more.
Hours of Operation:
Frozen Custard
The perfect break from a hot summer day or even a cold weather treat, our genuine frozen custard is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Our stand serves up frozen custard in a cone or cup, plus a selection of beverages.
Featuring a delectable selection of flavors, our frozen custard is sure to delight even the pickiest of palates.
Hours of Operation:
Logan County Courthouse
Artifact
Courthouse
Date Made
1840
Summary
Between 1840 and 1847, Abraham Lincoln tried cases here as a traveling lawyer. Visiting once or twice a year, he worked mostly on cases resolving neighbors' disagreements over land, contracts, and debts. As Lincoln traveled, people got to know him because he always took time to talk to them. This helped him earn votes later when he went into politics.
Place of Creation
Object ID
29.3046.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Logan County Courthouse
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Detroit Central Market, Built 1860
Artifact
Building (Structure)
Date Made
1860
Summary
The Detroit Central Market's vegetable shed sheltered vendors and customers from 1861 to 1894. The structure was then removed to Belle Isle and was slated for demolition in 2003 when The Henry Ford acquired it. The reconstructed building--which opened in Greenfield Village in 2022--includes several original cast-iron columns and ornamental woodwork, siding, and other details that convey the Swiss-Chalet aesthetic of the original design.
Creators
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Detroit
United States, Michigan, Detroit, Belle Isle (park)
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Markets (Structures or spaces)
Object ID
2003.77.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Detroit Central Market, Built 1860
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Eagle Tavern
Artifact
Tavern
Date Made
1831-1832
Summary
This stagecoach tavern was built in 1831 in Clinton, Michigan, 50 miles west of Detroit. Taverns dotted the American countryside during the first half of the 1800s, a period of massive migration, new settlement, and rapid change in a young America. From 1849-1854, farmer Calvin Wood operated this tavern, offering food, drink, and accommodations to travelers who passed through his village.
Creators
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
27.303.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Eagle Tavern
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Wright Cycle Shop
Artifact
Store
Date Made
circa 1875
Summary
Wilbur and Orville Wright operated their bicycle business in this building from 1897 to 1908 in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers sold and repaired bikes, and they even produced models under their own brands. It was also in this shop that the Wright brothers built their earliest flying machines, including the 1903 Flyer that became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered, controlled aircraft.
Creators
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
38.819.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Wright Cycle Shop
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Cohen Millinery
Artifact
Store
Date Made
circa 1880
Summary
Specialized retail stores like this one served the needs of city dwellers in the late 19th century. During the 1880s, a series of shops selling fancy goods, groceries, dry goods, and flour and feed occupied the building. In the mid-1890s, widow Elizabeth Cohen operated a millinery shop here, offering customers fashionable headwear while supporting her young family. Like other shopkeepers, Mrs. Cohen lived above her store.
Creators
Place of Creation
Object ID
35.899.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cohen Millinery
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Herschell-Spillman Carousel
Artifact
Carousel (Ride)
Date Made
circa 1913
Summary
Colorful carousels were at the height of their popularity during the early 1900s and could be found all across America in amusement parks, city parks, and seaside resorts. Built in 1913, this "menagerie" carousel's hand-carved animals include storks, goats, zebras, dogs, and even a frog. Although its original location is uncertain, this carousel operated in Spokane, Washington, from 1923 to 1961.
Creators
Place of Creation
Object ID
73.209.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Herschell-Spillman Carousel
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
J.R. Jones General Store
Artifact
General store
Date Made
circa 1857
Summary
James R. Jones was one of nine different proprietors who operated a general merchandise store in this building between 1857 and 1927. From 1882 to 1888, Jones sold products like coffee, sugar, fabric, and shoes. He also boasted the first telephone in town. General stores were organized shopping spaces. Long shelves with groupings of similar products lined each side.
Place of Creation
Object ID
27.302.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
J.R. Jones General Store
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Martha-Mary Chapel
Artifact
Chapel
Date Made
1929
Summary
Churches were a center of community life in the 1700s, a place where townspeople came together to attend services and socialize. The Martha-Mary Chapel, with its architecture inspired by New England's colonial-era churches, was built in Greenfield Village in 1929. This chapel was named after Henry Ford's mother, Mary Litogot Ford, and his mother-in-law, Martha Bench Bryant.
Place of Creation
Object ID
29.3052.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Martha-Mary Chapel
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Main Street
Check out some of the sights you'll enjoy first-hand when you journey through the Main Street district in Greenfield Village.
Eagle Tavern
Welcome to Eagle Tavern, providing accommodations to stagecoach travelers (and visitors).
A Stop for Weary Travelers
Stop for a wonderful, fresh meal of locally grown food at the Eagle Tavern, built in 1831.
