Motown Museum will reopen Hitsville U.S.A., the one-time home of Motown Records, for tours on Dec. 17.
The revived tours, which were paused in January, will bring new stories to visitors while work on the Motown Experience expansion continues for a planned summer opening.
“There is nothing quite like seeing guests step through the doors of Hitsville U.S.A., and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them back,” Robin Terry, chairwoman and CEO of Motown Museum, said in a news release.
“Every detail of our renovation has been guided by a deep responsibility to preserve the authenticity and spirit of this extraordinary place for generations to come. As we welcome visitors back to Hitsville and look ahead to the opening of the Motown Experience in 2027, we have an incredible opportunity to share the Motown story on a scale worthy of its global impact, while ensuring that the little house where it all began, Hitsville U.S.A., remains the heart and soul of it all.”
The historic recording studio home at 2648 W. Grand Blvd. once hosted artists including The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and The Temptations. Motown Executive Esther Gordy Edwards, the sister of Motown Records founder Barry Gordy, opened the museum in 1985.
With the relaunch of tours, visitors will find a reimagined experience in the storied Studio A to help preserve its original flooring, walls and acoustic environment.
They’ll also encounter “Hello Detroit,” a new permanent second-floor gallery that explores the unique elements of Detroit that made the city the right place for the culture-changing legacy of Motown Records to emerge, the museum said.
Meanwhile, the museum is wrapping up the final phase of construction for the decade-long, $75 million campus expansion. When it opens next summer, the new 50,000-square-foot Motown Experience will feature dynamic interactive exhibits, a state-of-the-art theater, retail and archival storytelling designed to deepen audiences’ connection to Motown’s legacy.
As of July, Motown Museum was just $2 million shy of its $75 million goal to fund the project.
Story by: Sherri Welch | Crain’s Detroit Business