henry ford rouge tour

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Ford Rouge Factory Tour

See F-150 trucks roll off the assembly line where Henry Ford first perfected his self-sufficient, mass-production techniques. The self-guided tours start at the Henry Ford Museum, from which a bus takes you over to the factory. Allow a couple of hours for the overall visit.

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312-982-6001

https://​www​.thehenryford​.org​/

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Ford Rouge Factory Tour

ULTIMATE Guide to Planning a Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Michigan has a proud automobile history and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is one of the best ways to see the state’s rich history and learn about its exciting future up close!

Located in Dearborn as part of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the factory tour showcases all the things that have made Ford a household name in Michigan and throughout the world. You’ll see a glimpse of the past and you’ll see modern manufacturing in action as current vehicles are designed.

Added all together, it’s a truly immersive experience that visitors of all ages can enjoy. Whether you’re techy and love the technology of tomorrow, or you’re a fan of classic cars, there’s something here for everyone.

A History of Innovation at the River Rouge Plant

The famous Henry Ford had a vision of assembly line construction of cars and it became a reality in 1903 when Ford Motor Company was founded.

By 1906, Ford Motor Co. was the nation’s largest car producer and Ford introduced his famous Model T just two years later.

Construction of the Rouge Plant along the Rouge River in Dearborn started in 1917 and by 1918 the plant was producing boats for the US Navy. During WWII, the Rouge plant was a big contributor in establishing Detroit as America’s ‘Arsenal of Democracy.’

Over time, the plant would also produce tractors, the Model A, the V-8 Ford, the Ford Thunderbird, the Ford Mustang, and even the Ford F-150.

Public tours of the Rouge Plant began in 1924 and they instantly became a hit. In 1965, the plant set a new yearly record with more than 239,000 visits. That number continued to grow until the plant closed for tours in 1980. After the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility, tours began again in 2004.

What does that mean for you? It means when you take a Ford Rouge Factory Tour you’re experiencing an important and special part of Michigan’s history.

Ford River Rouge Plant Tour FAQs

What is the Ford Rouge Factory Tour?

It’s a self-guided tour broken up into 5 different stations: The Legacy Theater, The Manufacturing Innovation Theater, The Observation Deck Tour, The Assembly Walking Plant Tour, and The Legacy Gallery.

How long does the Ford Rouge Factory Tour take?

If you’re visiting Henry Ford Museum to take the plant tour, plan on it taking a couple of hours. The tours are self-guided, but there’s a lot to see so visitors are encouraged to take their time.

Can you visit the Ford plant?

Yes. It’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Sunday and is closed for most major holidays. Tours begin with a short bus ride from the museum to the Ford Rouge Visitor Center.

How many people work at the Ford Rouge plant?

About 6,000 people work as Ford employees at the plant.

Henry Ford: Innovation On The River Rouge

In 2013, Awesome Mitten Creator Team member Jennifer Bowman visited the River Rouge Factory and shared her experience…

On the heels of Henry Ford’s 150th birthday in 2013, I couldn’t help but cook up an outing to Dearborn to commemorate the auto maker’s legacy. Having visited The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village on several occasions, one well-known spot was still foreign territory to me: The Rouge Factory. What better way to celebrate Henry Ford than spending a day at one of his namesake auto plants? As I planned for the afternoon outing, I was excited to find out more about Ford’s legacy and the journey he took to lead the “Big Three” contender to where it is today.

The tour started off at The Henry Ford Museum, where a bus shuttle transported me and several other sightseers across town to the factory site on the Rouge River (prior to this, I had just assumed that the factory was located somewhere on the grounds near the museum and Greenfield village). Upon reaching the factory, we were ushered inside a visitors’ building for a brief introduction, then to a small theater for a documentary on how the Ford Motor Company flourished throughout the 20th century, surviving hard times such as the stock market crash and World War II.

Next, a second theater gave us a look at the start-to-finish process of Ford vehicle manufacturing, complete with multiple screens, special lighting and temperature effects, and movable chairs that rotated 365 degrees for an immersive movie experience. If all of that wasn’t cool enough, the film was set to music performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, further driving the “home-grown” feeling of the Ford plant and its roots in Detroit history. Our third stop was an upstairs viewing deck, where we were surrounded by walls of windows for a better look at the factory grounds. The main attraction here was a view of the factory rooftop, which was carpeted in a layer of mossy plant matter. This design, we were told, worked together with the factory’s vine-covered outer walls to insulate the factory and regulate indoor temperatures year-round. Truly remarkable, actually—a simple, yet innovative way to keep a large, industrial building at a cool 60 degrees throughout every season.

Finally, we made it to the main attraction: the inner workings of the Rouge factory. Set up as an aerial walkway around the top of the factory, the self-guided tour allowed us to view several assembly stages of the Ford F-150, from windshield installation to quality inspection. Everything worked like clockwork—pulleys and gears circulated truck pieces throughout the building while employees manned organized posts, attaching doors, logo hardware, and other essential pieces to the vehicles. It was awe-inspiring to see how many people were actually involved in the production of each vehicle, and the whole thing got me thinking about how my own car was assembled (not by magic, mind you).

In the end, I got a better idea of all that goes into the products we rely on each and every day. It’s difficult to fathom how one man can come up with an idea that spins into a successful business venture, followed by a long line of successors and related innovations that continue to evolve over the years. That success story, however, is exactly what Henry Ford brought to the world—and as a result, the automobile, factory, and environmental technology industries will never be the same.

Taking a Tour of the Ford Rouge Plant

Tours of the Rouge Plant are self-guided, and there’s a lot to explore, including two different theaters and an observation deck where you can see Ford assembly up close.

Soak Up History at the Legacy Theater

Start your self-guided tour at the Legacy Theater. Here, you can watch a roughly 15-minute presentation about the history of the plant and Ford Motor Co.

You’ll see rarely-seen footage from the Henry Ford Museum’s archives and you’ll learn how the plant and Henry Ford’s ideas helped make Michigan the premier spot for car manufacturing.

Learn the Process at the Manufacturing Innovation Theater

The history of Ford Motor Co. is rich with ingenuity and the Innovation Theater allows you to see that innovation up close.

This 10-minute presentation takes visitors on a (visual) ride of the manufacturing process and how the Ford F-150 truck goes from being a concept to being built to hitting the open road. High-quality audio and 3D laser projection make this a really cool experience for visitors of all ages.

See Manufacturing Up Close on the Observation Deck

Once you’ve been through the two theater presentations, you’ll be ready to see the plant in action. You can experience just that by taking an elevator ride up to the observation deck. Here you’ll see the beauty of industry in motion as you watch Ford F-150 being constructed.

If you’re a fan of cars, your eyes will light up in amazement. Believe us, this is a real treat. The plant is where production meets innovation and you can see that all right before your eyes.

You can also get a view of Ford’s Living Roof, an eco-friendly wonder. The rough is made up of tiny plants and collects and filters water to bring down the plant’s energy consumption.

See How Cars Get Made on the Assembly Plant Walking Tour

Have you ever wondered to yourself how cars get made? On the factory tour, you no longer have to wonder because you can see it up close and personal!

The Assembly Plant Walking Tour allows visitors to watch how the Ford-150 truck is made, giving them a bird’s-eye view of where and how the magic happens. From an elevated walkway, you can see how a mix of complex equipment, parts, skilled hands, and robotics work together to build one truck every single minute.

This part of the tour lasts about 30-45 minutes, but if you like building things or seeing them put together, you won’t be able to get enough of this part of the tour.

Marvel at the Awesomeness of the Legacy Gallery

Once you’re seen Ford’s current innovation and the marvels of 21st-century sustainable design, take another trip back in time by visiting the Legacy Gallery. As you’ve read, the plant has been the site of some of the most famous vehicles in Ford’s history and you can see many of them right here.

Take a stroll through the gallery and you’ll see a display that includes a 1929 Model A, a 1949 Coupe, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, a 1965 Ford Mustang, and of course, a 2015 Ford F-150.

Not only can you see these amazing vehicles, some of which have been immortalized in songs and movies, but you can also learn about their history too at different kiosks throughout the gallery.

The gallery is located right next to the Factory Store gift shop, so stop in and get yourself a memento from your trip.

The River Rouge Factory Tour: A First-Person Perspective

As you’ve read, the River Rouge Factory Tour is fun, educational, and exciting. But don’t just take our word for it. Hayley went on the tour and had great things to say about her experience.

The famed Ford Rouge Factory had been on my to-do list of tours since I first began my journey through Motown. To those of you who, like me, aren’t what you’d call car-buffs and assume that the tour would be somewhat outside of your wheelhouse, allow me to quell those fears. The Ford Rouge Factory tour was thoroughly enjoyable, full of history, fun tidbits, and a behind-the-scenes look at the production and assembly of the F-150.

The first two stops on the tour were theaters. First, in the Legacy Theater, we were taken on a trip back in time through historic footage of the Rouge and the people who were a part of bringing the famed factory to life. One of my favorite factoids from this station was actually imparted before the film began: the guide who introduced the video made it a point to note that all music heard throughout the tour had been composed specifically for the Rouge Factory Tour, and performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The video in the Legacy Theater was a tale of Henry Ford’s vision and the history of how it was brought to life in the Rouge. The next video, in the Art of Manufacturing Theater, could not have been more different. A multisensory experience depicting the modern-day manufacturing of a Ford automobile, the experience of the Art of Manufacturing Theater was immersive and intense (in a good way), and a great segway into the part of the tour where we were able to observe the factory as it is today.

We first headed to the observation deck. Though we had chosen a less-than-ideal day (to describe the weather in layman’s terms, it was gross) and could not see as far as on a clear day, the bird’s eye view was still impressive. Not only can you see the F-150s as they are tested and shipped, we had a perfect (if not snow-covered) view of the plant’s living roof, the naturalized habitat, solar arrays, and more. From there, we continued to the elevated-walkway tour of the actual assembly plant. Because of shipping delays, the plant was not active on the day we were there. We had a still, quiet picture of the line, almost as if we had hit the “pause” button on the process. Movies and interactive stations throughout the walkways made it easy to understand what you were looking at and capture interesting tidbits on the assembly process.

We wrapped up our day at the Rouge in the Legacy Gallery, where a few of the historic vehicles manufactured at the factory are displayed. We read about and took pictures of classics like the Model A, the V-8, the Thunderbird, the Mustang, and even got to hop in the new and ultra-cool F-150 Raptor. So whether you’re an autophile or couldn’t tell a transmission from a transistor radio, the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is an interesting, informative, and fun journey through one of the Motor City’s most famous automotive hubs.

Plan Your Ford Rouge Factory Tour Today

The Ford Rouge Factory Tour offers the best of all worlds: history, technology, innovation, manufacturing, and cool cars all rolled into one. So if you love all those things, you should book your factory tour today!

Whether you love cars and trucks or not, the factory tour lets you see the fascinating process of how trucks are made. There’s something that’s really cool about seeing how the sausage (or in this case cars) are made. If you’re naturally curious, this is a tour where you’ll see some incredible sights, learn some interesting facts, and have some fun too.

Book your factory tour today and let us know what your favorite part of the tour is.

James Andersen is an award-winning journalist and editor who was born and raised in Metro Detroit but currently resides on the shores of Lake Huron in Alpena, Michigan. When he’s not knee-deep in research or conducting interviews for stories, he can be found fishing, cheering on Detroit sports teams, and spending time with his wife and two dogs.

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The Henry Ford Museum, Rouge Factory Tour and Greenfield Village

A must when you are in Detroit is the Henry Ford Museum and especially the Rouge Factory Tour. As a big car fan, you definitely have to swing by here. Another big highlight is the Greenfield Village, located right next to the Henry Ford Museum. For all the attractions here you need at least two days to fully enjoy them. The good news is that your ticket is valid until you use it for one of the attractions. If you buy the main attractions (Museum, Factory Tour, and Greenfield Village) you can visit the museum and factory in one day and scan your ticket and visit Greenfield Village the next day.

I recommend you the following itinerary.

Factory Tour

• Henry Ford Museum

Second Day:

Greenfield Village

Some advice for your visit.

I recommend you to take the factory tour fist and then do whichever other experience you booked. This gives you the chance to spend as much time as you want in the factory and after that, you can plan freely and visit the museum or village. Everything closes at 5 p.m. but the last bus for the factory tour leaves at 3 p.m. Buses run every 20 minutes to the factory and back. You can hop on any bus you want to or from the factory. There is no limit how much time you can spend where.

If you can visit during the week, means fewer people. If you can visit on a Monday or Tuesday because during the school year there are most of the time field trips to this places from local schools and then it gets crowded and sometimes loud. Depending on the age of the kids ;).

Besides the above-mentioned attractions, you can buy an add-on for the village which allows you to ride all the rides inside the village. This includes the Model T, steam train, and horse carriage.

Another feature is the Giant Screen Experience . You can watch different documentaries in the on-site movie theater.

As a car enthusiast, this is definitely a must. The bus to the factory leaves every 20 minutes just outside of the museum. Follow the signs for the Factory Tour and you can’t miss it. The buses are also labeled with Rouge Factory Tour and look like the one in the picture below.

Interesting Fact:

The Rouge Factory was build to be self-sufficient and was able to produce all the materials needed for the car manufacturing itself. On the Rouge River, ships brought ore, lumber and other raw materials which would be processed in the factory to make metal, glass, and more.

The factory tour has five stations. ( Overview Map )

• Legacy Theatre
• Manufacturing Innovation Theatre
• Observation Deck
• Legacy Gallery and Store

The first two movies give you background info about the history of Henry Ford, the factory and the current production process at the factory. Then take the lift up to the observation deck, 80 ft above ground. From here you can see the green roof, the factory grounds and lots of information about what you see. This is the first car factory I have seen with an observation deck of this kind.

When you are ready to head to the factory call the elevator and go to the “M” level. There is even a sign next to the elevator but most people pushed the button for the ground level.

From here you can walk across the bridge and get inside the actual factory. There you see the final assembly and testing of the Ford F 150 pickup trucks.

The employees work in two shifts (each 10 hours) from Monday through Friday and one shift on Saturday and Sunday. Workers have a four-day workweek. There are 7400 trucks build per week in this plant.

Unfortunately, there is no photography allowed inside the factory itself. The photo below is property and shared by “The Henry Ford”.

Once back from the factory head downstairs and explore the legacy gallery and the factory store.

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Believe it or not, this museum does show more than only cars build by Ford. It gives you the whole spectrum of American innovation. Everything from agriculture, cars, railroad, weapons, furniture and much more.

Check out the overview map by clicking on the image below. There you can create your own map with your favorite must-sees.

It is like traveling back in time to the industrialization of the United States. I was pretty impressed when I saw the huge and impressive Allegheny locomotive 1601. According to the museum, this is the most photographed exhibit.

This is an amazing collection of American innovation throughout the time. There are numerous presidential vehicles on display as well. Under the theme “Driving America” the Henry Ford shows how people started to go on road trips and explore the country.

The village was founded in 1929 as an educational and historic landmark, maintaining the buildings and stories of America’s past for future generations. The village is basically divided into 7 districts.

Inside the village, there are numerous rides you can take (for an extra fee).

• Ford’s Model T
• Horse Carriage
• Steam Train

The Model T is probably a must as it was Ford’s first and most sold car in history. Below a small video of the rides…

Otherwise, it’s just great to stroll throughout the village and explore the buildings and the history behind it. The most impressive location for me was the roundhouse inside the Railroad Junction district. As a big train fan, this was just amazing to see an actually preserved roundhouse and be able to explore it.

Of course, the best time to visit the village is on a beautiful sunny day. It makes for even better pictures and feeling. However, you can not always pick the weather. Rainy days will give you a less crowded experience on the other side.

More photos of the Henry Ford, Greenfield Village and Factory Tour

Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.

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Ford Rouge Factory Tour at The Henry Ford

Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring scale of the real factory floor where the F-150 is made, and pop the hood on Ford’s rich design and manufacturing history during this one-of-a-kind tour. This is innovation on wheels.

Before you go, watch the show. The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, hosted by Mo Rocca, builds a bridge from the great innovators of our past to today's most game-changing minds. Check your local CBS listings or watch online anytime to soak up some Emmy Award-winning inspiration.

Address: 20900 Oakwood Blvd. Dearborn, MI 48124

• Hours: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Saturday

Additional Info

• Phone: (313) 982-6001
• Fax: (313) 271-0694
• Website: Website
• Address: 20900 Oakwood Blvd.
• City: Dearborn
• Interest: Museums and Historic Homes, Arts and Entertainment
• Lat: 42.3031087
• Lon: -83.23310850000001

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Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation ®

Find your breakthrough moment., greenfield village, tap into your can-do spirit..

Spread across more than 80 acres, Greenfield Village comes alive with the unforgettable sights, sounds, and settings of America’s past.

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Discover your drive..

Journey into the factory where automobile manufacturing as we know it came of age, and where the technology of tomorrow is on display today.

Giant Screen Experience

Find larger-than-life-inspiration..

Experience some of the most entertaining and enlightening stories of America’s past, present and future ever told through state-of-the-art 4K digital, 2D & 3D projection.

Your insider’s guide to the “best of” at The Henry Ford.

Enjoy authentic American food traditions, and shop for inspired mementos.

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Special benefits for groups of 15 or more.

How to get here from there and where to park once you arrive.

Complete your trip with fun things to do nearby in the Detroit metro area.

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