Seeing Green in Detroit - Belle Isle

Inspired by Earth Day, I felt it was important to post about my favorite place in Detroit to enjoy nature and spend the weekend now that the weather is getting nice! Belle Isle!

Belle Isle has always been quite the destination. Established by French Settlers in the 1700s when Detroit was first founded, the Island officially opened as a designed park in the mid 1840s. My family has been going there since the early 1900s when it was a thriving city park. At one time, the park hosted regular concerts in its bandstand, celebrated the openings of the Casino, Aquarium, Conservatory, Zoo, and much more. Families spent their time here renting boats and hosting picnics among other things. Unfortunately, it fell on some hard times and was mismanaged for a while and a lot of the desirable attractions closed or moved from the island.

Thankfully, the Island currently operated as a State Park, established in 2014, and is getting a lot of much needed attention. A lot of renovations have taken place in the last few years, and you can even enjoy a snack from a food truck when the weather is nice... there is still a lot of fix, but currently, you can hit up these places:

• Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

• Belle Isle Aquarium

• Belle Isle Nature Center

• Dossin Great Lakes Museum

• Belle Isle Golf Range

• Belle Isle Boat House

• James Scott Memorial Fountain

• Belle Isle Beach

• Canoe, Paddle Board, Kayak Rentals

• Bicycle Rentals

• Tennis, Basketball and Handball Court Rentals

• Softball and Football Field Rentals

• Fishing Pier

• Playgrounds

• The Giant Slide

• Detroit Yacht Club

I'll pop back with some more detailed reviews of some of my favorite Belle Isle attractions! Do you have any favorites? Any things you would like to see more about? Let me know!

-Laura