Motown Museum
Hitsville U.S.A., Studio A, control-room equipment, offices, costumes, photographs, and the Gordy family apartment connect a global catalog to a pair of modest houses on West Grand Boulevard.
Artwork inspired by Hughie Lee-Smith
The story is not simply a parade of stars. Songwriters, session musicians, arrangers, engineers, choreographers, secretaries, marketing staff, and relentless quality control turned a small Detroit company into a production system with a recognizable sound.
Admission is by a roughly hour-long guided tour, so the guide’s pacing matters more than self-directed wandering. Timed spaces can sell out, and photography is restricted in the video room; arrive early enough to handle street parking and check-in.
- Label founded
- 1959
- Campus
- Two neighboring houses
- Recording room
- Preserved in place
Quick guide
- Begin with
- Set a question in Studio A
- Look closely at
- Test it against Control room
Listen for how Hitsville made a sound
- Reserve first
- Every museum visit is a timed guided tour
- Stand in Studio A
- Notice how a modest room produced records heard worldwide
- Watch the workflow
- Connect control room technology with musicians, arrangers, and producers
- Protect the moment
- Photography is restricted in the video room and video recording is prohibited
Good to know
Tours are timed and nonrefundable; holding a general intention to visit is not the same as having a tour place.
Notice these
- Studio A
- Control room
- Hitsville façade