Detroit Institute of Arts

Detroit, Michigan · Museum · Accessibility score 5/5

Address: 5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202

Phone: 313-833-7900

About

Detroit Institute of Arts is an encyclopedic art museum in Midtown Detroit, best known for Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry frescoes, which cover the walls of the museum's Rivera Court. The permanent collection spans ancient to contemporary work, and the building itself, a 1927 Beaux-Arts structure on Woodward Avenue, is part of the visit.

Most people spend an afternoon here. Budget two to three hours if you want to see Rivera Court and a handful of galleries beyond it, longer if a special exhibition is on. The museum is closed Mondays. As of 2026, posted hours are Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check the museum's own hours page before you go, since these change with holidays and exhibitions.

The museum sits at 5200 Woodward Avenue, in Detroit's Midtown cultural center, about a 25-minute drive east from Detroit Metro Airport. Wayne State University's campus and a university parking structure on Putnam Street are within walking distance, and the QLINE streetcar stops at Ferry Street, a short walk from the front doors. A secured museum lot sits behind the building on John R Street, with metered street parking nearby limited to a two-hour stay.

A posted notice on the museum's site says select spaces on the second floor are temporarily closed for improvements, so a gallery on your list may be unavailable or rerouted. Call or check the website before a special trip to see a specific work.

Accessibility

The Detroit Institute of Arts is wheelchair accessible, with two accessible entrances, elevators, and accessible restrooms on every public floor.

Accessible metered parking is located directly in front of the Farnsworth Street entrance, with additional marked accessible spaces in the southwest corner of the museum's parking lot on John R Street. A state-issued disability placard is required for the reserved spaces. The museum's own secured lot sits behind the building on John R, between Kirby Street and Warren Avenue.

Use the John R Street or Farnsworth Street entrance. The museum says its Woodward Avenue entrance is not accessible, so do not plan to enter there. Elevators serve the building's floors, and all visitor restrooms on the first, second, and third floors are accessible, including two family restrooms on the first floor, one near the Farnsworth entrance and one near the Artmaking Studio.

Free wheelchairs and scooters are available on a first-come basis. Ask a Visitor Experience Associate at the John R or Farnsworth entrance when you arrive. For ASL interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or a live or virtual descriptive tour, email [email protected] at least two weeks ahead, since these depend on interpreter or docent availability. Assistive listening devices are set up for programs and films in the Detroit Film Theatre Auditorium, Lecture Hall, Rivera Court, and Great Hall specifically, not throughout the building. Neurodivergent visitors can ask for a free sensory bag with headphones, sunglasses, fidgets, and communication cards at any ticket desk, and the museum runs Sensory-Friendly Saturdays sessions on select dates.

Gallery lighting is kept dim throughout, which is done to protect the artwork rather than as a sensory accommodation, so visitors sensitive to bright light will find the galleries comfortable but visitors who need brighter light for reading labels should bring their own task lighting. For anything not covered here, call Visitor Services at 313-833-7940 before you go.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

How we checked this

We checked these details against official information from the venue and public agencies:

  • dia.org (11 details, checked 2026-08-28)

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Photo credits

  • The Detroit Institute of Arts' columned entrance and fountain plaza welcome visitors under a clear sky.: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
  • Detroit Institute of Arts entrance facade with columned portico and a stepped fountain plaza out front.: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

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