Stats:Eastern Market
2934 Russell St.
Detroit, Michigan 48027
Open: Monday-Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Public Market Hours: Saturday: 5:00 am – 5:00 pm
Back Story:
Eastern Market, America’s oldest public market, has a colorful history. One of three markets constructed in the 1850s, it was built on the site of an early hay and wood market in the area now known as Cadillac Square. Originally called the Detroit Farmer’s Market, the farmer’s section was re-named and moved to its present location in 1891. Sales sheds were built over Eastern Market’s new site, a piece of land once used as an American Indian burial ground. During the Civil War, generals Ulysses S. Grant, John J. Pershing, and George Custer headquartered on the market grounds and marched their troops across the site. Slaves were also routed through the marketplace to the Detroit River to escape to Canada. In the 1920s, as the Eastern Market expanded, new sheds were added to meet the demand. In the Post Depression era, Eastern Market added retail merchandise and, after World War II, it became an important hub for the Michigan food distribution industry.
The State of Michigan declared Eastern Market an historic area in 1977. Some of the original sheds are still used today and many are undergoing a remodel. Filmmakers have used the market as a shooting location for such films as Presumed Innocent starring Harrison Ford, Collision Course with Jay Leno and Whip It with Drew Barrymore.
Impressions:
Spreading across six acres, Eastern Market, the largest open-air market in the U.S., offers an extensive array of sights, smells, tastes, and sounds to the thousands of visitors who visit every Saturday. They sample the bounty of the Midwest in shed after shed filled with farm fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, herbs, and spices. It’s not unusual for a visitor to add fresh cut flowers to the market basket along with condiments, maple syrups, homemade jams, wine, or an occasional goose or rabbit. Part retail, part wholesale, the Market’s non-food offerings range from antiques to hardware to pottery. Families make it a point to come for breakfast and stay all morning to shop. They enjoy culinary demonstrations, educational programs, and entertainment by street buskers. And, for those interested in Eastern Market’s rich history, tours are available from May through September starting at the Eastern Market Welcome Center located at 1445 Adelaide between Shed 2 and Shed 3. Although Saturdays are busiest, Eastern Market is open six days a week. Flower Days are extremely popular as gardeners and landscapers pluck bedding plants, shrubs, and even evergreens from the Market’s vendors. On Tuesdays from July 10 to October 30, the Market comes alive exclusively in Shed 2 (corner of Russell St. & Winder St.) from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Tourist wise:
To avoid the crowds, plan to shop on weekdays, but if you do go on a Saturday, be prepared to enjoy a wall-to-wall, stall-to-stall market adventure. People watching is a must in this eclectic landscape. Feel free to bring the kids to see the farm animals that are often on site. And, for the bargain hunter, Eastern Market’s old world feel might be just the place to practice haggling for treasures. Foodies love it too as they sample fare from as far away as Europe, Asia, and South American farms.
Travel Tips:
From the North: Take I-75 S to the Mack Avenue Exit. Turn left. Take Mack Ave. to Russell St. and turn right.
From the East: Take I-94 W. to I-75 S. to the Mack Ave. exit. Turn left. Take Mack Ave. to Russell St. and turn right.
From the South: Take I-75 to the Mack Ave. exit. Turn right. Take Mack Ave. to Russell St. and turn right.
From the West: Take I-94 to I-75 S to the Mack Ave. exit. Turn left. Take Mack Ave. to Russell St. and turn right.
Contacts/Links:
Eastern Market website
Phone: 313.833.9300
Fax: 313.833.9309
E-Mail: admin@detroiteasternmarket.com
Map:
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