"She's stunning": Michigan Central opens to the general public for sold-out tours
(CBS DETROIT) - The celebration continues at Michigan Central, where the doors are finally open to the public for sold-out tours.
From now until Sunday, June 16, more than 60,000 people are expected to see the spectacular transformation.
Rita Martuscelli was simply awestruck to see Michigan Central Station restored to the way she remembered it as a child.
"I used to come down here all the time to go to the Paradise Theater on Woodward. I worked at Ernest Kern, the department store, for years and years; it was so beautiful," Martuscelli said.
Others in Martuscelli's family, including Gloria Natas, whose aunt worked at the train station until it closed in 1988, also recalled the memories.
"She would have been here if she was alive; she passed last fall," Natas said tearfully. "So we're happy to be here in spirit with her. So it's just magnificent. I remember this from when I was a kid. And it's beautiful."
The beauty in this majestic hall brought others to tears.
"She's stunning. Just the transformation that was made is amazing," said visitor Elizabeth Schwartz.
Some visitors reminisced about the station's heyday, including Nathan Kilgore, who recalled childhood trips through the station in the 1960s.
"We were very small at the time. But this had to be the place; this is the only place you could get the train coming through. And I just remember being a very big place, lots of people hustling and bustling," Kilgore said.
This will be the case again as visitors learn about Michigan Central's past, present, and future through film, a sculptural timeline, a portrait gallery, an interactive AI and light sculpture, and a kids' zone.
"This really gives everyone a chance to see the clean restoration to take that in, and then from there, everyone's gonna continue to be welcome back," said Marisa Bradley, director at Ford Motor Company.
Yes, the first floor does house a museum, and the upper floors are the offices of tomorrow's innovators. The hope is that one day they can bring in retail shops and a hotel, and perhaps even restore Amtrak service.
"We're reopening not only the city but the world's attention to the city. And I think this is a huge calling card," said Stephen McGee, a photographer who documented the station's six-year transformation.
After the Open House tours end on June 16, the first floor of Michigan Central will be open for "Summer at the Station" from June 21 to Aug. 31. Visitors can take self-guided tours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
