An auto infotainment bonanza on a truly epic scale, Ford Rouge factory tours aim for awe with its high tech circuits of Henry Ford's still functioning dream city. It is located few miles south of Detroit. Count how many times your tour guide uses the phrase "World's largest" as your group winds through a 360 Virtual Reality theatre, a functioning F-150 assembly line and a "living roof" garden/observation deck (a 10.4 acre "garden" atop the Dearborn Truck Plant!). It is Detroit's number 1 automotive attraction attraction.

In its day the Rouge was the hub of Henry Ford's monumental ideas of industrial practice, aiming to place every step of automobile production under the direct control of the Ford Motor Company. This meant building a citizenless city where iron ore and rubber from Ford owned mines and plantations came in one gate and new Fords rolled out the other. Ninety-three buildings and nearly 16 million square feet of factory floor were built in Dearborn, Michigan to run every step in between. After hard times hit in the 80s and 90s, Ford scaled back the plant to its current 600 acres, still enough to be Ford's single largest industrial complex.

A bus tour out of the Henry Ford Museum gives an idea of the Rouge's former scale before shuttling tourists through the multimedia bells and whistles. The tour runs daily on the half hour, costing guests a princely $21.50. Definitely a tourist trap but a great place to get that sprawling industrial landscape fix (no doubt why you're hanging around Detroit in the first place). Unfortunately, word has it that the ever popular "Calvin peeing on a Chevy logo/Honda logo/Dolce and Gabana logo/etc" truck decal is not sold in the giftshop.

The new Ford F-150s are assembled in a new lean and flexible manufacturing plant. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the final assembly process from an elevated walkway.

The automobile has refashioned our nation's way of life more than any invention in history. See our world-famous collection and witness the automobile's influence on American life throughout the 20th century. Some of the cars you can see here are:

15 Millionth Ford Model T Touring Car

Tucker '48

Ford 999 Racer

Bugatti Royale Type 41 Convertible

Clyde Barrow Letter

EV1

Ford Mark IV Race Car

Ford Mustang #1

Among the nationally renowned artifacts of the Museum are the vehicles in which 20th-century American presidents traveled. You'll find this unique exhibit thoroughly fascinating and truly unforgettable.

Ronald Reagan Limousine

John F. Kennedy Limousine

Dwight D. Eisenhower "Bubble Top"

Franklin D. Roosevelt "Sunshine Special"

Theodore Roosevelt Horse-drawn Brougham

Tours are open Monday-Saturday 9:30am-5:00pm. Sunday is a tour closure day. Buses are available each half hour from 9:20am to 3:00pm. Last tour leaves at 3:00pm. Cost of tour $12 for each adult member, $14 for adult nonmember. Tour costs $8.50 for youth member and $10 for youth non member. It is free for Children 2 & under. Ford Rouge Factory Tour is a self-guided five-part experience that includes: Legacy Theater, Art of Manufacturing Theater, Observation Deck, Dearborn Truck Plant and the Legacy Gallery. Photography is only allowed in the Legacy Gallery and Observation Deck. It is recommended to visit factory for atleast 2 hours to enjoy lots of experience on site.

By Yadav Saurabh

Yadav is a freelance writer.

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