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Sight Downtown, Detroit

Guardian Building

A sight in Downtown, Detroit, free to visit and worth about 30 minutes. Best time to go: Weekday.

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Guardian Building in Downtown, Detroit
Photo: WMrapids · CC0

Why go

1929 Art Deco skyscraper with a tiled, vaulted lobby open to the public.

It is one of 16 curated places we feature in Detroit, alongside 3 places to eat, 3 outdoor spots and 3 sights. 6 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with London Chop House and Campus Martius Park. At about 30 minutes, it slots neatly between bigger plans.

Type
Sight · Culture
Neighborhood
Downtown
Price
Free
Time needed
30 min
Best time
Weekday

Nearby

Our closest curated picks, including 3 beyond Detroit. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.

  1. 1
    London Chop House

    Revived version of Detroit's storied 1938 steakhouse, in a basement dining room on Congress Street.

    Food · Downtown Detroit · 0.1 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Campus Martius Park

    Downtown square with the city's Christmas tree, a skating rink and lit trees, next to the Cadillac Square holiday market.

    Activity · 0.1 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    The Rink at Campus Martius Park

    Downtown's seasonal ice rink sits under the city Christmas tree and lit trees, ringed by office towers.

    Activity · Downtown Detroit · 0.1 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Hart Plaza and the Detroit RiverWalk

    The riverfront plaza looks straight across the Detroit River to the Windsor skyline, with the RiverWalk running east.

    Sight · Downtown Detroit · 0.2 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    American Coney Island

    Coney dogs with chili, mustard and onions on Lafayette Boulevard since 1917.

    Food · 0.2 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Lafayette Coney Island

    Downtown hot-dog counter serving Coney dogs since 1917.

    Food · 0.2 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Guardian Building features on 2 of our curated routes, each with a day-by-day plan you can copy to your crew.

More sights to see in Detroit

3 more curated sights in Detroit. See the full Detroit guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Detroit run from 30°F in January to 82°F in July; May is usually the wettest month. For Guardian Building itself, we suggest: Weekday.

Modelled monthly averages for Detroit from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Detroit weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Guardian Building, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Guardian Building, 500 Griswold St, Detroit, MI 48226, USA
Coordinates
42.32966, -83.04613
Destination
Detroit, Michigan

Guardian Building: quick answers

How much time do you need at Guardian Building?

Plan on about 30 minutes at Guardian Building. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Guardian Building?

Our pick: Weekday. Insider tip: Weekday lobby visits are easy; free.

Is Guardian Building free?

Yes, we list Guardian Building as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.

Where is Guardian Building?

Guardian Building is at Guardian Building, 500 Griswold St, Detroit, MI 48226, USA, in Downtown. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Guardian Building?

Guardian Building appears on Great Lakes Hidden Gems and Frankenmuth & Detroit, curated routes you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Guardian Building to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Detroit.

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Lists & regions

Also in Detroit

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.