Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Place: Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Location: Dearborn/ Rouge, MI

People: Josh, Shannon

Cost: $ (With Coupon)

            This adventure is a little near and dear to my heart since well I used to work at the Factory tour when I was a teenager. In fact I was one of the original presenters and I helped to open the tour. J Yes I was one of the people wearing the hideous orange shirts telling people about cars imagine that.

            Moving on, the days adventure started off early in the morning at The Henry Ford, we purchased our tickets using our coupon found in the large book of coupons I had purchased for only 10$ at Borders. This book comes out every year and pays for itself in a matter of no time. It saved us $15 today alone. It pretty much paid for it self on this trip alone.

            I am getting off topic, back to the Tour. The tour is off site from the Henry Ford so you have to take a bus ride to the Actual tour. Buses leave The Henry Ford every 15 minutes. We waited for our bus in the mean time we hit up the gift shop and I we made our typical souvenirs of pressed pennies  (I collect these) and we also made a wax figure of an F-150 truck. Which are the trucks that made on the tour we were about to partake in.

The Bus finally arrived and we were on our way, both very excited, I was excited because I got to introduced Josh to something that was a part of my life and Josh because well he got to see how his truck was made. Typical Male.  A Video plays on the bus explaining some of the historical things that you pass along the way and what you do once you get to the tour.

            Once inside we decided to do the tour in order, Theater 1 a movie on the history of the ford Motor Company. Theater 2 is a theater in the round your seats spin 360 degrees and you actually feel like you a apart of the assembly line, your get sprayed when the truck is being painted, you feel heat jets kick on when the steel is being melted and other elements which I wont mention.

            Next is the Observation deck where you learn about all the Green initiatives that the Ford Motor Company is taking to make company and buildings more eco-friendly. Finally the Major part of the Tour the Assembly Plant!!!!!!! The tour is a guide your self-tour on elevated walkways that are over a mile long.  You can look down and see all the workers working on different parts on the assembly line. Or in our case since it was so close to lunch you can see the workers texting on their cell phones not really doing a whole lot. There are informational booths and interactive kiosks all throughout the walkway that explain different parts of the assembly line process. So you can get a more in depth knowledge of what is truly going on below.

            There are large trucks parts flying overhead, people walking all around, and large vehicles zooming past. It is a truly unique experience. You can take a much time on the walkway as you like there is no time limit. Once you are done you head down to the Legacy gallery where there are 6 different cars that show a time line of the Ford Motor Company. This is the only part of the tour that you are allowed to take pictures in. There is also a gift shop and penny press machine!!!! Once you are done you can catch a bus back to the Henry Ford. 

            Josh and I had a great time on this adventure I got to answer a lot of his questions and I was nice for me to see how much things have and haven’t changed since I was there. I would recommend the tour to any one and people of all ages. This is the only Automotive tour in Michigan and it’s a truly unique on at that. My only recommendations would be to go early because the line does shut down for lunch and shift changes and to make sure you don’t go on a Ford Holiday. Also check for coupons and call ahead to make sure that there aren’t any field trips planned that day. Oh and make sure you get a pressed penny!!!