Taylor is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, just five miles from Detroit’s southern border.
It was previously organized as Taylor Township in 1848 before being incorporated as a city in 1968.
The primarily rural farmland was originally part of the now-defunct Ecorse Township until residents realized they lived too far away to join the township’s civic affairs.
Their petition to form a separate community was granted in 1847 and was named in honor of Mexican War hero General Zachary Taylor.
The city has gone far from its agricultural beginnings and is now a significant part of Wayne County.
It’s perhaps best known as the home of Hungry Howie’s Pizza, which has become one of the largest pizza chains in the US.
Taylor is home to vibrant entertainment spots, hip restaurants, and plenty of recreational spaces today.
Here are the best things to do in Taylor, Michigan.
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Heritage Park is on Pardee Road and is known as “The Jewel of the City.”
Inside the park are historical buildings that date back to the 1800s, such as the West Mound Church, which German immigrants in the 1880s built.
The church is famous for weddings and is still the top choice for couples renewing their vows.
There’s a replica of Taylor’s old train station, which now serves as a souvenir shop.
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Besides historical buildings, Heritage Park hosts baseball and soccer games.
It is home to the Junior League World Series, a baseball tournament for children aged 12 to 14.
The park hosts several concerts and events, such as the Taylor Summer Festival, Hallow-Palooza, and Winterfest.
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Kids and kids at heart will have the time of their lives at Midway Sports & Entertainment.
The amusement park on Van Born Road offers outdoor attractions for all ages.
Launch yourself 25 feet into the sky and do backflips and front flips at the Bungy Dome.
For thrill-seekers, there’s Rock Climbing, where you will be challenged to find a good grip and foothold and race to the top.
At Spin Zone, bumper cars have two Spin Zones that send your car spinning when bumped.
Satisfy your need for speed at Midway Sports & Entertainment’s Go-Kart, with its legendary track designed with tight turns and bridge crossing.
The Double Kart lets you take a passenger, ensuring the whole family can enjoy the race.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza has become an American staple for 50 years.
Did you know that the pizza chain originated from Taylor?
James Hearn opened the first store on Telegraph Road in 1973.
It became a popular hangout spot for kids from the nearby Taylor Junior High and Taylor Center Hugh Schools.
Their initial success led Hearn and his then-delivery guy Steve Jackson to partner and franchise in 1982.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza is now one of the biggest pizza chains in the country, with more than 500 locations nationwide.
Aside from the Howie Special, the Meat Eaters Pizza is also a favorite among regulars.
You can even build your pizza too and choose your toppings!
Located on Eureka Road, Airborne Adventure Park is an indoor amusement park that lets you have fun while working out.
Airborne has wall-to-wall trampolines where you can fly high and defy gravity.
The added challenge of bouncing up and down at Ultimate Dodgeball will surely make you sweat.
There’s the Parkour attraction, where you train with specialized Parkour blocks that allow you to jump higher and more efficiently.
The Warped Wall is one of the most physically challenging attractions in the park, as you’ll have to climb atop the curved incline of the walls.
The obstacle course at Airborne Adventure Park’s Ninja Training Zone will challenge your endurance, strength, and agility by doing Aerial Silks, Rings, and Tarzan Ropes.
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The Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is located on Northline Road and boasts its seasonal blooms, woodlands, large lawn area, and stately pines.
Founded in 2005, it receives funds from the non-profit organization Taylor Conservatory Foundation, which preserves and promotes Taylor’s natural treasures.
The Conservatory was modeled after the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle in Detroit, with beautiful gardens, lush woodlands, and a sprawling lawn.
The Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is the only open-air conservatory in Michigan with seasonal displays of flowers from May to October.
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There are hour-long guided group tours from June to October led by the Conservatory’s experienced docents.
They are ready to share their in-depth knowledge about the plants and the history of the Gardens.
A Children’s Tour is also on offer, lasting 30-45 minutes, where children are taught about plants and their care.
If you’re looking for a different kind of recreation while on vacation, try playing golf at the Lanes at 2|42.
Previously called the Taylor Lanes, it has become a local institution since the 1970s.
The first major tournament held at the Lanes was the 1985 Budweiser Open.
The Greater Detroit Open, Ultimate Scoring Championship, Motor City Classic, and the PBA World Championship in 2005 then followed it.
The bowling center is now under the management of Life Bridge Church, which has preserved six of the center’s 48 lanes for congregational use.
You can book the Lanes at 2|42 for weddings and birthday parties.
Located on Goddard Road, Bierkeller Tavern & Eatery is an American bar and restaurant with a German-inspired menu.
It boasts a wide selection of beers that rotate every month, handcrafted cocktails, and a brunch menu.
Bierkeller Tavern & Eatery offers Build A Bowl during brunch.
Build your brunch bowl by choosing your protein, veggies, and cheese to go with three scrambled eggs and hash browns.
Pair it with a glass of mimosa, or try the Bierkeller Bloody Mary.
Another best-seller is the Kellercakes, crispy potato pancakes stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese and sautéed onions.
If you feel like drinking, a great selection of beers on tap will go well with a platter of hand-tossed chicken wings and tenders.
Located on Allen Road is Secret Recipes Family Dining, which is famous for its classic homestyle dishes.
Originally named My Grannys, owner Jim Woolford bought the diner in 1993 and changed its name.
Woolford is experienced in the restaurant industry, having worked as a cook, manager, and managing partner at Rams Horn Restaurants in the 1980s.
Secret Recipes Family Dining is best known for the homemade meatloaf slathered with a special beef gravy.
The chicken dumpling soup is a must-have if you want something to warm you up.
For something more filling, the 12-inch breakfast quesadilla filled with scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, ham, and cheese is the way to go.
The kids will love the Unicorn Pancakes, fluffy pancakes topped with whipped cream, an ice cream cone, and edible eyes to resemble a unicorn.
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Located along the Detroit Industrial Expressway is the Gateway Bridge.
The tied-arch bridge was constructed in preparation for Detroit’s hosting of Super Bowl XL in 2006.
The design was inspired by a 1987 article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about Benesch’s I-255 over the Mississippi River.
It was covered with three coats of blue paint and a layer of clear coating to prevent fading.
Spanning 250 feet long and 75 feet wide, the six-lane bridge carries Interstate 94 over the eight-lane US Highway 24.
Gateway Bridge serves as the “gateway to Detroit” for people from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to the City of Detroit.
If you’re craving authentic Mediterranean cuisine, Malek Al-Kabob is a must-visit.
Founded in 2006 by chefs Abu-Fahd and Abu-Snan, the restaurant boasts authentic Middle Eastern food, including grilled meats and other entrees.
Malek Al-Kabob is best known for its loaded shawarma, which comes in either slow-roasted beef or chicken served with house-made Sajji Sauce and Caesar Dressing.
The naan bread with garlic sauce is also a favorite among regulars and the fattoush salad.
For meat lovers, there’s the shish Platter which has the shish kabob, chicken kabob, and shish kafta.
There are vegetarian and seafood entrees for those who want something lighter.
Cap off your meal with a serving of the kunafa cheesecake or the classic baklava.
Do you want to practice your swing while on vacation?
The Taylor Meadows Golf Club has got you covered.
Located on Ecorse Road, the 7,000-yard golf course boasts well-manicured fairways and lush greens.
Designed by famed golf course architect Arthur Hills, it has a challenging course that golfers of any skill level will enjoy.
There are well-incorporated water hazards and carefully placed sand traps to make the course more enjoyable.
If you’re not quite ready to play on the course yet, there’s a golf simulator where you can practice your swing.
The Taylor Meadows Golf Club also features a Pro Shop to grab the latest golf gear.
If you get hungry after a round of golf, you can stop by the Greenside Grille for some delicious snacks.
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Located 14 minutes outside Taylor is the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation on Oakwood Boulevard in Dearborn, Michigan.
It’s the largest indoor-outdoor museum in the country, with an average annual foot traffic of 1.7 million.
It was founded in 1929 in honor of automobile magnate Henry Ford, who collected historical artifacts showcasing the Industrial Revolution.
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The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation started with Ford’s collection of antique machinery, automobiles, aircraft, pop culture items, and many more.
Some of the most treasured items in the museum were John F. Kennedy’s presidential limousine and Abraham Lincoln’s seat at Ford’s Theater when he was assassinated.
You can also find the tube allegedly containing Thomas Edison’s last breath and the bus where Rosa Parks was arrested at the museum.
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Take a 14-minute drive from Taylor to Westland, Michigan, to arrive at the Eloise Asylum.
Housed in the Kay Beard Building of the Eloise Psychiatric Hospital, it gained notoriety for being haunted.
Some parts of the Eloise Asylum were turned into escape rooms, while others were dedicated to paranormal investigations and history tours.
The paranormal tours are conducted in groups of ten or more.
An Eloise Professional Guide is provided to each group to answer your questions about the site and the paranormal activities.
You can participate in EVP sessions and EMF sweeps to know if paranormal elements are near you.
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Twenty minutes from Taylor is the Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan.
Constructed in the 1840s, the original limestone barracks and fort still stand today; some parts underwent renovations in the 1860s.
The original fortifications were made of cedar-revetted earthen walls inspired by the design of Sebastian Vauban.
The fort served as the command center for troops from Michigan and a medical facility for recovering veterans during the Civil War.
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Fort Wayne was designated the Motor Supply Depot for warehousing and shipping tanks, trucks, and jeeps during World War I through World War II.
Today, the fort hosts historical reenactments and other public and private events.
Guided tours are conducted where you will walk through the fort and enter some of its buildings.
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Dave Hogg from Royal Oak, MI, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
You don’t have to go to the Arctic to see polar bears.
Just 26 minutes outside Taylor is the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, Michigan.
The 125-acre zoo houses more than 2,000 animals in bar-less habitats.
The Detroit Zoo is divided into different sections and habitats.
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See the four-acre Arctic Ring of Life that houses polar bears and southern sea otters.
Then, check out the Cotton Family Wetlands and Boardwalk, mimicking Michigan’s wetlands and featuring native fish, frogs, birds, and trumpeter swans.
There’s also the Australian Outback Adventure, where you can freely interact with red kangaroos and red-necked wallabies.
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Taylor has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a rural farmland.
Today, it’s one of Michigan’s most significant cities, with entertainment spots and recreational spaces attracting visitors.
Consider the best things to do in Taylor, Michigan, on your next vacation.
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