No tour of downtown Detroit is complete without a walk along the surreal, unique, and controversial Hart Plaza. A site for numerous public events, the largely concrete space that contains several futuristic sculptures can also lead you to the riverfront.

Designed by Minoru Yamasaki and opened in 1963 as the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, One Woodward stands 32 stories high right across from Hart Plaza and houses offices (most recently home to Fifth Third Bank). Also look for the ballerina sculpture out front.

Detroit's Cathedral of Finance. Opened in 1929, the Art Deco masterpiece got contributions from a number of major architects: Smith, Hinchman & Grylls was the lead architect with additional designs by Wirt C. Rowland and Donaldson & Meier. The Guardian is blessed with one of the most incredible lobbies in the world. Pure Detroit leads tours on the weekends, and it's worth stopping in any day to take in the multicolor Aztec designs.

The 38-story Art Deco building, designed by Donaldson & Meier and opened in 1929, features sculptures by Corrado Parducci. It was vacant for a few years due to burst pipes and flooding. Dan Gilbert and Bedrock bought the building, and redeveloped it into 107 luxury apartments.

Designed by Louis Kamper and completed in 1924, the Book Cadillac was abandoned in the 1980s and then underwent a $200 million renovation in 2008. It's now one of the classiest hotels in town, with condos in the upper floors that are going for more than $1 million.

The Italian Renaissance masterpiece designed by Louis Kamper saw its 13-story building open in 1917 and its 36-story tower open in 1926. Vacant since 2009, it was bought by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock in 2015 and has since been undergoing renovations. It announced ODA as the architecture lead for the redevelopment and released some preliminary design plans. It’s expected to cost $313 million and be finished in 2022.

The Fox Theatre, designed by C. Howard Crane and opening in 1928, contains an eclectic and ornate mix of decorations in Egyptian, Far Eastern and Indian styles. The over-5,000-seat theatre built for the Fox Films chain became a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

The Ilitch family bought the building in 1987 and soon after completed a $12 million restoration, built a new marquee, and in 2006, added the multi-story and now iconic “FOX” tower with LED lights.

Many thought the beautiful Metropolitan Building and its neighboring Wurlitzer Building would face demolition at some point. Now, both of these buildings have been renovated into hotels. A great way to visit would be on the Element Hotel’s rooftop bar.

An ornate work of Beaux Arts architecture, the 44,625-square-foot, 18-court room Wayne County Building was finished in 1902. Though the county left in 2010, the building is still in good shape, unlike others on this list. Parts of the building have been restored over the years, most recently in 2018. 

This Albert Kahn–designed office building (built in 1922) has an updated lobby, with the Roasting Plant and Central Kitchen + Bar on the ground level. The building itself wraps around the block in a unique, irregular shape.

This striking building, designed by renowned architects John Burgee and Philip Johnson, is undoubtedly Detroit’s greatest example of postmodernism. Opened in 1993, the building’s most notable features are its four Neo-gothic spires pointing to the sky. At 43 stories, it’s also one of the tallest buildings in the state.

Designed by architect John Portman, the first phase of Detroit’s tallest building opened in 1977. It's still separated from the rest of downtown, but likely the most recognizable structure in Detroit. Get lost (literally) in its winding corridors and then finish your walking tour along the Riverwalk.