The world famous Motown Museum in Detroit has announced that it will undergo a $50-million-dollar expansion starting in 2017. This will grow the Museum to a 50,000 square foot tourist attraction featuring dynamic, interactive exhibits, a state-of-the art performance theatre, unrivaled recording studios, an expanded retail experience and meeting spaces designed by world renowned architects and exhibit designers.

The new Motown Museum will be designed and built around the current Museum space and the cherished Hitsville U.S.A. house. Robin R. Terry, Chairwoman and CEO of Motown Museum, said: “Our goal is to bring an expanded Motown Museum to the world, to inspire dreams and serve as an educational resource for global and local communities while creating an international mecca of music and entertainment history. This expanded facility will be an exhilarating national and international tourist destination which will allow us to narrate and celebrate on a much larger scale what the Motown legacy is recognized for: unmatched creative genius that transcends every barrier imaginable by bringing people together from all walks of life to share in that unmistakable Motown Sound.”

Founded by Berry Gordy, Motown was the sound that changed America and became one of the most significant musical accomplishments of the 20th century, with more than 180 number one hit songs worldwide from artists such as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight And The Pips. No other record company in history has produced so many iconic entertainers or had such an enormous influence on popular culture.  

“When I look back on that magical time in Detroit, I'm reminded of how a company, based on love, fairness and competition, came together to create something special.  It was about music and so much more,” said Berry Gordy. “It brings me real joy, and I am proud and humbled to know that the inclusive legacy of Motown, and the most talented people who are so near and dear to my heart, will have their stories told in this new Museum.”

In addition to the staggering global reverence it receives, when completed, the new Museum campus will have a transformative impact on its surrounding Detroit neighborhood, providing employment, sustainability and community pride by serving as an important catalyst for new investment and interest in this historic area. The new development will also further raise the profile of the city as an international travel destination.

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The State of Michigan is a state blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, lakes that feel like oceans, shimmering beaches, miles and miles of cherry orchards, glorious sunrises and sunsets, daytime skies of the deepest blue, nighttime skies scattered with stars.

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