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Museum Hours

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 10am-6pm
  • Thursday: 10am-6pm
  • Friday: 10am-6pm
  • Saturday: 10am-8pm
  • Sunday: 10am-6pm

We are closed on New Years Day, Memorial Day, Easter Sunday, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Eve

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Motown Museum is the beating heart of the extraordinary Motown legacy—a destination that brings together people and ideas from different generations, and celebrates the past while simultaneously building a bridge to the future.

About Motown Museum

To ensure our vast collection maintains public visibility, and to keep things fresh for our guests, Motown Museum changes its main gallery exhibit 1-2 times per year. Here is what’s currently showing at our museum.

Current Exhibit

Motown Museum transports you into an era of musical magic. From the moment you step on the plaza, you’ll be immersed in the Motown sound and will experience a profound sense of history.

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Hitsville NEXT Programs

Our uniquely curated community programs emphasize education, entrepreneurship and equity—with experiences, mentoring and exposure that nurtures and elevates tomorrow’s history makers. Museum programs cultivate creativity and entrepreneurship in budding talent, allowing great art, big ideas and innovation to flourish.

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Ignite Summer Camp
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Ignite Summer Camp


9 - 12 Grade | July 9 - 19

Ignite is a two-week program designed for high school-aged singers who want to take their musical talents to the next level...

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Spark Summer Camp


6 – 8 Grade | August 6 - 16

For middle-school students passionate about music, we offer Spark, a day camp that helps students write and perform music together...

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Events

From memorable galas and concert performances, to community celebrations and educational programs, we host a range of special events throughout the year.

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Motown MIC: The Spoken Word Competition Grand Finale


September 20, 2024

The Cube, Detroit

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Private Events

Interested in hosting your own event at Motown?

Facility Rental

Motown Legacy

As an irresistible force of social and cultural change, the legendary Motown portfolio made its mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a signature Motown Sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century.

Discover The Legacy

Like many other African Americans in the early 20th century, Berry Gordy, Sr. and his wife, Bertha Fuller Gordy, came North from Georgia to find a better life for themselves and their family.

Gordy Family

Motown is an extended family of some of the most iconic and influential artists, musicians and songwriters of our time. Brought together by destiny through their love for making music, they found themselves making history.

Motown Artists

The culmination of years of planning, hard work and generous contributions from dedicated donors, the highly anticipated, $50 million Motown Museum expansion project will grow the museum campus to a 50,000-square-foot world-class entertainment and education tourist destination.

Expansion

Support Motown Museum

When you contribute to the Motown Museum, you become part of a rich musical and cultural legacy. We are a 501(c)(3) not for profit, tax-exempt organization in Detroit.

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Museum Hours

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 10am-6pm
  • Thursday: 10am-6pm
  • Friday: 10am-6pm
  • Saturday: 10am-8pm
  • Sunday: 10am-6pm
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🎙️ Saturdays at 2pm ET: Live From Motown Museum on SiriusXM's Smokey Soul Town (ch. 74)

Edwin Starr

Signed in 1968

The singer born as Charles Edwin Hatcher quickly earned his stage name ‘Starr.’ Known for his James Brown-esque style, Edwin Starr found himself at Motown after his original label, Ric-Tic, was absorbed by Motown in 1968. Already an established performer, he had an extensive discography prior to Motown, with his single “Agent Double-O Soul” (1965) breaking the top 20 of US pop charts. Quickly, he worked to expand it further, releasing his first album Soul Master in 1968 and his next album, 25 Miles (1969), charting on the US pop and R&B charts. The title track would earn him his first Motown hit, reaching #6 on US pop and R&B charts. Soon, he was on the road performing his Motown music alongside his previous work, enamoring crowds with his bold style and upbeat music.  

As Motown moved from the 60s to the 70s, Edwin Starr stood out. His style and sound helped shift Motown in the new decade. His biggest influence came with the Vietnam War. In 1970, the songwriting duo of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote the song “War” and first offered it to the Temptations. It was used on their album Psychedelic Shack (1970). The group took a more conservative approach, changing the message from a demand to a question, especially when compared to Starr’s version. With his booming vocals, there was no question that Edwin Starr owned that song. It would become one of the most iconic protest and anti-Vietnam War songs released. It quickly climbed to #1 on the US pop charts, #3 on US R&B and broke the top 50 internationally, also earning a Grammy nomination. He followed the successful release with his 1970 album War and Peace, which saw similar success. 

His next major project was the soundtrack for the 1974 film Hell Out Of Harlem. This would be the last project at Motown as he left the label in 1975 to move to the United Kingdom, where his music was growing in popularity. Starr stayed in the U.K., continuing to record and perform, for the rest of his career.  

Edwin Starr truly earned his stage name. Since he passed away, he has been inducted into the Michigan Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. Prior to his death, “War” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

SpotifyDiscogs

Edwin Starr performing “25 Miles” in 1969 on the UpBeat TV show

Edwin Starr performing “Agent Double-O Soul”

Edwin Starr performing “War” in 2001

Motown Note

Throughout his career, Edwin Starr cited James Brown as a major inspiration for his sound.


 

Barrett Strong

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Mary Wells

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Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye

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The Temptations Featured Photo

The Temptations

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Marv Johnson

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