Motown Museum To Add Exhibits, Theater And More With 50,000 Square Foot Expansion Project

One of Detroit’s most famous landmarks is getting a major upgrade.

The Motown Museum, housed in the Motown headquarters of Hitsville U.S.A. house, made an announcement Monday that it would be expanding upon its museum grounds. The project, a $50 million expansion, will include the building out of the museum by 50,000 square feet, according to a release issued by the museum Monday.

The Hitsville U.S.A building is a location known as the foundation area for some of Motown’s most celebrated artists, from the Supremes to the Temptations. The museum first opened in 1985 and is currently run by the Gordy family. Music executive Berry Gordy is the Motown founder.

The expansion has called for the addition of a new theater, café, and interactive museum exhibits, according to the museum’s chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry.

"When the expanded Museum opens, it will be one of Michigan’s leading cultural institutions and an even greater international tourist destination providing economic growth and regional enrichment," Terry said in the statement. "Its imprint will be far-reaching by bringing thousands of visitors to Detroit each year along with positive national and international attention."

The Museum’s initial expansion concepts will be led by Phil Freelon, the managing director of architecture and design firm Perkins + Will. Freelon led the design team for the highly anticipated Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in Sept.

The timing of the museum’s new completion is still unknown, as the process will depend on the funding the project receives, Terry told Crain’s Detroit Business. To raise the funds, the museum’s organization will begin a donor-led fundraising initiative, according to Terry.

“We feel optimistic about how the funding is going to play out,” Terry told the news outlet.

The Motown Museum is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Detroit and sees thousands of visitors a year. The museum initially outgrew its humble Hitsville U.S.A building and grew to include eight building on either side of West Grand Boulevard. According to the museum's official website, four of those buildings are still in use for the museum.

Museum-attendees can visit Studio A, the first Motown recording studio and participate in group tours to peruse famous Motown memorabilia.