QLINE / Stop 9 of 12
QLINE stopFerry Street
Two curbside platforms · the QLINE’s museum stop
The QLINE’s museum stop in the Cultural Center: the Detroit Institute of Arts with Diego Rivera’s frescoes, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Main Library and the historic houses of East Ferry Avenue.
Live GPS positions
- Platforms
- two curbside platforms
- District
- Midtown, Cultural Center
- From Congress Street
- 20 min
- From Grand Boulevard
- 4 min
- Sponsor in 2017
- FCA (now Stellantis)
01 / Story
The stop’s story
The official QLINE site recommends Ferry as its “Art, Culture & History” stop, and there’s no better description. To the east is the Detroit Institute of Arts: Paul Philippe Cret’s white marble palace was dedicated on October 7, 1927, and its central court is wrapped in Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry frescoes, painted in 1932 and 1933. To the west stands the Detroit Historical Museum, opened on July 24, 1951, the 250th anniversary of Detroit’s founding, next to the Main Library designed by Cass Gilbert.
Rivera’s frescoes were commissioned by Edsel Ford; the two main walls show workers at Ford’s River Rouge plant, and since 2014 the murals have been a National Historic Landmark. In June 2024 the QLINE’s cars were wrapped for the Kresge Foundation’s 100th anniversary, tied to its exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum right by the stop.
The stop’s first headline wasn’t glorious: on July 24, 2017 a Jeep turned into a streetcar at Woodward and Ferry, leaving only cosmetic damage. The Ferry stop was sponsored in 2017 by FCA, today’s Stellantis.
- The Detroit Institute of Arts and Diego Rivera’s frescoes
- The Detroit Historical Museum
- The Main Library designed by Cass Gilbert
- The historic houses of East Ferry Avenue
02 / From the window
What you see from here
On your right the Detroit Institute of Arts, and toward Farnsworth Street the Scarab Club artists’ club; on your left the Detroit Historical Museum. East along the cross street, East Ferry Avenue is lined with historic houses, among them the former home of art collector Charles Lang Freer.
03 / Timeline
The stop’s timeline
The DIA building is dedicated
Paul Philippe Cret’s white marble palace on Woodward.
Rivera’s frescoes
Diego Rivera paints the Detroit Industry murals.
The Historical Museum opens
On the 250th anniversary of Detroit’s founding.
National Historic Landmark
Rivera’s frescoes are named a National Historic Landmark.
The stop opens
The stop is sponsored by FCA, today’s Stellantis.
The first notable crash
A Jeep turns into a streetcar at Ferry.
Kresge 100
Anniversary wraps on the cars and an exhibit at the Historical Museum.
The streetcar stops here every fifteen minutes, free of charge.
04 / Did you know?
Did you know?
A 2014 appraisal valued the DIA’s collection at up to $8.1 billion.
The Detroit Historical Museum grew from the collection of attorney and historian Clarence M. Burton, who gave it to the city library in 1914.
The 701-meter wired section from Hancock Street ends at Ferry Street; farther north you’ll only see short stretches of wire, such as the one above the Amsterdam Street stop.
A closer look
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-26
Every fact is sourced. Where sources disagree (the number of stops, the weight of the cars or the construction cost, for example) we follow the primary, official source and say so in the text. The timetable comes from the QLINE’s official GTFS data and live positions from the RTA’s feed.
- QLINE – On the Line ↗
- City of Detroit Open Data – QLine Stops ↗
- QLINE – Plan your ride (archived 2017) ↗
- M-1 RAIL – QLINE Annual Report 2024 (PDF) ↗
- City of Detroit Open Data – QLine M1 OnWire ↗
- Crain’s, 2017-07-24 – QLine streetcar damaged in minor accident (archived) ↗
- Wikipedia – Detroit Institute of Arts ↗
- Wikipedia – Detroit Industry Murals ↗
- Wikipedia – Detroit Historical Museum ↗
- Wikipedia – Detroit Public Library ↗
- Wikipedia – East Ferry Avenue Historic District ↗
- Wikipedia – Scarab Club ↗
05 / Nearby
Places within walking distance
Quarter Detroit places around the stop, with straight-line distances.
2 min walk · 95 mPark SheltonA 12-story apartment hotel next to the Detroit Institute of Arts (1926 to the 1970s), where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo lived in 1932. Condominiums today.
2 min walk · 110 mBasBlueNonprofit clubhouse for women and non-binary people in a restored Midtown mansion, with a public café and event rooms.
2 min walk · 139 mThe Inn on Ferry StreetFour Victorian mansions and a carriage house on Midtown's East Ferry Avenue, a block from the Detroit Institute of Arts: 33 one-of-a-kind rooms, and your dog can come too.
3 min walk · 163 mDetroit Historical MuseumOld streets, factory stories, and musical memories bring Detroit’s past within reach.
3 min walk · 201 mCommon Pub DetroitPub and restaurant on Wayne State's campus that doubles as a queer-friendly Midtown hangout, with Drag Race watch parties and drag brunches.
4 min walk · 270 mDetroit Institute of ArtsDiego Rivera’s monumental murals, celebrated artists, and a museum where Detroit’s own story comes into view.
5 min walk · 277 mDetroit Public Library — Main LibraryReading rooms, murals, and marble stairs make Detroit’s Main Library an architectural destination.- 5 min walk · 301 mRainbow Movie Night – Wayne State UniversityQueer film nights run by Wayne State's Center for Gender and Sexuality at the campus Community Arts Auditorium, sometimes with a drag show.
5 min walk · 307 mKresge CourtThe DIA's indoor-courtyard café: coffee, wine, sandwiches and charcuterie between galleries.
Around the stop, from the official QLINE list and the map
- Detroit Historical Museum 2 min
Detroit’s story since 1951, from cobblestone streets to the auto assembly line.
- East Ferry Avenue 2 min
Two blocks of historic homes, including the Hecker and Freer houses.
- Detroit Institute of Arts 4 min
More than a hundred galleries, Diego Rivera’s frescoes and one of the country’s great collections.
- Detroit Public Library 4 min
The Main Library in Vermont marble, in Italian Renaissance style.
- Scarab Club 6 min
An artists’ club, gallery and studios on Farnsworth Street, near the DIA.
06 / Events
Events near the stop
Upcoming events at venues around the stop.
Oct 17, 2026, 11:00 AMGuided Tour
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkDetroit Historical Society docents lead a guided tour on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11 a.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum in Detroit. Expect insider context on key exhibits; tickets are free, with museum admission required separately.
Oct 17, 2026, 1:00 PMGuided Tour
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkDocent-led guided tour by Detroit Historical Society on Saturday, October 17, at 1 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum in Detroit. Get context on key exhibitions and artifacts; tickets are free, with museum admission required separately.
Oct 24, 2026, 9:00 AMHustle HERS: Women Entrepreneurs Resource Summit
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkThe Detroit Historical Society hosts a one-day summit for women entrepreneurs on Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum in Detroit. Expect practical resources, financial coaching and speakers who have built their own businesses. Admission is free, but you need to register.
Oct 25, 2026, 1:00 PMTreats in the Streets Sensory-friendly Hour
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkDetroit Historical Society hosts a sensory-friendly Halloween hour on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum in Detroit. Explore The Streets of Old Detroit at your own pace with a scavenger hunt, crafts, and coloring; tickets are free, limited to six per family, and this session is reserved for those who need a quieter environment.
Oct 25, 2026, 2:30 PMTreats in the Streets
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkDetroit Historical Society throws a family Halloween afternoon at the Detroit Historical Museum: Treats in the Streets starts Sunday, October 25, at 2:30 p.m. in Detroit. Explore The Streets of Old Detroit with a scavenger hunt, crafts, and a dance party with Fangs and Twang; free tickets, limit 10 per family.
Oct 29, 2026, 5:00 PMFree Admission 5-8pm
Detroit Historical Museum · 3 min walkThe Detroit Historical Society opens the Detroit Historical Museum for free on Thursday, October 29, from 5 to 8 p.m., as part of its Quad Anniversary celebration. Student lectures start at 6:30 p.m., and those require registration.