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Detroit Institute of Arts

After a $158 million renovation, Detroit's well-respected institute reopened with updated infrastructure and galleries in late 2007. Among the nation's top six fine-arts museums, the DIA has plenty of space to show off masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Picasso, Matisse, Cezanne, Rothko, and Whistler, many of which came from the private collections of Detroit's auto barons. Be sure to see Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry. Painted in the 1930's and covering an entire courtyard—even up to the ceiling—the murals depict muscled workers laboring amid auto production line machinery, telling an underlying story about the benefits and dangers of industrial progress.

Tip: The cafeteria, CaféDIA, is unusually good for a museum, and a great place to reenergize.

Admission: $8 adults; $4 children (6-17); free for children 5 and under