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Pontiac is a city of about 61,000 people and the seat of Oakland County, Michigan, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Detroit. Founded in 1818 and named after the Odawa leader Pontiac, it grew into a carriage and then automobile manufacturing center, lending its name to the General Motors Pontiac brand, and was later home to the Pontiac Silverdome, where the Detroit Lions played for decades.
After years of decline, downtown Pontiac is reviving. Saginaw Street, the spine of the Pontiac Commercial Historic District, is lined with early 20th-century buildings, and the beautifully restored Flagstar Strand Theatre hosts concerts and shows. The Crofoot, a music venue in a historic downtown block, draws touring bands, and the Phoenix Center amphitheater hosts outdoor events.
Car culture is still alive at M1 Concourse, a motorsport complex with a private racetrack that opens to the public for events. Pine Grove, the former home of Michigan governor Moses Wisner, preserves local history. The lakes of Oakland County, Auburn Hills and the Woodward Avenue corridor are all close by.
A 1920s theater on Saginaw Street in downtown Pontiac, restored and reopened as a performing arts center with concerts, comedy, film screenings and community events. Its ornate interior is a highlight of the downtown revival. Check the calendar, and pair a show with dinner at a nearby restaurant.
A popular music venue in a historic downtown Pontiac building, with several rooms of different sizes, from an intimate lounge to a larger ballroom, hosting touring indie, rock, hip-hop and electronic acts. Shows are often all ages. Buy tickets ahead for popular acts and check the age rules for each show.
A distinctive downtown structure that combines a parking deck with an outdoor amphitheater and plaza, used for summer concerts, festivals and community gatherings. Its unusual design is part of Pontiac's 1980s urban renewal history. Check the city and venue calendars for events during the warmer months.
A motorsport destination on the site of a former GM plant, with a private racetrack, garages for car collectors, a restaurant and event spaces. It opens to the public for car shows, cruise nights and special events, especially around the Woodward Dream Cruise. Check the event calendar, as access is otherwise limited.
The restored 1840s home of Moses Wisner, Michigan governor during the Civil War era, set on wooded grounds with a summer kitchen, a one-room schoolhouse and a research library run by the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society. Tours are offered on limited days, so check ahead before visiting.
The historic core of downtown Pontiac along Saginaw Street, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with brick and stone commercial buildings from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Many now hold restaurants, bars and galleries. It is best explored on foot, especially before or after a show.
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