Ypsilanti's rich historical significance is showcased by our outstanding Museums throughout the year. The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation's annual Historic Home Tour is one of the highlights of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. The City of Ypsilanti also pioneered the concept of Historic Districts in Michigan and remains one of the largest in the state.

Originally a trading post established in 1809 by Gabriel Godfroy, a French-Canadian fur trader from Montreal, a permanent settlement was established on the east side of the Huron River in 1823 by Major Thomas Woodruff. It was incorporated into the Territory of Michigan as the village Woodruff's Grove. A separate community, a short distance away on the west side of the river, was established in 1825 under the name "Ypsilanti", after Romanian-born Demetrius Ypsilanti, a hero in the Greek war for independence. Woodruff's Grove changed its name to Ypsilanti in 1829, and the two communities eventually merged.

Ypsilanti has played an important role in the automobile industry. It was in Ypsilanti that Preston Tucker designed and built the prototypes for his Tucker Torpedo car.

In 1945, Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Frazer bought Ypsilanti's Willow Run B-24 Liberator bomber plant and in 1947 began the production of Kaiser and Frazer model cars. The last Kaiser car made in Ypsilanti rolled off the assembly line in 1953, when the company merged with Willys-Overland and moved production to Toledo, Ohio. General Motors purchased the Kaiser-Frazer plant, and converted it into its Hydramatic Division, beginning production in November 1953.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS, MUSEUMS AND TOURS	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Friends of the Border To Border Trail Scenic Walk Meet at South End of Riverside Park Short guided walk on a scenic trail along the Huron River in the Water Street redevelopment area. www.bordertoborder.org	7pm	1pm	1pm
$ Michigan Firehouse Museum c.1898 110 W. Cross Street www.michiganfirehousemuseum.org	10am-4pm	10am-4pm	Noon-4pm
Riverside Arts Center c.1909 76 N. Huron Street www.riversidearts.org       Gallery: The Ypsi Project www.ypsiproject.com 3pm-9pm 10am-3pm 1:30pm-4pm Opening Reception: Saturday, August 7, 5-7pm $ Theater: Bare Thursday, August 19 8pm www.dynamicstageproductions.com Thurs: 8pm Friday: 8pm Sat: 8pm Sun: 2pm
$ Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum 100 E. Cross Street www.ypsiautoheritage.org	Noon-8pm	10am-8pm	11am-5pm
Ypsilanti Freight House Depot Town Restoration in Progress www.foyf.org	Noon-8pm	10am-8pm	11am-5pm
Ypsilanti Garden Club $ Heritage Garden Tour For ticket information www.ypsilantigardenclub.org		Noon--5pm
Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation $ 33rd Annual Historic Home Tour For ticket information: www.yhf.org			Noon--5pm
Ypsilanti Historical Museum c.1860 220 N. Huron Street www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org	4-6pm	11-6pm	Noon-4pm