Ford Rouge Factory Tour Provides a Look at Automobile History

Situated just south of Detroit in Dearborn, where the Rouge and Detroit Rivers meet, the massive Ford Rouge Factory was the pride and joy of entrepreneur Henry Ford and remains Ford Motor Company's largest single industrial complex. Once comprised of 93 buildings, nearly 16 million square feet of factory floor space, and 120 miles of conveyor belts, the Ford Rouge Factory - at its pinnacle prior to World War II - once employed 100,000 workers.

While the complex has dwindled in size since the early days of automobile production, guests to the factory can still experience the glory days of the Ford Motor Company by participating in a fascinating tour of the complex. This six-part, mostly-self-guided tour of the factory, where the company's F-150 trucks are now produced, provides an excellent look at the history of automobile manufacturing in general and, more specifically, Ford's dominance of the industry from the 1920s until the 1960s.

The tour begins on the grounds of the Henry Ford Museum where ticket holders board a bus for an excursion through what remains of the complex. Knowledgeable museum employees take visitors on a narrated driving tour past notable Rouge Factory landmarks, educating guests on the colorful history of the factory, its owner, and its employees.

The other five parts of the tour are self-guided and include a visit to The Legacy Theater to view a 13-minute film on the history of Ford Motor Company's factory, including rare footage about "triumphs and tragedies'' surrounding the Rouge complex. In addition, a multi-sensory, virtual reality-type theater puts guests in the middle of the manufacturing process via a 360-degree movie entitled "The Art of Manufacturing.''

Guests can also make their way to the 80-foot-high observation deck to view the Rouge factory's living roof, the largest in the world. The roof is part of Ford's attempts to go "green'' as they near the second decade of the new millennium, recognizing the impact the auto industry has had on the environment.

In the Assembly Plant Walking Tour portion of the tour, visitors will be permitted to view the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant where new F-150s are assembled. An elevated walkway provides an excellent view of the final assembly process. Because production varies from month to month, the company does not guarantee that tour participants will be able to observe production on the day of their visit.

Finally, the last stop, the Legacy Gallery, is a tribute to Ford's contributions to the auto industry and features five historic vehicles for visitors to admire, new F-150s for guests to explore, and a factory store where tour attendees can purchase Ford-related souvenirs.