Detroit Travel: Enjoy the Beauty of Belle Isle Park

Belle Isle Park is an incredibly scenic destination just down river from the city of Detroit's Renaissance Center. Managed by the Detroit Recreation Department, this 982 acre (3.9 km; 2.42 sq mi) island park in the Detroit River is connected to the rest of the city by the MacArthur Bridge.

The Nature Center at Belle Isle Park offers visitors the opportunity to traverse wooded trails and view wildlife in their natural habitats.  Home to the Detroit Yacht Club, the Detroit Boat Club, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a Coast Guard post, and a municipal golf course, the park also includes a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach -- the only beach in the city of Detroit.

Originally, the island was settled by French colonists in the 18th century who named it Île aux Cochons (Hog Island). In 1845, it was given its present name. The island was landscaped in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted, a prominent urban park designer. The 1908 Belle Isle Casino building is not an actual gambling facility but rather, is used for occasional public events.  

A highlight of Belle Isle is the combination of the America's oldest public aquarium (closed in 2005) and a beautiful botanical garden in the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, built in 1904, the nation's oldest conservatory. Both the casino and the conservatory were built by Detroit architect Albert Kahn, best known for developing open floor plan for concrete factories.

As part of a military public relations effort during World War II, the island park was utilized after the invasion of Iwo Jima by the Navy and Marie Corps for a reenactment of a pacific island invasion. The island was temporarily renamed “Bella Jima” and Detroiters were treated to the sight of an island invasion without the bloodshed.  

Additional recreational options include wheelchair accessible nature trail, playground, picnic shelters, tennis and basketball courts, and baseball fields. In the 1940s, there was a canoe concession and a band shell, where canoe riders often stopped nearby to enjoy the concert.

Currently, Belle Isle is rented for one day each year for to the traditional Hindu festival of Rathayatra. 

In 1992, a temporary street race circuit was constructed on the isle for CART races. The island hosted ten events at Belle Isle from 1992-2001. In 2007, the race returned as part of the IndyCar Series and ALMS.

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