Abandoned Detroit:
The Packard Plant

Motor City Auto Legacy

by

Theresa Welsh

The Packard Motor Car Company operated in the first half of the Twentieth Century, building luxury vehicles and making airplane engines during World War II in the booming city of Detroit, called the "Arsenal of Democracy" for its wartime production. The site is huge (3.5 million square feet), a large complex of buildings inside the city of Detroit, encompassing numerous structures and once providing good jobs. Cars were built on this site from 1899 to 1956 when the plant closed down.

The extensive buildings were never in use again, except for temporary purposes, and today the buildings stand abandoned, falling into ruin. Doorways are open and you can walk into the interiors and examine the debris or enjoy the show left by Detroit's talented grafitti artists. You are viewing the remains of a building designed by famous architect Albert Kahn, who created a place both functional and beautiful. It was also probably the first factory building made of reinforced concrete. The ruins of his creation still have a haunting beauty.

	The area around the old auto plant was once a bustling neighborhood, but now is mostly empty land and abandoned homes. Here, the fall colors provide a showy look.
	The buildings are centered around East Grand Blvd and Concord St. You can easily visit this site and walk around the buildings. It has been a favorite of photographers for many years.

	the site is extensive, and the graffiti artists have been working on this site for many years.



The Packard complex is multiple buildings joined by overpasses over the steeets that go through the complex. Nothing is fenced off.




More photos of the Packard Plant at Flickr. See my webpage on the Fisher Body Piquette Street plant and more photos of the Fisher Body plant at Flickr.