The Motown Museum unveiled its most ambitious expansion in decades on Wednesday, transforming the Hitsville USA campus in New Center with state-of-the-art interactive exhibits that bring the label’s storied history to life in ways that traditional museum displays never could.
The 50,000-square-foot addition, which broke ground in 2023 and cost $50 million to complete, officially opens to the public this Saturday with exhibits spanning three floors dedicated to the artists, producers, and behind-the-scenes figures who shaped American popular music from 1959 onward.
“Today we celebrate not just a building, but a portal into the soul of Detroit,” said Motown Museum President and CEO David Naglieri during Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “These exhibits tell stories that deserve to be told in ways that honor the people who lived them.”
The expansion includes three major exhibition spaces. The ground floor, titled “From Studio A to the World,” features a full-scale recreation of the original Studio A where Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and The Supremes recorded some of their greatest hits. Visitors can step into the actual recording booth and hear isolated vocal tracks and instrumental recordings through individual headsets.
Interactive Technology Changes the Museum Experience
The second floor, “The Hitsville Story,” uses augmented reality technology to overlay archival footage and interviews onto the museum’s original spaces. When visitors point their museum-provided tablets at certain walls and objects, they see video testimonies from surviving Motown legends discussing specific songs and recording sessions.
One exhibit allows visitors to use motion sensors to “conduct” a Motown orchestra. As they move their hands, they control the mix of different instrumental tracks from “My World Is Empty Without You,” a lesser-known James Brown recording that influenced Motown’s sound.
The third floor focuses on Motown’s impact on social movements and civil rights. Titled “Music as a Weapon of Change,” this section examines how artists like Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5 used their platforms to address racism, poverty, and war during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s.
“We wanted to make sure young people understood that Motown wasn’t just entertainment,” said Dr. Yvonne Moore, the museum’s Chief Curator, in an interview Wednesday. “These artists were activists. They were conscious of the world around them, and their music reflected that consciousness.”
New Spaces for Education and Engagement
The expansion also includes a 200-seat performance venue called the Studio A Live Stage, which will host educational programming, artist talks, and live music performances from emerging Detroit musicians. The museum has already booked performances from local acts including Lizzo collaborator Jensen, singer-songwriter Zoe Wees, and jazz pianist Robert Glasper, whose first performance is scheduled for March 15.
A new learning center occupies an entire floor of the addition, featuring production equipment where students and visitors can record their own music. The museum plans to partner with Detroit Public Schools to bring 5,000 students through the facility during the 2026-27 school year for free, hands-on music education.
“Access was our north star throughout this expansion,” said Naglieri. “We didn’t want to build something beautiful that only rich people could experience. This is for everyone who loves music and loves Detroit.”
Admission prices remain unchanged at $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Detroit residents with proof of residency get in free on Thursdays.
Economic Impact on New Center
Local leaders say the expansion will draw more visitors to the New Center neighborhood, which has experienced significant revitalization over the past decade. The museum currently attracts approximately 300,000 visitors annually, and museum officials project that number will increase by 40 percent following the expansion.
The museum’s gift shop has also expanded to three times its previous size, featuring not just Motown memorabilia but also works from local Detroit artists and craftspeople. Museum officials say roughly 70 percent of the gift shop’s inventory comes from Detroit vendors.
“This is exactly the kind of cultural anchor that makes neighborhoods thrive,” said Ward 2 City Councilman Gabe Leland, who attended Thursday’s ceremony. “We’re expecting to see growth in restaurants, hotels, and retail in the surrounding blocks.”
The museum is already working on phase two of the expansion, which will focus on Motown’s later era from 1990 onward and is expected to break ground in 2027. Museum officials are also exploring ways to digitize Motown’s entire archive of master recordings, a project they say could take three to five years and cost upwards of $8 million.
“We’re just getting started,” Naglieri said. “There’s so much more story to tell.”
The expanded Motown Museum opens to the public Saturday, January 25, with extended hours through February 28. For more information, visit motownmuseum.org.
