DETROIT – From the first roll of steel all the way to the first time a car is started and drives off the assembly line, auto plant tours can be fun, educational – and free. With summer vacation season near, sightseeing trips can include a couple hours learning how General Motors is playing a role in America’s manufacturing recovery.
Here are a few visitor-friendly GM plants and related facilities from the East Coast to west of the Mississippi River.
- Tonawanda Engine Plant, Buffalo, N.Y. (FREE) Niagara Falls in your vacation plans? Take aside trip to see how the engines of some of the best-selling GM vehicles are made.
- Baltimore Transmission Plant, Baltimore, Md. (FREE) The Baltimore Transmission Plant boasts some of the most modern technology in engine building and is among GM’s most environmentally friendly plants. The nation’s capital is nearby, and so is Baltimore National Harbor.
- National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Ky. ($10 adult; $5 child age 6-16) Just across I-65 from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant that is home of all Corvette production, the museum is a tour de force of all things Corvette. And it is just 66 miles south of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn.
- Fairfax Assembly & Stamping Plant, Kansas City, Kan. (FREE) One of the only GM plants where you can see the full assembly process – from the first rolls of metal stamped into body panels, through the body shop, paint shop and into general assembly, where the car is started for the very first time. On the east side of the Mississippi is the “other” Kansas City famous for BBQ, including Oklahoma Joe’s. While in Missouri, visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
- General Motors Renaissance Center, Detroit (FREE) The General Motors Global Headquarters at the Renaissance Center features displays of GM’s latest vehicles, occasional special vehicle displays and many shops and restaurants. The American League Champion Detroit Tigers play at Comerica Park and the famed Detroit Institute of Arts is enjoying a rebirth following a major renovation.
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