William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, Detroit, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is a waterfront park and marina on the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan, and it was the state's first urban state park. It is named for William G. Milliken, a longtime Michigan governor. It gives you a green, open stretch of the RiverWalk with Canada in view across the water.

The story behind it

The park sits on a river that has shaped Detroit's fortunes for centuries. The Detroit River is a narrow border crossing between the United States and Canada, and during Prohibition in the 1920s that made it a busy route for smuggled Canadian whiskey. Bootlegging fed a wave of organized crime in the city.

The best known of the city's gangs was the Purple Gang, which grew out of the Hastings Street area and was made up mostly of Jewish gangsters. It built its wealth on liquor running, extortion and violence. Its grip weakened in the early 1930s as enforcement tightened, rivalries tore it apart and several leaders were jailed or killed. Prohibition ended in 1933. Walking the riverfront today, it is easy to picture how much of that trade depended on the water in front of you.

What to look for

• The view across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario, which shows how close the international border is to downtown.
• The boats in the harbor, a rare sight in the middle of a big American city.
• The paved RiverWalk running along the water, a good place to see how the old industrial waterfront has been turned into public space.
• The downtown skyline, including the Renaissance Center, framed from the shoreline.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 60 minutes if you want to stroll the park and sit by the water, longer if you continue along the RiverWalk.
• Late afternoon is pleasant for softer light on the river and the skyline, and weekday mornings are usually quieter.
• The RiverWalk and the Dequindre Cut greenway make it easy to link this park with other parts of the riverfront on foot.
• Check current park rules, parking arrangements and any seasonal events before you go.

See it on a quest

You can reach the park on foot as one stop of Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Riverwalk, Detroit, a self-guided walk along the Detroit riverfront. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look closely at the waterfront instead of just passing through. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start any time, with no guide and no set departure.