Things To Do in Flint & Bishop Airport Layover Ideas

The Flint Cultural Centre was constructed in the 50s and 60s. The campus sits alongside Mott Community College and was created with a combination of local support and funds donated by General Motors. Nine separate entities operate under one organizational umbrella in a parklike setting, earning the Cultural Centre the moniker of Flint's crown jewel. The campus  includes:

• Alfred P. Sloan Museum and Automotive Gallery (see below)
• Bower Theatre 
• Flint Institute of Arts (see below)
• Flint Institute of Music
• Flint Public Library
• Longway Planetarium
• Mott Applewood Estates
• Sarvis Centre
• Whiting Auditorium

The Alfred P. Sloan Museum and the Buick Gallery & Research Centre are devoted to the documentation and interpretation of Flint's local history.

• One half of the museum features changing exhibits. 
• The other half is dedicated to Flint and the American Dream, a compelling exploration of Flint's long and tumultuous relationship the car, and the industry that built it. Displays feature anti-union philanthropist C.S. Mott, muckraking documentarian Michael Moore, the sit-down strike, and the 1960's sit-in over racist housing compacts.
• The Buick Gallery and Research Centre (located one block away at 303 Walnut Street) features classic General Motors cars (including rare concept cars).

The Flint Instutute of Arts has a permanent collection of 7,000 works of a near-encyclopedic scope. Highlights of the 600 years of artworks from 5 continents include paintings by Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt and other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, a grand display of 17th century French tapestries, and an exquisite collection of 18th and 19th century paperweights. Definitely worth a visit!

The Motor Cities National Heritage Area -- Flint is an undertaking of the National Park Service to present and teach the public about the growth of America's automotive industry.

• Pick up literature at Sloan Museum (see above) and plan what you will see first on your self-directed tour
• You can go on a walking or driving tour to see sites, some very poignant, such as:
•      The former Buick-City automotive plant (used to manufacture Sherman tanks during World War II)
•      The Fisher Body Plants (a 30's sit-down strike here led to the recognition of the United Auto Workers (UAW))
•      Miles of brownfield left by the recent demolition of Flint's largest factories
•      Still-beautiful bungalows built for autoworkers in the struggling Civic Park neighborhood
•      Stately neoclassical manors of the still-affluent Woodcroft neighborhood. 
• Be aware that many areas are far off-the-beaten-path, so you are advised to travel in groups and tour during the daytime.

The Flint Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau sponsors a Walking Tour of Downtown Flint. While intended to encourage investment, this self-guided tour of downtown Flint features an emphasis on the surprisingly diverse local architecture. The city's skyline features a well-preserved collection of significant Art Deco construction.

The What's Up, Downtown? tour is a marketing initiative, so beware (there's an emphasis on pricey condos), but if you can ignore the push, it's actually worth your time. The tour is a good way to become acquainted with downtown Flint and the vicissitudes of its fortunes over the decades. Tours operate based on demand, typically during spring, summer and fall.

The Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 316 Water Street, is the official tourism information provider for the City of Flint.