Flint Facts
Fact 1: Crossroads Village, an open-air living history museum, features over 30 historic buildings. In addition to homes, mills, offices, and shops – all decked out in 1800s style – the village boasts a genuine paddlewheel riverboat, a 1910 Ferris wheel, a beautifully restored 1912 carousel, Michigan's oldest operating gristmill, and the Huckleberry Railroad. Children will have a blast while they learn something about Michigan's history, and adults will appreciate the authenticity of the costumed "inhabitants."
Fact 2: Adjacent to Crossroads Village is The Mott Hashbarger Children's Farm, the perfect place to head for an afternoon of family fun. The working farm features beautiful gardens, antique farm equipment (even tractors!), and of course, plenty of animals.
Fact 3: While it's known as the birthplace of the Corvette, Flint was the proud home of the sporty model for just one year, 1953. Manufacture of the Corvette moved to a facility in St Louis in 1954.
Fact 4: The Flint Farmers Market is held year round on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. One of the largest of its kind in the state, the market attracts locals and visitors alike. Find the freshest of Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables, flowers, meat and fish, even baked goods.
Fact 5: The Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame honors local athletes and inducts new members every year. Athletes come from various backgrounds, both professional and amateur, including high school and college students. To date, hundreds of athletes have been honored, with high school seniors receiving a financial award. The selection committee also bestows an award for outstanding community service. The Hall of Fame is housed in room B-1 at the Flint Public Library.
Fact 6: Flint is most famous for being the birthplace of General Motors, founded by William Durant. If you're interested in exploring the exciting history of General Motors' nascence or if you're a lover of antique cars, the Sloan Museum contains enough historical artifacts, automobiles and antiques to satiate even the most demanding history and car buffs.
Fact 7: The world's largest collection of vintage Buicks is housed in the Buick Gallery and Research Center in Flint. A pioneer wagon manufacturer by the name of James H. Whitting was ultimately responsible for bringing Buick to Flint.
Fact 8: Day or night, you can see stars in Flint. With a galactic 60 foot dome, the Longway Planetarium is Michigan's largest planetarium. It also contains over 280 seats.
Fact 9: The Flint Cultural Center on Kearsley Street is home to several arts organizations, including the Sloan Museum, Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Institute of Music, and Longway Planetarium. Also located on the 30-acre campus are various theaters, which offer performances for every taste, from classical concerts to children's theater, ballet to Broadway.
Fact 10: While best known for being the birthplace of GM, Flint also has a musical heritage. It was the birthplace of the talented jazz singer Betty Carter.
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