20 perfect places to propose in Detroit

By Metro Times editorial staff on Thu, Dec 26, 2019 at 2:36 pm

So, you’ve been dating for six years and the pressure is on. You’ve got that gorgeous ring you bought on Etsy made with ethical stones hidden in an underwear drawer and, let’s be real, they have had the dress/tux/jumpsuit/bodypaint picked out since your first date. Now, it’s time to make shit legit. Lucky for you, the perfect spot to pop the question is close by with these Detroit locations.

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Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

4 Inselruhe Ave., Detroit; 313-821-5428; belleisleconservancy.org
What better way to celebrate your life together than to be surrounded by the very thing that makes life possible? The beautifully curated and maintained conservatory also offers a little taste of a staycation with its tropical and desert collections, as well as the fernery. As an added bonus, your post-engagement glow photo will look like a goddamn oasis.

Photo via Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory / Facebook

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The Highlands

400 Renaissance Center Fl. 71, Detroit; 313-877-9090; highlandsdetroit.com
One of the newest restaurants on the block just so happens to have the most stunning view of the city that you can possibly ask for. The Highlands, located atop the Renaissance Center on its 71st floor, gives the illusion of being in the clouds while you make your dream proposal come true.

Photo via Highlands Detroit / Facebook

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Woodlawn Cemetery

19975 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-386-0010; woodlandcemeterydetroit.com
If you’re about to commit to someone til death do you part, you might as well face mortality head on as you plot your lives together via this romantic and macabre proposal at one of Detroit’s most iconic resting places.

Photo via GoogleMaps

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The Detroit Public Library

5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-481-1300; detroitpubliclibrary.org
Yes, libraries are still a thing and Detroit’s main branch is, not only the 21st largest library in the U.S., but also one of the most beautiful interiors in the city. Italian marble and transformative murals make this spot as photogenic as it is romantic. Send your future forever person on a treasure hunt with some help from old Bill Shakespeare and lady Jane Austen.

Photo by Steve Neavling

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Campus Martius Park

800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-566-8250; downtowndetroitparks.com
If public displays of affection are your style, look no further than the heart of Downtown Detroit. Regardless of what time of the year you choose, it’s likely that something aesthetically pleasing is going on at Campus Martius. Fountains, ice skating, Instagrammable public art, a city beach, cocktails, food trucks, and music are all possibilities should you chose to pop the big one in front of hordes of Bedrock employees and suburban visitors.

Photo by Cody Ross/DetroitStockCity.com

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The Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org
Traditional museum etiquette requires soft-spoken commentary, incessant nodding, and silent reflection. There’s something particularly special about posing a big question that demands a big response while surrounded by the silent dancers of Degas or the melancholic beauties of Picasso. Let’s hope the ring is as much of a work of art as anything else at the Detroit Institute of Arts, otherwise you might be subject to a Vincent Van No-thanks.

Photo courtesy of the DIA

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Hart Plaza

1 Hart Plaza, Detroit; 313-877-8057; detroitriverfront.org
It has the word right in the dang name. Hart Plaza speaks to the heart with its Detroit River views and crazy Stargate portal that just might transport you to some freaky planet where you can get your post-engagement freak on.

Photo by Evan Gonzalez/DetroitStockCity.com

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The Heidelberg Project

3600 Heidelberg St., Detroit; 313-548-8414; heidelberg.org
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and art, too, is subjective. Enter the Heidelberg Project. If your proposal has metaphors about time, check out all the dang clocks. Or, if you want to make some comment about, um, like, life being a journey, just look at all the dang shoes! This alternative proposal spot is sure to confuse your boring-ass boomer family members and make your blushing future human stoked to have an original engagement story.

Photo by Lee DeVito

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The Whitney

4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700; thewhitney.com
If feeling like some sort of Victorian ghost is something you’re after, the historic Whitney is the place. Not only does it have some massively elegant staircases to pull your best Jack and Rose from Titanic entrance, but it’s got food, drinks, and dark and cozy corners to, well, you know.

Photo via The Whitney / Facebook

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The Belt

Between Broadway and Library Street and links Gratiot and Grand River in Detroit; thebelt.org
For the mover, shaker, and Instagram couple, there’s the Belt — Detroit’s alley with major attitude. Murals? Check. A black light-themed bar? You got it. A full-on party any day of the week? You bet.

Photo via The BELT / Facebook

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The Fisher Building

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-872-1000; thefisherbuilding.com
Albert Kahn is responsible for a slew of Detroit's most beautiful buildings. The Fisher Building, however, might be Kahn's finest work. Known as Detroit's largest art object, the Fisher was built in 1928 and serves some major art deco lewks that feel so rich your proposee will feel like royalty.

Photo via The Fisher Building / Facebook

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Masonic Temple

500 Temple Ave., Detroit; 313-832-7100; themasonic.com
Erected in 1926, the largest Masonic Temple in the world is right here in Detroit. The 16-floor, 1,037-room, neo-gothic structure is the ideal spot for a proposal that calls for something out of the ordinary. There’s ballrooms, cathedrals, a roller rink, and countless other surprises and haunts. To really up the proposal ante, the Masonic Temple is also home to the Halloween-timed Theatre Bizarre — the greatest masquerade on Earth — so you can hail Zombo and your future in one fell swoop.

Photo by Trevor Long

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Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre

2600 Atwater St., Detroit; 313-393-0292; thearetha.com
This picturesque music venue located on the Detroit River is fit for a queen. Each summer, the Aretha books a selection of legacy artists, as well as up-and-coming artists and a weekly jazz series.

Photo via Aretha Franklin Amphiltheatre/Facebook

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Candy Bar at the Siren Hotel

1509 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-277-4736; sirenhotel.com
Cozy, plush, lush, private, and pink could mean only one place: Detroit’s Candy Bar nestled in the Siren Hotel. This closet-sized glamour den screams Parisian pre-war apothecary and serves cocktails suited for a post-proposal toast.

Photo by Christian Harder courtesy of the Siren Hotel

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Lafayette Coney Island

118 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-964-8198; facebook.com/Lafayette-Coney-Island
What is more quintessentially Detroit than the coney dog? For the unexpected proposal, keep it casual with a visit to one of Detroit’s best coney spots.

Photo via Lafayette Coney Island / Facebook

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Eastern Market

2934 Russell St., Detroit; 313-833-9300; easternmarket.org
Eastern Market on a Saturday morning is one of the most quintessential Detroit experiences that just begs for a proposal. Start out with coffee and start collecting things along the way to make the proposal pop. Grab fresh flowers, some ingredients for a sexy homemade dinner, and some locally made candles, and take a knee while surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the market day. Just picture the colorful, motion-blur photo of your special proposal moment…

Photo via Eastern Market Detroit/Facebook

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Redford Theatre

17360 Lahser Rd., Detroit; 313-537-2560; redfordtheatre.com
The historic Redford Theatre has been in continuous operation since 1928 and is the proposal location for anyone looking for an old Hollywood ending — you know, minus the consumption or Dear John letters. Home to a big, beautiful, and functioning Barton organ, the Redford screens classic films, silent movies, and modern favorites, as well as film festivals and shadow cast performances.

Photo via Redford Theatre/ Facebook

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MGM Grand Casino, Immerse Spa, and hotel

1777 Third St., Detroit; 877-888-2121; mgmgranddetroit.com
Love is a gamble and so is a proposal. So, why not put it all on red and hope you hit the jackpot with a proposal at the casino where a celebration is basically built in, thanks to its luxurious hotel and spa offerings? Plus, who knows, you might just get lucky and win some cash to make wedding planning a bit more comfortable.

Photo via MGM Grand Detroit / Facebook

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Sky Deck at the Detroit Opera House

1526 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-261-5206; michiganopera.org
If you’re looking for fresh air and a breathtaking view of the city, the Detroit Opera House’s Sky Deck offers just that. Surround yourself with Detroit’s finest architecture against an open sky as you prepare to go full Lohengrin with your person-to-be.

Photo via Michigan Opera Theatre: Detroit Opera House / Facebook

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Michigan Central Station

2001 15th St., Detroit
It’s been photographed by Vogue and has been mistreated by greedy billionaires and, well, was recently resurrected by billionaires. Michigan Central Station, situated in Corktown, is one of the most iconic Detroit structures, and it's suited for a legendary, larger-than-life marriage in the making.

Photo by Jenifer Daniels/DetroitStockCity

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