50+ Date Ideas in Southeast Michigan

In my opinion, there’s a few things needed for a marriage to last. 1: You need to communicate everything to your significant other. 2: You need to have chemistry {you know what I’m getting at }. 3: You must make time for each other. In my world of toddler chasing and baby feedings, this means planning a date night every once in a while.

This past weekend, Jason and I were able to go out on a date. We didn’t do anything too crazy, but we had so much fun. It was nice just chatting with him, eating an amazing meal {while hot!} and holding each other’s hands like we did prior to needing to hold our children’s hands instead.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create another big list — this time focusing on date ideas in Southeast Michigan. While I didn’t attempt to list every single spot, I think I have a good chunk started here based mostly off my own experiences or through friends. Please leave a comment with any suggestions you may have.

I broke the ideas into categories, so you can pick an idea based on your mood/budget/personality. Happy date night planning!

FOR ADVENTURE:

• Take one of several walking tours with Preservation Wayne {Detroit}
• Rent a bicycle built for two at Wheelhouse Detroit {Detroit}
• Visit Eastern Market and purchase fresh ingredients for a meal you make at home together {Detroit}
• Segway tour in Plymouth
• Segway tour in Detroit
• Drink some brews and gamble on horses at the Hazel Park Racetrack
• Blow off some steam at a local shooting range {multiple locations}
• Climb walls at Planet Rock {Pontiac and Ann Arbor}
• Do a strolling dinner and get an app, entrée, drink and dessert at various places. Head to downtown Milford, Brighton, Plymouth, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Rochester, Northville or Lansing for walkable towns with multiple places for food and drinks!

FOR SCENERY:

• Tour Ford House {Grosse Pointe}
• Belle Isle {Detroit}
• Rent paddleboats at Kensington Metropark {Milford}
• Rent a canoe or kayak in Milford or at Gallup Park {Ann Arbor}
• Visit Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum {Ann Arbor}
• Walk the gardens at Meadowbrook Hall {Rochester}
• Walk the gardens at Cranbrook {Bloomfield Hills}
• Walk through the gardens at MSU {Lansing}
• Detroit Princess Cruise
• Ovation Yacht {St. Clair Shores}
• Walk around the Mill Pond in Brighton
• Walk or bike the Detroit Riverwalk and Dequindre Cut {Detroit}
• Take a scenic horseback ride at Maybury State Park {Northville}

FOR LAUGHS:

• Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle {Royal Oak}
• Joey’s Comedy Club {Livonia}
• Laff Tracks {Novi}
• Go! Comedy {Ferndale}
• Drag Queen Bingo {Royal Oak}
• Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase
• Connxtions {Lansing and Toledo}

FOR PURE FUN:

• Feed the animals at Domino’s Petting Farm {Ann Arbor}
• Detroit Zoo {Royal Oak}
• Bowl at Lucky Strike {Novi}
• Cheer on the Detroit Derby Girls, Brighton Roller Dollz, Ann Arbor Derby Dimes or Lansing Derby Vixens {Many more teams across Michigan listed here}
• Ford-Wyoming Drive-In {Dearborn}
• See an old movie at Redford Theater {Detroit}
• Grab quarters for games at Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum {Farmington Hills} or Pinball Pete’s {Ann Arbor}
• Visit Cadieux Café  for feather bowling {Detroit}
• Play darts or shoot pool {Visit this list to see locations}
• Magic Bag for Brew & View or a concert {Ferndale}
• Visit any of the area’s casinos {See this list for ideas}
• Play trivia at any Buffalo Wild Wings locations
• Sign up for a cooking class at Mirepoix Cooking School {Located in Holiday Market in Royal Oak} or Ann Arbor Cooks
• Gaze at the stars at an evening event at the Longway Planetarium {Flint}

FOR CULTURE:

• Detroit Institute of Arts
• Visit Greektown {Detroit}
• See a show by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
• Grab a drink and listen to live jazz at Cliff Bell’s or Baker’s Keyboard Lounge {Detroit}
• The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village {Dearborn}
• Get artsy at Painting With A Twist {Farmington, Ferndale and Lansing locations}
• Dirty Dog Jazz Café {Grosse Pointe}
• See an indie flick at the Michigan Theater {Ann Arbor}
• Watch a performance at the Flint Institute of Music
• See a show at The Whiting {Flint}
• Flint Institute of Arts

FOR A ROMANTIC DINNER:

• The Whitney {Detroit}
• Opus One {Detroit}
• Coach Insignia {Detroit} — If you can’t afford a meal, sit at the bar to order drinks and enjoy the view!
• The Lark {West Bloomfield}
• Da Francesco’s {Shelby Township}
• Bacco Ristorante {Southfield}
• West End Grill {Ann Arbor}
• Troppo {Lansing}
• RiverHouse Inn {Williamston}
• Luca’s Chophouse {Grand Blanc}
• Holly Hotel {Holly}

FOR A LOCAL NIGHT AWAY:

• MotorCity Casino Hotel + DTour Spa {Detroit}
• Inn on Ferry Street {Detroit}
• Westin Book Cadillac + Roast restaurant {Detroit}
• The Townsend Hotel {Birmingham}
• The Inn at St. John’s {Plymouth}
• Royal Park Hotel {Rochester}
• English Inn {Eaton Rapids}

Where are your favorite places to go on a date night?