Ferndale: Downtown, Art and Parks

Ferndale offers several distinct points of interest for planning a trip: Downtown, independent small businesses, local history, public art and activities in parks. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ferndale, it helps to first identify the focus of your trip—such as shopping and entertainment, an interest in local history or places to go for walks. These different themes offer different perspectives on the area.

Downtown and the Urban Landscape

Downtown Ferndale is centered on the intersection of Woodward and Nine. The neighborhood is considered a popular local and regional destination for shopping and entertainment. Its features include public art, intimate pedestrian alleys and pocket parks, as well as welcoming streetscapes and comfortably wide sidewalks. Pedestrian signals stop traffic at the push of a button. For orientation, the intersection of Woodward and Nine is the named reference point; art, alleys and pocket parks add their own distinctive touches to the urban landscape. Downtown thus offers both shopping and entertainment, as well as public, pedestrian-friendly spaces.

Small Businesses and Local History

The Rust Belt Market is home to more than 30 independently operated small businesses. If you’d like to include independent small businesses in your trip planning alongside attractions, the market offers a distinct connection to Ferndale. The number of businesses and their independent ownership make the market a different focus from Downtown’s general shopping and entertainment offerings.

The Ferndale Historical Society operates the Ferndale Historical Museum in Ferndale, Michigan. The museum focuses on important places and events from Ferndale’s past. The Historical Society and the museum also offer research, genealogical services and other services related to the city. This connects the study of local history with specific genealogical and research offerings. If you’re interested in the past of a travel destination or in family history, this is a distinct way to get to know Ferndale.

Public Art and Activities in Parks

Ferndale Public Art includes a map for an art walk. Together with the public art that is one of Downtown’s features, art offers another distinct point of interest for planning your trip. You can consider this interest a focus in its own right, alongside shopping or local history.

Ferndale’s parks include walking and hiking trails. The city also offers a dog park open to both large and small dogs, as well as a skate park. These offerings cater to different interests: walking and hiking trails are for getting around on foot, while the dog park explicitly accommodates dogs of both sizes. The skate park is another, different activity. So in Ferndale, you’ll find both trails in the parks and specific offerings for people traveling with a dog or interested in skateboarding.

Ferndale Pride as an Event to Attend

Ferndale Pride is a free, public LGBTQAI+ festival in the heart of Downtown Ferndale. It offers a specific event to attend alongside the themes of local history, art and parks. If you’d like to plan your stay around Ferndale Pride, check the event dates before finalizing your trip.

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