The Guardian Building is a National Historic Landmark Art Deco skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit‘s Financial District. Completed in 1929, it is widely regarded as one of the most significant Art Deco buildings in the world. This guide covers opening hours, tours, parking, transport, accessibility, and practical tips for planning your visit.
Last updated: June 2026. Many older guides still describe free public lobby tours by Pure Detroit, which are no longer listed on the official site and are no longer offered.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 500 Griswold Street, Detroit, MI 48226 |
| Lobby access hours | Monday–Friday 8:00am–6:00pm; Saturday 10:00am–5:00pm |
| Entry price | Free (lobby access); guided tours $15 per person |
| Tour operator | Tour Detroit / City Tour Detroit, Suite 250, same building |
| Phone | (313) 963-4567 (building); (313) 757-1283 (Tour Detroit) |
| Nearest transit | People Mover: Financial District or Cadillac Center stations |
| Parking | Griswold Larned Garage (directly across the street) |
| Typical visit length | 30–60 minutes self-guided; ~50 minutes on a guided tour |
Guardian Building opening hours
The building lobby is accessible to the public Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm, and Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm. The building is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
The Guardian Building is an active Class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan. Access is to the publicly accessible areas only — offices and upper floors are not open to general visitors.
Guided tours run on weekend days, subject to availability. Check current tour times on the Tour Detroit website before visiting, as tours can sell out weeks in advance, particularly in summer.
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Guardian Building ticket prices
Lobby access is free. No ticket or booking is required to enter the main lobby, promenade, and publicly accessible areas during building hours.
Guided tours cost $15 per person, run by Tour Detroit (City Tour Detroit), based in Suite 250 within the building. Tours are approximately 45–50 minutes and include areas not accessible to self-guided visitors, including the former bank vault area.
Note on vault access: Reaching the former vault area on the guided tour requires descending approximately 25 steps. On weekend tours, the shop and promenade also require climbing approximately 25 steps. There is no elevator access to these sections. The rest of the building — lobby, promenade, and exterior — is fully accessible.
Free cancellation applies up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund.
The Guardian Building is not included in any Detroit city pass scheme. Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in June 2026.
How to get to the Guardian Building
By People Mover: The Detroit People Mover is a 2.9-mile elevated light rail loop around downtown. The Financial District station and Cadillac Center station are both within a short walk of the building on Griswold Street.
By bus: DDOT and SMART bus routes serve downtown Detroit. Multiple routes stop on or near Griswold Street and Woodward Avenue.
By car: The Guardian Building is at the corner of Griswold Street and Congress Street in the Financial District. From I-75 or I-375, take the Lafayette/Monroe exit and follow signs to the Financial District.
On foot: The building is a 5-minute walk from Campus Martius Park and roughly 10 minutes from the Detroit Riverfront.
Parking at the Guardian Building
The Griswold Larned Garage is located directly across the street from the Guardian Building and is the recommended option for visitors arriving by car. Weekend parking is typically available for around $10, though prices increase during events. Online parking tools such as ParkWhiz can help find alternatives if the garage is full. Street parking (metered) is available nearby; download the ParkDetroit app to pay.
How long to spend at the Guardian Building
Allow 30 to 60 minutes for a self-guided lobby visit. The main lobby, vaulted ceiling, Griswold Street entrance, and promenade can all be explored freely in that time. A guided tour adds approximately 50 minutes and covers areas not otherwise accessible, including the vault.
Accessibility at the Guardian Building
The main lobby, building exterior, and most publicly accessible areas are wheelchair accessible. However, the former vault area on the guided tour requires descending approximately 25 steps with no elevator alternative. On weekend tours, the promenade and shop area also requires ascending approximately 25 steps. Visitors with mobility requirements should contact Tour Detroit in advance to discuss options.
What to see at the Guardian Building
The main lobby and Griswold Street entrance
The Griswold Street entrance is crowned with a semi-dome of custom tiles made by Pewabic Pottery, Detroit’s own historic ceramics studio. The entrance reliefs were designed by Detroit architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci.
The main lobby is the building’s showpiece. Its vaulted ceiling is lined with brilliantly coloured Rookwood tiles from Cincinnati. The walls use a combination of Italian Travertine marble, deep red Numidian marble imported from Africa, and Tennessee Tavernelle marble. Michigan artist Ezra Winter designed both the large glass mosaic in the main lobby and the spectacular mural in the original banking hall.
The promenade and banking hall
The promenade runs through the nave-like central block connecting the building’s two towers. A large ornamental screen in Monel metal divides the banking hall from the main lobby. The scale and craftsmanship of the banking hall — now largely used for events — gives the strongest sense of why the building was nicknamed the “Cathedral of Finance”.
The exterior
The building’s exterior is faced with custom tangerine-coloured bricks (later marketed by the manufacturer as “Guardian Brick”) resting on a granite base. Polychromed terra cotta on the upper storeys was deliberately over-scaled for visibility from street level. The building’s two towers — a taller north tower and a smaller octagonal south tower — are best appreciated from the pavement on Griswold Street or from across Congress Street.
Guided tour highlights
The Tour Detroit guided tour covers the lobby and promenade, takes visitors to the building exterior for context on the architecture, and descends to the historic lower-level vault area — a part of the building closed to self-guided visitors — complete with the stories of the gold the vaults once held. The tour meets in the building; check in at the Tour Detroit office in Suite 250 on the promenade level.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book the guided tour well in advance | Weekend tours sell out weeks ahead in summer and autumn. The Tour Detroit page warns explicitly that this is the case. Book online as soon as your plans are confirmed. |
| Self-guided visits are free but limited | You can explore the lobby and promenade freely for free during opening hours. The vault area and some upper spaces are only accessible on a paid guided tour. |
| The building is an active office building | Conduct appropriate to a working office environment is expected throughout. No outside food or beverages are permitted, except those purchased on site. Service animals only — no pets. |
| Photography is welcome in public areas | Personal non-commercial photography is generally permitted in public areas.Commercial or professional shoots may require permission. |
| The building is closed on Sundays | This catches visitors off guard. If your trip is weekend-only, Saturday is your only option for lobby access. Tours also run on Saturdays — check Tour Detroit for availability. |
Frequently asked questions about the Guardian Building
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Guardian Building free to visit? | Lobby access is free during building hours. Guided tours cost $15 per person and must be booked through Tour Detroit. |
| Do you need to book to visit the Guardian Building? | No booking is needed for the free lobby visit. Guided tours must be booked in advance via the Tour Detroit website, as they sell out regularly. |
| Is the Guardian Building open on Sundays? | No. The building is open Monday–Friday 8am–6pm and Saturday 10am–5pm only. It is closed on Sundays. |
| Is the Guardian Building wheelchair accessible? | The lobby, exterior, and most public areas are accessible. The former vault section of the guided tour requires descending 25 steps with no elevator alternative. Contact Tour Detroit before booking if accessibility is a concern. |
| Is the Guardian Building included in a Detroit city pass? | No. It is not part of any pass scheme. Lobby access is free; guided tours are $15 per person through Tour Detroit. |
Things to do near the Guardian Building
- Detroit Riverwalk (~10 minutes’ walk) — A 5.5-mile waterfront promenade along the Detroit River with views across to Windsor, Canada. Free, open year-round, and one of the most used public spaces in the city.
- Campus Martius Park (~5 minutes’ walk) — Downtown Detroit’s main public square, with seasonal programming, food vendors, and a winter ice rink.
- Fisher Building, New Center (~15 minutes by People Mover or car) — Another Wirt Rowland-designed Art Deco landmark (1928), one block from the Guardian on the New Center campus. Lobby and arcade are free to enter.
- Detroit Institute of Arts (~15 minutes by car or transit) — One of the largest art museums in the US, with a collection spanning 65 centuries.
- Motown Museum (~20 minutes by car) — The original Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio where Motown Records was founded.
What to visit tomorrow: similar Art Deco and landmark buildings within two hours
- Fisher Building, Detroit (~15 minutes) — Wirt Rowland’s other Detroit masterpiece, with a lavish arcade of shops and one of the finest Art Deco interiors in Michigan. Free lobby access.
- Penobscot Building, Detroit (~5 minutes’ walk) — Another Rowland-designed skyscraper, completed 1928, in the Financial District. Lobby open during business hours.
- Michigan Central Station, Detroit (Corktown, ~10 minutes) — The recently restored 1913 Beaux-Arts station, now owned by Ford.
- Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio (~50 minutes south) — A world-class art museum with a significant Art Deco and design collection, free admission.
- Terminal Tower, Cleveland, OH (~2 hours east) — A 1930 skyscraper and former hub of the Van Sweringen brothers’ development, with observation deck access. Part of Tower City Center, directly connected to Cleveland’s RTA rapid transit.
More Detroit travel
Other Detroit travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Plan your visit to the Michigan Science Center – with opening hours, ticket prices and visitor tips.
- See the birthplace of the Model T Ford at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit.
- Discover Michigan’s past at the Detroit Historical Museum.
- What to expect at the Belle Isle Aquarium and Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit.
- What to see and when to see it at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
