Things to Do in Southfield

Droves of Segways meander past historic homes, factories, and miles of parks during Seg Adventures's Plymouth Area tours. On the list of sites to see is the Wilcox House, whose scandalous history is revealed during guided tours. Segway riders can free roam as well, exploring the city's attractions, markets, and public restrooms with a self-guided tour that lasts up to 90 minutes. Free roam sites include the Daisy Air Rifle–headquarters or the Alter Motor Car–factory.

At Five15's weekend bingo matches, players don't come to win a jackpot or to appease their grandmothers. They come for the drag queen hostesses and their good-natured abuse, adult humor, and vivacity. A rotating roster of queens includes Hershae Chocolatae of America's Got Talent fame, Mr. Joan Rivers, and the acerbic comedienne Queen of Mean. Clustered around round tables, sipping smoothies or chai lattes from the full coffee bar, the patrons of Drag Queen Bingo defy categorization—gay, straight, men, women, and even the occasional 90-year-old, according to the Detroit Free Press. Each patron is fair game for the hosts' humorous darts, especially when they pick up their prizes. Historically, adult-themed prizes have included mugs, T-shirts, and clippings from the Wall Street Journal. Detroit Free Press quotes a patron as observing, "It's not my mother's bingo. It's nobody's mother's bingo.

Groupon Celebrates Pride Month 

Over the last 50 years, the gay rights movement in America has overcome tremendous obstacles to become a powerful voice for inclusion and diversity. Even as it has grown, the movement—like Groupon—is local at heart, and we applaud the commitment to real change that improves everyday lives. 

At Groupon, we are happy to add our voices to those celebrating PRIDE, their achievements as a social movement and a continued march to equality for the LGBT community. Plus, we love a chance to dig that rainbow wig out of storage. 

This month—and throughout the year—we salute our merchants and customers who support PRIDE and all efforts that promote dignity, respect and equal opportunity. We're highlighting these merchants' deals with a special badge to show Groupon's pride in working with people who share our values.

The 17th-annual festival boasts an impressive lineup of esteemed musicians and emerging artists performing work from the classical chamber repertoire as well as contemporary compositions. The festival’s theme this year is “The Poet Speaks,” and the June 12 performance features the music and poetry of Lera Auerbach in a piano, cello, and soprano trio, as well as the Haydn Piano Trio in C Major and Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major. Forty-five minutes prior to the concert, which begins at 8 p.m., Auerbach will present an educational prelude about her music and writing.

On November 19, 1928, the Detroit Historical Society opened the Detroit Historical Museum in a one-room suite on the 23rd floor of the Barlum Tower, earning it the nickname of highest museum in the world. These days, Detroit’s Cultural Center accommodates the museum in an 80,000-square-foot space, where interactive exhibits preserve more than 300 years of city history. Frontiers to Factories traces Detroit's transformation from French-frontier outpost to industrial city, while America's Motor City celebrates its automotive dominance with a changing display of classic vehicles and a 1903 Model T that guests can sit in. Streets of Old Detroit brings the 19th century to life with recreated cobblestone streets that wind past stores of the era such as a five-and-dime, a soda shop, and a barbershop for powdered wigs.

Thanks to recent renovations, the society has expanded its chronicle of Detroit with three new permanent exhibitions. Detroit: The Arsenal of Democracy covers the ways the city's industrial infrastructure adapted to demands of World War II, and The Gallery of Innovation includes videos about renown innovators and hands-on activities of trial-and-error. As The Allesee Gallery of Culture examines the city's cultural history, its Kid Rock Music Lab lets visitors create and share their own music using interactive displays. Outside, the Detroit Legends Plaza honors the city's sports, entertainment, and media legends with cemented handprints and signatures from stars such as Lily Tomlin and Martha Reeves.

Since May 2008, Wheelhouse Detroit has been offering its customers a healthy and highly efficient new way to see Motown, with guided bike tours traversing the terrains and trails of Detroit. More than 80 bicycle tours are scheduled for the upcoming months, with new tours regularly added. On the Belle Isle tour on Saturday, May 21, pedaling explorers will cruise around Detroit's famed architectural archipelago, surveying sights such as the aquarium and Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse. Guides will discuss the history behind the area's famous statues, such as Alpheus Starkey Williams, who served as a Union general in the Civil War before tragically being turned to stone.

In 1917, famed golf-course architect Donald Ross carved New Rogell Golf Course out of an urban plot along Grand River Avenue, adding yet another gem to a portfolio of courses that also includes Pinehurst No. 2 and Oakland Hills. Today, players enjoy the fruits of Mr. Ross’s labor as they cruise over a bentgrass path that stretches to 6,075 yards from the farthest tees. Two additional tee boxes start off each hole as well, allowing golfers to tailor rounds to their skill level or forsake tees completely and start in a bunker.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course

• Total length of 6,075 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 70.2 from the back tees

• Course slope of 129 from the back tees

• Three sets of tees per hole