Explore Lansing, Michigan’s Automotive History Itinerary

Discover the sites and signs that explore Lansing’s rich automotive history. From the innovations of Ransom Eli Olds and his companies that gave rise to Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Car Company to the impact of developing neighborhoods and philanthropic initiatives that make Lansing what it is today. Currently Greater Lansing is home to two of General Motors’ state of the art manufacturing facilities. 

Other Points of Interest Nearby

• Olds Tower/Michigan National Bank/Boji Tower - 124 W. Allegan St., Lansing  
  Lansing's iconic R.E. Olds-built tower (1931) was Michigan's tallest outside Detroit and still stands as a landmark. The structure was the brainchild of automotive pioneer and philanthropist R.E. Olds. The bronze doors of the lobby elevators are still adorned with scenes from this manufacturing giant’s life. Built as Capital Bank Tower, the majority of its lower floors were occupied by Capital National Bank.  
   
• Olds Hotel/George Romney Building - 111 S. Capitol Ave.
  The hotel opened in 1926 as the Hotel Olds, built and operated by the Lansing Community Hotel Corporation which included R.E. Olds. It is currently the George W. Romney building housing the Governor of Michigan’s offices and other state offices. 
   
• Lansing Labor Holiday - NE corner of Michigan Ave. and Capitol Ave
  This marker commemorates the 1937 successful one-day general strike, the Lansing Labor Holiday, when thousands of workers closed down downtown Lansing and rallied in front of the Capitol building. 
   
• R.E. Olds Monument 
  Located just south of the Kalamazoo Street bridge on the west side of the Grand River, the monument was erected near the original Olds Motor Works site where Ransom Eli Olds designed, built and first drove a steam-powered horseless carriage. 
   
• Olds Motor Works/Oldsmobile Headquarters/Lansing Car Assembly–Chassis/Lansing Grand River Assembly
  This Lansing plant was the home factory for Oldsmobile, and the longest-operating automobile factory in the United States when it closed on May 6, 2005, and one of General Motors last assembly plants where vehicle bodies were made at one plant, and then trucked to another plant to be finished. Currently the new GM plant  Lansing Grand River Assembly stands where the former facility was demolished. It began production in 2001 and currently manufactures the Cadillac CT4 and CT5. 

Other Points of Interest Nearby

• REO Motor Car Company site (razed) (State Historical Marker) - 1445 S. Washington Ave. 
  The REO Motor Car Company was established by R.E. Olds in 1905 and manufactured automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point, the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms. By 1907, REO had gross sales of $4.5 million, and the company was one of the four wealthiest automobile manufacturers in the U.S. First introduced in 1915, one of the most popular and versatile vehicles was the REO Speed Wagon which was manufactured in a variety of configurations (pickup truck, panel truck, passenger bus) to serve as delivery, tow, dump, and fire trucks, as well as hearses and ambulances.  

• REO Town Clubhouse and Ristorante Food and beverage stop - 1314 S. Washington Ave. 
  Once the site of a REO showroom and nestled in the heart of REO Town, Lansing, REO Town Clubhouse offers a unique blend of authentic Italian cuisine, vibrant entertainment, and stylish event space.  

Other Points of Interest Nearby

• Mt. Hope Cemetery - Olds Mausoleum - 1800 E. Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing  
  Mt. Hope Cemetery was named after a cemetery located in New York where many of Lansing’s pioneers originally arrived from. Mt. Hope Cemetery is comprised of approximately 82 acres and there are many interesting and historical interments, monuments and special grave sites including the R.E. Olds family Mausoleum. 

• Michigan State University’s Olds Hall  - 408 W. Circle Dr., East Lansing 
  This historic building was built with a donation from R E Olds in 1917 to ensure that engineering remained on the MSU campus after a fire gutted the original engineering building. At that time the college was considering discontinuing the engineering program.  

• Durant/Verlinden/Fisher Body/Lansing Car Assembly Body Plant Site (razed)  - Between Verlinden Ave. and Rosemary St. south of Saginaw Hwy, north of Michigan Ave. 
  The plant along Verlinden Avenue, on Lansing's western border opened in 1920 as a factory for Durant Motor Works. After the demise of Durant in 1931, the plant remained closed until GM purchased it in 1935. It restarted production for GM's Fisher Body division, later becoming the Buick–Oldsmobile–Cadillac factory. Its final name was Lansing Car Assembly – Body Plant. The site is currently being remediated by Racer Trust.

•  Harry’s Place -  404 N. Verlinden Ave. and Westgate Bar 623 N. Rosemary St. 
  These locations are the remaining neighborhood bars frequented by auto workers. 

•  Durant Park - 700 N. Washington Ave. 
  William C. Durant was one of Michigan’s most important industrialists and the founder of the General Motors Corporation. In 1921 Durant donated the property to the city of Lansing as a park for the north side residents.   

• Prudden Wheel Company/Motor Wheel Corporation/Motor Wheel Lofts  - 707 Prudden St. 
  Established in 1903 W. K. Prudden & Company manufactured wheels and became a major supplier to the fledgling automobile industry, particularly Olds Motor Works. The original factory was located on Michigan Avenue, but in 1905 Prudden acquired this site along East Saginaw Street. By 1913, the company had constructed at least 18 buildings on the site, using both sides of May Street.