The 115-year-old boat house, like the city of Detroit, is evolving. Since its inception in 1839, the building has been known as the Detroit Boat Club. However, as we usher in this next chapter of Detroit’s narrative, our building will no longer be defined by exclusion—but by the stories, both old & new, that emerge from this space. We welcome you to get reacquainted with the Belle Isle Boat House as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

With well over a half-million invested in ongoing renovations, the memory of the historic boat house’s original grandeur can be felt radiating throughout the labyrinthine halls. Yet, the physical marks of antiquity are what give the space its undeniable charm—it is a historical repository for Detroit.

Perhaps the most substantial appeal of the boat house resides in the reciprocal influence it inspires between itself as a historic space and your event. In the same way that the building’s Spanish-inspired arches, terracotta crests & gaping riverside views can shape your event with a visually arresting backdrop, your event can help to reinvent the boat house as a full-fledged event venue: a distinctive space where history isn’t just preserved—it’s created.