The institution was founded by automobile industrialist Henry Ford, who began collecting historic objects as early as 1906. Ford’s stated intent was to preserve the history of the American people through the items they "made and used," effectively reproducing American life to safeguard tradition.
Architect Robert O. Derrick designed the museum building with a 523,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The structure features an 800-foot façade incorporating facsimiles of Independence Hall, Old City Hall, and Congress Hall from Philadelphia. Originally named the Edison Institute, the site was dedicated on October 21, 1929, by President Herbert Hoover to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb. The dedication ceremony included notable figures such as Marie Curie, Orville Wright, and George Eastman.
While initially established as a private educational facility, the Edison Institute opened to the general public on June 22, 1933. The complex was originally composed of the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, and the Greenfield Village Schools.
The first structure to arrive at the Greenfield Village site was the J. R. Jones General Store, purchased in 1927. In 1928, reconstruction began on a replica of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, which was furnished with original or faithful duplicates based on the exact measurements of the New Jersey site. By 1937, the museum had expanded its footprint by acquiring and moving the Wright brothers' home and bicycle shop from Dayton, Ohio.
The museum underwent significant expansion and operational changes throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. In 1969, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The following year, a major fire on August 9, 1970, destroyed the East Wing of the Mechanical Arts Hall, resulting in the loss of Ford Motor Company production records and the "Street of Shops" exhibit.
In 1971 and 1972, the museum completed a continuous two-mile loop for the Weiser Railroad, a standard gauge passenger line that circles the perimeter of the property. The railroad utilizes a replica of an 1884 Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Railroad roundhouse and maintains a direct connection to the United States National Railroad Network.
The early 2000s saw the addition of an auditorium and the 2003 reopening of the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. This tour, featuring a visitor center designed by Bob Rogers and BRC Imagination Arts, provides a view of the assembly plant where Ford F-Series trucks are manufactured.
In 1970, the museum purchased what was believed to be a 17th-century Brewster Chair for $9,000. In September 1977, the item was identified as a modern forgery created in 1969 by sculptor Armand LaMontagne. Rather than removing the piece, the museum retained it as an educational tool regarding forgeries.
In 2012, the museum hosted a major temporary exhibition from March 31 to September 30 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, featuring a vast array of artifacts from the vessel.
The museum’s collection spans 12 acres of indoor exhibit space and 90 acres of developed outdoor attractions within Greenfield Village. The inventory includes:
Aviation: The Fokker Trimotor used for the first flight over the North Pole and Igor Sikorsky’s prototype helicopter.
Locomotives: The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway "Allegheny" #1601, one of the three most powerful steam locomotives ever built.
Automotive: An Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the first mass-produced Toyota Prius, and Bill Elliott’s 1987 record-breaking race car, which reached 212 MPH at Talladega.
Industrial: The Newcomen "Fairbottom Bobs" engine and a steam engine from Cobb's Engine House.
The Benson Ford Research Center serves as the archival arm of the institution, housing the Ford Motor Archives and rare photographic and manuscript materials.
Greenfield Village operates as an outdoor living history museum, featuring nearly one hundred buildings moved from their original locations. These include Noah Webster’s Connecticut home, Harvey S. Firestone’s family farmhouse, and the Logan County courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The village employs costumed interpreters to demonstrate period tasks such as glass-blowing, pottery, and 19th-century farming.
The village also hosts several annual signature events:
Motor Muster: A Father's Day weekend car show featuring 600–800 vehicles built between 1932 and 1976.
Old Car Festival: Held since 1955, this event focuses on vehicles from the 1890s through 1932.
World Tournament of Historic Base Ball: A competition where vintage clubs play by 1867 rules.
Civil War Remembrance: A Memorial Day weekend event featuring hundreds of Union and Confederate reenactors.