Troy, Michigan dating photo location guide
This Troy guide is really a north-metro Detroit guide: the useful dating-photo locations sit across Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Ferndale and Detroit.
For a two-hour shoot, keep the route tight: pair Stage Nature Center with Birmingham and Cranbrook, or make a separate Detroit session for architecture, rooftops and the riverfront.
Full location table
All Troy and metro Detroit locations from this guide with hours and practical notes for dating profile photos.
| # | Location | Hours | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏛️ Quiet luxury & old money | |||
| 1 | Cranbrook House and Gardens | Mar 14-Sep 30 daily 7am-7pm Oct 1-Mar 13 daily 8am-5pm | Albert Kahn's 1908 Tudor-revival house with 40 acres of formal gardens: Sunken Garden, Japanese Garden red bridge and reflecting pool. |
| 2 | Cranbrook Art Museum and campus | Wed, Fri-Sun 11am-5pm Thu 11am-8pm Mon-Tue closed | Eliel Saarinen modernist campus with Triton Pools and Carl Milles fountains. |
| 3 | The Townsend Hotel / Rugby Grille | Mon-Thu, Sun 7am-9pm Fri-Sat 7am-10pm | Classic Birmingham wealth signal for a blazer, sweater or polished dinner-date frame. |
| 4 | Meadow Brook Hall | Daily 9am-4pm | Tudor-revival Dodge-Wilson mansion with formal gardens and expansive grounds. |
| 5 | Ford House | Tue-Wed, Sun 9am-5pm Thu-Fri 10am-8pm Sat 10am-8pm Mon closed | Edsel and Eleanor Ford's Cotswold-style estate with lawns, gardens and Lake St. Clair frontage. |
| 6 | Bloomfield Hills residential streets | Public streets 24/7 | Public streets around Long Lake, Lone Pine and Vaughan with estates, mature canopy and stone walls. |
| 7 | Bloomfield Village | Public streets 24/7 | 1920s-30s Tudor and Colonial revival enclave around Pembroke, Wimbleton, Suffield and Manchester. |
| 8 | Quarton Lake Estates, Birmingham | Park daily 6am-10pm Nearby public streets 24/7 | Lakeside boulevards lined with old-money houses near Quarton Lake. |
| 9 | Grosse Pointe Shores (Lake Shore Road) | Public roads 24/7 | Classic Lake Shore Road drive with lake on one side and estates on the other. |
| 🥃 Modern luxury & art-hotel | |||
| 10 | Daxton Hotel / Cafe Dax / Geode Bar | Geode Bar: Sun-Wed 11am-11pm Thu-Sat 11am-12am Cafe Dax: Mon-Fri 7am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm | Contemporary art, black marble and brass detailing. |
| 11 | Madam at the Daxton | Mon-Thu 5pm-10:30pm Fri-Sun 7am-2:30pm, 5pm-10:30pm | Custom murals, deep banquettes and low dining-room light. |
| 12 | Detroit Foundation Hotel and Apparatus Room | Mon-Thu 7am-10:45pm Fri-Sat 7am-11:45pm Sun 7am-9:45pm | Converted 1929 Detroit Fire Department HQ with a restaurant in the old fire engine bay. |
| 🏢 Architectural & intellectual | |||
| 13 | Guardian Building | Public lobby: Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm Sun 11am-5pm | 1929 Cathedral of Finance with Pewabic tile, Rookwood ceramic and a painted lobby ceiling. |
| 14 | Fisher Building | Public retail arcade hours vary Pure Detroit Tue-Sat 10am-6pm | Albert Kahn Art Deco arcade with marble, brass detailing and a golden tile tower. |
| 15 | Michigan Central Station | Daily 8am-5pm | Reopened Beaux-Arts train station with a Guastavino-tiled grand hall. |
| 16 | Detroit Institute of Arts | Tue-Thu 9am-4pm Fri 9am-9pm Sat-Sun 10am-5pm Mon closed | White-marble Beaux-Arts facade, Great Hall, Rivera Court and Kresge Court. |
| 17 | Detroit Public Library, main branch | Mon, Thu-Sat 10am-6pm Tue-Wed 12pm-8pm Sun 1pm-5pm | Cass Gilbert Italian Renaissance limestone building with Adam Strohm Hall reading room. |
| 18 | Capitol Park | Daily 6am-10pm | Triangular downtown park ringed by restored early-20th-century buildings. |
| ☕ Cafes & brunch | |||
| 19 | Cafe Dax | Mon-Fri 7am-2:30pm Sat-Sun 7am-2pm | Window-seat coffee frame inside the Daxton. |
| 20 | Commonwealth Cafe | Daily 7:30am-3pm | Daylight-heavy Birmingham coffee and brunch spot that pairs easily with Shain Park. |
| 21 | Drifter Coffee | Tue-Fri 7am-5pm Sat 8am-5pm Sun 8am-4pm Mon closed | Independent specialty roaster with plants, pale walls and window light. |
| 22 | Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters | Mon-Thu 7am-10pm Fri-Sat 7am-11pm Sun 10am-10pm | Brick, coffee and live-music warmth in downtown Rochester. |
| 23 | Anthology Coffee | Mon-Fri 7am-5pm Sat 7am-4pm Sun 8am-4pm | Concrete floors, light wood, big windows and a single-origin focus. |
| 24 | The Congregation | Tue-Fri 8am-9pm Sat 9am-9pm Sun 9am-6pm Mon closed | Former-church cafe and bar with a brick facade and warm interior. |
| 🍸 Bars & nightlife | |||
| 25 | The Oakland Art Novelty Company | Tue 4:30pm-10:30pm Wed-Sat 4:30pm-12am Sun 4:30pm-10:30pm Mon closed | Low light, leather, brass and vintage barware for a mature cocktail frame. |
| 26 | Standby | Wed-Thu, Sun 5pm-12am Fri-Sat 5pm-2am Mon-Tue closed | Curtain-entry cocktail bar with marble and moody downtown light. |
| 27 | Candy Bar at the Siren Hotel | Sun-Thu 4pm-12am Fri-Sat 4pm-2am | Pink, velvet and moody cocktail frame inside the Siren Hotel. |
| 🌆 Rooftop bars/restaurants | |||
| 28 | RH Detroit, The Gallery in Birmingham | Mon-Thu 11am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-9pm Fri 11am-10pm Sat 10am-10pm Sun 10am-9pm | Public gallery and skylit rooftop restaurant with olive trees, chandeliers and a fountain. |
| 29 | The Monarch Club | Mon-Thu 5pm-11pm Fri 5pm-12am Sat 4pm-12am Sun 2pm-8pm | Mature rooftop and cocktail status shot. |
| 30 | Kamper's Rooftop Bar, Book Tower | Mon-Thu 4pm-12am Fri 4pm-1am Sat 12pm-1am Sun 12pm-11pm | Tile, terrace seating and Book Tower views. |
| 31 | I/O Godfrey | Mon-Thu 5pm-12am Fri-Sat 5pm-2am Sun 5pm-10pm | Corktown rooftop lounge with a retractable glass roof. |
| 32 | 3Fifty Terrace | Wed-Fri 9pm-2am Sat 10pm-2am Sun 5pm-11pm Mon-Tue closed | Open-air Music Hall rooftop nightclub with DJs and cover charge. |
| 🌳 Parks & green spaces | |||
| 33 | Quarton Lake Park | Daily 6am-10pm | Lake, mature trees, footpaths and a Birmingham-residential feel. |
| 34 | Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory | Wed-Sun 10am-5pm Mon-Tue closed Belle Isle vehicle entry requires a Recreation Passport | Albert Kahn glass-domed Belle Isle conservatory, reopened after restoration. |
| 35 | Belle Isle skyline view | Daily 6am-10pm Vehicle entry requires a Recreation Passport | Open Detroit skyline view from Belle Isle, especially at Sunset Point and MacArthur Bridge. |
| 36 | Palmer Park | Daily 6am-10pm | Woods, prairie, trails, historic Log Cabin and Merrill Fountain. |
| 37 | Stony Creek Metropark | Daily 7am-8pm Metroparks vehicle pass required | Lake, prairie, dam spillway and mature woods. |
| 38 | Stage Nature Center | Trails daily dawn-dusk Nature center Tue-Fri 9am-3pm, Sat 10am-4pm | Troy nature fallback with trails and wooded boardwalks. |
| 🌊 Waterfront | |||
| 39 | Detroit Riverwalk | Daily 6am-10pm | Riverfront route through Cullen Plaza, Robert C. Valade Park, Atwater Beach and Milliken State Park. |
| 🏄 Paddleboarding | |||
| 40 | Stony Creek Metropark Paddleshack | Late May-early Sep daily 10am-7pm Last rental 1hr before close | Eastwood Beach rental shack on Stony Creek Lake. SUP $15/hr; first come. $10 Metroparks pass. |
| 41 | Cass Lake Boat Rentals | Peak season May-Aug daily 9am-8pm Reduced Sep-Oct; call ahead off-season | Cass Lake rental dock with SUPs, kayaks and pontoons. SUP $30/2hr. |
| 42 | Simple Adventures - Lake St. Clair Metropark | May-Sep Mon-Thu 12pm-7pm Fri-Sun 10am-8pm | Beach shop outfitter on Lake St. Clair. SUP $25/1hr to $85/day; Metroparks pass required. |
| 43 | Simple Adventures - Belle Isle Park | Memorial Day-Labor Day daily 10am-7pm Weather permitting | Authorized Belle Isle rental on protected Lake Tacoma. SUP rentals available; Recreation Passport required. |
| 44 | Simple Adventures - Camp Dearborn | May-Sep in-season hours weather permitting | Camp Dearborn lake-area rental. SUP rentals available; camp entry fee applies. |
| 🏓 Ping pong | |||
| 45 | Pong Detroit | Wed 5pm-9pm | Eastern Market ping pong club inside Bert's Warehouse with food, drinks and ITTF tables. $10/table early, $15/table later. |
| 46 | Rochester Table Tennis Club | Mon, Tue, Thu 7pm-10pm | Drop-in club in Hart Middle School cafeteria with nine tables. $7/night. |
| 47 | Viet Detroit Table Tennis Club | Mon, Wed, Fri 6pm-10pm | Community club at Our Lady of Grace Parish with six tables. $7 walk-in, $30/month. |
| 📚 Lifestyle & activity | |||
| 48 | Sidetrack Bookshop | Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 10am-6pm | One candid bookstore frame in downtown Royal Oak. |
| 49 | Third Man Records Cass Corridor | Mon-Sat 11am-6pm Sun 11am-5pm | Jack White's Detroit storefront with vinyl walls and in-store record press behind glass. |
| 50 | Belle Isle loop | Daily 5am-10pm Vehicle entry requires a Recreation Passport | Flat scenic loop for running and biking frames. |
| 51 | Rackham Golf Course | Daily 7am-8pm during golf season | Public-access Donald Ross course with a Tudor-revival clubhouse. |
| 🧗 Indoor climbing | |||
| 52 | Planet Rock Madison Heights | Mon, Fri 2pm-10pm Tue-Thu 8am-10pm Sat-Sun 10am-6pm | Climbing gym; use only if the client actually climbs. |
| 53 | DYNO Detroit | Mon-Fri 7am-10pm Sat 8am-8pm Sun 8am-6pm | Purple-walled climbing gym near Eastern Market. |
| 54 | Gripz Gym | Mon, Fri 5pm-8pm Tue-Thu 4:30pm-9pm Sat 10am-2pm Sun 10am-12pm | Ninja obstacles, bouldering wall and open gym blocks. |
Map of Troy and metro Detroit photo locations
Quiet luxury & old money Modern luxury & art-hotel Architectural & intellectual Cafes & brunch Bars & nightlife Rooftop bars/restaurants Parks & green spaces Waterfront Paddleboarding Ping pong Lifestyle & activity Indoor climbing
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