Swami Vivekananda visited Detroit between February and March of 1894.His visit to Detroit was facilitated by Thomas W. Palmer, Senator from State of Michigan, who was the president of the National Commission of the World Columbian Expo in Chicago 1890-1893. Thomas Palmer was a Unitarian and also a member of the freemasons.In 1897, Palmer donated 140 acres (60 hectares) of land along Woodward Avenue to the city for use as a public park. This land formed the basis of Palmer Park. Palmer had inherited the land from his grandfather Michigan Territorial Judge James Witherell. In 1885, the Palmers had had the prominent architecture firm of Mason & Rice design a rustic log cabin-style summer house on the land.
1. Thomas Palmer�s home, where he stayed, which is now the site where the present location of the Detroit Institute of Arts stands.
2.Swami Vivekananda was a guest at the famous Thomas Palmer�s log cabin, located in Palmer Park at McNichols and Woodward Ave. He stayed there, as well as held several speeches. Built in 1885, the Log Cabin was a major tourist attraction, and in the summer visitors from all over the world thronged in for a look. It stayed open until 1979, when the city gave its artifacts to the Detroit Historical Society for safekeeping and closed the Log Cabin to the public. Once a year, on Michigan Log Cabin Day, the Palmer Park opens the doors of the log cabin for a rare tour.
3. The original Detroit Opera house at campus martius, where he held several speeches. It is now at the site where the Compuware office building stands.
4. John Bagley�s home, at Washington and Park Street. John Bagley was an Industrialist, Unitarian, and the Governor of Michigan from 1873-1877. The location is currently a vacant lot.
5.The Unitarian Church located on Woodward Avenue and Edmund Street. Standing vacant for many years, this church was destroyed in a fire in 2014.