Places to exploreMuseums, parks, neighborhoods and icons
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Gordie Howe BridgeThe new bridge to Canada: live waits, tolls, and yes, you can walk it
ToursBy boat, by bike or on foot, with a local guide
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Plan a meetingVenues, hotels and what’s on in town on your dates
Metro Detroit Oakland County City
County seat, old GM town and the Silverdome's memory at the north end of Woodward
01 / Why it matters
Pontiac sits at the north end of Woodward Avenue and has been the Oakland County seat since 1820. Settlers staked their claim in 1818 where the old Saginaw Trail crossed the Clinton River. The river powered mills, the mills made way for carriage works, and the carriage works made way for cars.
For most of the 20th century this was a General Motors town: the Oakland Motor Car Company started here in 1907, and the Pontiac brand, launched in 1926, took the city's name. The plants closed one by one between 1987 and 2009, the city went through some hard decades, and from 2009 to 2013 a state-appointed emergency manager ran its finances.
Sports fans know Pontiac for the Silverdome. The Lions played there from 1975 to 2001, it hosted Super Bowl XVI in 1982, and in 1994 it staged the first World Cup matches ever played indoors. The stadium came down in 2017 and 2018. These days downtown fills up for shows at the Crofoot and the restored Flagstar Strand Theatre, while engines roar on the M1 Concourse track along Woodward.
02 / Known for
Oakland County seat since 1820
Namesake of the Pontiac car brand, launched by GM in 1926; the last Pontiac rolled off the line in January 2010
The Pontiac Silverdome, home of the Detroit Lions from 1975 to 2001 and site of Super Bowl XVI in 1982
The first World Cup soccer matches ever played indoors, in 1994
Pope John Paul II's Mass at the Silverdome on September 18, 1987, with a reported crowd of 93,682
Part of the Woodward Dream Cruise, the summer parade of classic cars that rolls up Woodward all the way to Pontiac
03 / What’s on
Oct 1, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 2, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 2, 2026M1 Concourse · M1 Concourse hosts the American Speed Festival from Friday, October 2, through Sunday, October 4, at M1 Concourse in Pontiac. Expect legendary drivers, rare cars, and immersive track action; tickets run $55–$300.
Oct 2, 2026, 7:00 PMCinema at the Strand · Two iconic horror films from the early days of cinema, back to back. Cinema at the Strand, 12 North Saginaw Street in Pontiac, screens its Halloween Double Feature on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7 p.m.. Come in costume: wear your Halloween outfit and you're entered to win prizes.
Oct 3, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 3, 2026, 8:00 PMSignature Series · Back by popular demand after her outstanding 2024 show, iconic comedian Paula Poundstone returns to 12 North Saginaw Street in Pontiac for the Signature Series on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 8 p.m., one night only. Expect razor-sharp observational humor and quick improvisational wit that have won over crowds for decades.
Oct 4, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 7, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 8, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 9, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 10, 2026Erebus Haunted Attraction · Pontiac's long-running Erebus haunted attraction is back with its Primordium storyline at 18 South Perry St., open October 1–4, 7–11, 13–18 and 20–31, plus November 1, 6 and 7. Tickets are sold by date on the official Erebus calendar, $25–$42 depending on the night.
Oct 10, 2026M1 Concourse · LUMBRE FEST 2026 is a one-day Latin music and culture festival on Saturday, October 10, at M1 Concourse in Pontiac. Banda Estrategia, Los Desaparecidos, and Ekilibriio lead the lineup, plus clean custom rides. Tickets available via the organizer.
04 / Places
Erebus Escape34 Oakland Ave, Pontiac, MI 48342
Closed – archive entryLiberty Bar85 N Saginaw St, Pontiac, MI 4834205 / What to do
Opened March 3, 1921, with almost 1,200 seats. It went dark in the late 1970s and reopened after a restoration on December 1, 2016; today it books comedy, concerts and classic movie nights.
Official site ↗Pontiac's best-known music venue on South Saginaw Street: besides the big Crofoot Ballroom, the smaller Pike Room and Vernors Room host shows too.
Official site ↗An 87-acre motorsports playground on Woodward with a 1.5-mile performance track, an off-road course and a drag strip. It also hosts public events such as the American Speed Festival.
Official site ↗06 / History
The first European-American settlers arrive where the Saginaw Trail crosses the Clinton River.
Pontiac becomes the seat of Oakland County.
The village, organized in 1837, becomes a city.
GM introduces the Pontiac brand, which outsells its parent make, Oakland, within months.
The Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium, later the Silverdome, opens under its air-supported roof.
Demolition of the Silverdome starts with explosives in December; the last wall falls in March 2018. Amazon has since built a distribution center on the site.
07 / Born here
Jack Kevorkianpathologist, right-to-die activist · 1928
Mike Henryvoice actor, writer, producer · 1965
Elvin Jonesjazz drummer, bandleader · 1927
Laura Innesactress, television director · 1957
Gary Peterspolitician, former naval officer · 1958
Geri Allenjazz pianist, composer, educator · 1957
Brent W. Jett Jr.astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot · 195808 / People
Population and area are Census Bureau figures (Pontiac city).
Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: +0.8 percent.
