Alley between Sobieski and Klinger Streets, Hamtramck, MI 48212
Speaking of cool places, here’s a strange and wonderful place that should be one of the first places you stop when you’re in Hamtramck. It’s called Hamtramck Disneyland, and the man behind this bizarre backyard masterpiece is Dmytro Szylak. He came to Hamtramck from the Ukraine right after WWII, and after working for GM for thirty years, he retired in 1997 and spent two years putting together the most amazing carnival of Americana I’ve ever seen. If you’ve got an artistic sweet tooth, there’s definitely enough eye candy there to give you a brain cavity. Everywhere you look you’ll find familiar childhood memories exploding from his backyard.
Dmytro is in his 90s now, so he’s just sitting back and enjoying the creative fruits of his labor. If you find his Hamtramck Disneyland and he’s outside, make sure to shake the man’s hand; he’s a true Michigan treasure.