Detroit urban exploring using paid guides

**night-timer** · April-19-13, 09:28 PM

Can anyone tell me their knowledge or experiences with paid guides who offer urbex tours? Recommendations? As long as they know their stuff and have been doing it a while, they might be helpful. Let's assume it's all a totally illegal business they run, however.

**gnome** · April-19-13, 09:43 PM

Illegal ? That is debatable. Unethical maybe.

lowell, the guy that runs this site gives tours. I think he starts at $600 an hr with a 6 hr minimum.

If that is out of your price range, send a private message to Django. He runs a very interesting tours and can customize one around your individual tastes and level of adventure.

**night-timer** · April-19-13, 09:51 PM

detroiturbex.com seems fairly well known, but the person who runs it seems to operate fairly anonymously - no name, no phone number, just an email address - and the website says what they do is not legal. I didn't know Lowell runs tours. I heard he'd been asked many times but has always declined.

**gnome** · April-19-13, 10:04 PM

If you are looking to break the law, and thereby put your guide in jeopardy, I suggest you search on Craigslist.

Django, runs a nice tour. He has guided folks from all over the world. One wrote a novel about the experience. He has helped filmmakers, real estate investors and curious suburbanites.

The urbex guy, I don't know. He does post here every so often to promote his adventures, but I do not know him or how affordable he is.

In short, finding a guide is not that difficult. There is even a bus tour that started up a fe months ago.

but the thing that concerns me, is your double reference to illegal actions. If you have a nefarious bent, you have come to the wrong place.

**Django** · April-20-13, 05:58 AM

Thanks Gnome, I try and stay in the legal zone these days. Ive learned enough lessons over the years. Karmas is real, a real mean bitch.

**night-timer** · April-20-13, 09:59 AM

Detroiturbex clearly states on his website that what he or she does is illegal. That doesn't mean he operates a meth lab in dank abandoned cellars. I assume he means he occasionally walks around inside buildings that are private property, looks for holes in fences to gain access, doesn't give owners of empty buildings prior notice of his visits, etc.

I am not here to do or condone anything illegal, so I have to know where to stand on this. What if a cop shows up, or a security guard?

I am aware of the guys who run the photography workshops who schlepp people around in the big bus for $150 a day each or thereabouts.

Being in a crowd of 25 middle class photography enthusiasts doesn't make it anymore respectable or ethical. Or does it?

Are those middle class "gawkers" on the bus with a toilet and coffee making facilities "nefarious"?

I believe the big bus tour copped lots of criticism on detroityes for being a questionable business model and/or a potential legal nightmare if anyone gets injured on their tours.

**Richard** · April-20-13, 10:13 AM

I would think you have already answered the question of where you stand on the issue .

Should you go for it? In a heartbeat.

You could start by contacting the local historic tours and photograph the beauty of the city and help show the rest of the world that Detroit is not all derelict buildings and real people live there.

If you have to think about and look for support to operate in the grey ereas in life it is proably best not to go there.

**Honky Tonk** · April-20-13, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by night-timer

detroiturbex clearly states on his website that what he or she does is illegal.

I am not here to do or condone anything illegal, so I have to know where to stand on this. What if a cop shows up, or a security guard?

Being in a crowd of 25 middle class photography enthusiasts doesn't make it anymore respectable or ethical. Or does it?

Are those middle class "gawkers" on the bus with a toilet and coffee making facilties "nefarious"?

Should I do it or not?

I am aware of the guys who run the photography workshops who schlepp people around in the big bus for $150 a day each or thereabouts.

Detroiturbex charges $200 for a ten hour day, plus $70 for car hire if you're not providing your own wheels.

I believe the big bus tour guys copped lots of ciriticism on detroityes for being a questionable business model and/or a potential legal minefield if anyone gets injured on their tours.

You're trespassing on private property, end of story. Whether or not anyone is there to actually chastise you for doing so, the property owners owe back taxes and the City can't find them, it's "De-toilet" and who cares, it's "F#%&ed-up" anyway, "everyone else is doing it", you are trespassing, and possibly breaking and entering. That's the reality of it. You buys your ticket, you takes your chances. Anyone here who tells you "it's Ok, little night-timer, go ahead", is handing you baloney.

**Király** · April-20-13, 10:36 AM

I hired detroiturbex.com for a day in August 2011. Highly recommended. He seems to spend half of his waking hours in the DPL researching city history. As such he was able to provide the back story and historical context of what we were seeing. Read this post of his here on DY to see what I mean. His knowledge of a building's history made his services invaluable to me. He had very reasonable rates too.

PS the DPD *did* catch us inside an abandoned church on Woodward. When they saw we had cameras and not blowtorches, they gave us a warning to stay out of private property without the owners' permission, and let us go. YMMV, of course.

**ronaldj** · April-20-13, 11:49 AM

If you want access to derelict properties Django's your man.

If you would want a tour of Detroit and it's rich history send me a PM. I am a founding member of a historical society, Village of Fairview Historical Society and a published author of Detroit history. I do not charge. Just love my Detroit history.

Pick your poison carefully!

**WaCoTS** · April-20-13, 01:15 PM

i still just cant wrap my head around the concept of people hiring someone to take them trespassing. like, shouldnt that be the first sign that you prolly shouldnt be doing it anyway? tho i must say it must be a far more morbid thought process to be the one who is in the business of charging people to take them on such excursions.
whatev.

Originally Posted by ronaldj

I am a founding member of a historical society, Village of Fairview Historical Society and a published author of Detroit history.

i think i just saw your presentation the other nite at the MacKenzie House about Fairview! just want to say again, excellent work sir!

**Király** · April-20-13, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by WaCoTS

i still just cant wrap my head around the concept of people hiring someone to take them trespassing. like, shouldnt that be the first sign that you prolly shouldnt be doing it anyway?

I'm quite interested in exploring caves too, but have no experience with it. It is an activity that can have serious pitfalls for an inexperienced person. which is why an inexperienced person should always go with someone who knows how to do it safely. It would be foolhardy for me to just read a book or two on the subject and then set off spelunking on my own.

Urban exploration is no different, legal issues aside.

**RYANGUARD** · April-21-13, 11:40 AM

Detroit has an ordinance on the books about EWOP[[Entering Without Owners Permission) although I don't think that it is enforced all that much.I think that for the most part most of the open buildings,and a lot of the boarded up ones, have been explored ad nauseam with photos taken to show how brave they are for the urban exploring.You Tube is full of them.It is much cheaper ,and safer I might add,to go online and google such things,IMHO.....

**Bad Brains** · April-21-13, 07:34 PM

I'm still not getting why someone would pay for a tour when it's much funner going off on your own, finding your own ways into buildings you wish to enter, and meeting people with similar interests.

I guess if you're just a curious out-of-towner, I can understand a little, but it still seems kind of cheesy. The having a guide thing would take the fun out of it for me personally, but everyone isn't me, and if there are people willing to take you along, have at them. Pay them well.

**Gistok** · April-21-13, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Bad Brains

I'm still not getting why someone would pay for a tour when it's much funner going off on your own, finding your own ways into buildings you wish to enter...

I wonder if the guy who ended up as a dead popsicle at the frozen bottom of the Roosevelt Warehouse elevator shaft had the same sentiment...