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"Motown is a magical something that has never been seen before and will never be seen again,” Berry Gordy Jr. told Vanity Fair recently. Far be it for anyone to disagree with the visionary Gordy. He's the dream-maker who in 1959 founded Motown Records, the label that not only earned its boastful slogan – “The Music of Young America” – but became the most celebrated black-owned corporation the world has ever seen. Its stable of stars, songwriters and sidemen produced a radio-rousing 70 Top Ten hits – which is some assembly line, even by Motor City standards.

Fifty years later, the house at 2648 West Grand Blvd. – once the musical home of the Supremes, the Jackson 5, the Four Tops and many others– which is open to the public, has fast become a memorial site after the sudden death of Michael Jackson. A makeshift shrine has sprung up on the steps, and fans have gathered day and night to pay tribute to the King of Pop. A candlelight vigil was held to mourn the star who launched his career there when he recorded as a member of the Jackson 5, and more events are expected – both to honour Jackson and to mark the label's anniversary.

An invitation across the nation
Even without the colourful shrine, it's hard to miss the blue-and-white clapboard house, with its famous, cursive-written “Hitsville U.S.A.” banner dominating the frontage. Entering the house next door – the two conjoined buildings of the Motown Historical Museum (founded in 1985) are all of what is left of an empire that once occupied eight dwellings on the street – you're invited to join a guided tour of a facility filled tambourine-tight with history.

The period-perfect condition of the place is apparent straight away. The reception desk has on it a day calendar from 1972 – the year Motown announced the transfer of its operations from Detroit to Los Angeles. Before she landed a recording contract, Martha Reeves (of Dancing in the Streets , Martha and the Vandellas fame) manned the switchboard here.

Notice the vintage vending machine, stocked with Milk Duds and chocolate bars. The Baby Ruth, Stevie Wonder's favourite 10-cent treat, needed to be placed in the same exact slot whenever it was replenished, so that the blind genius knew he was selecting the right sweet.

Upstairs is the apartment, restored to its 1960 appearance, that served as the living quarters for the young Gordy family and the fledgling label's distribution centre (basically, the dining-room table). The orange vinyl couch was often used by Marvin Gaye – not to “get it on,” but to snooze after marathon recording sessions. Motown, you learn, operated 24/7.

My guide, talkin' 'bout my guide
Part of the tour is led by Kelly, a bright and cheerful narrator with all sorts of fun facts at her disposal. For instance, those dazzling gowns you see, once donned by the Supremes, weigh something like 35 pounds each. No wonder you “can't hurry love” – those gals were seriously slowed down by cumbersome costumes.

The gallery's centrepiece, though, is the sequined glove and fedora worn by Michael Jackson for his Beat It video. After we witness this stellar attraction, a new guide takes over.

Standing in the shadows
Studio A is the cozy 20-by-15-foot basement room where most of the label's chart-topping music was recorded. Gladys Knight called the unventilated room the “snake pit” – not in any affectionate way. It ain't pretty, but it's a kick being in the same room where the Jackson 5, Mary Wells, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the backbeating studio band the Funk Brothers did business.

The songwriting and production team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland worked songcrafting magic here. The well-used Steinway in the corner was used by Gaye to compose classic cuts. When Diana Ross cooed Baby Love , she did so on these microphones first. The splintered hole in the control-room floor, apparently, was created by studio producers digging the peppy rhythm and stomping to the beat. And that archaic three-track console was used to record early hits Please Mr. Postman , Do You Love Me , and an infectious 1961 hit by the Miracles.

Better shop around
The tour ends as most such sightseeing does, at the gift shop. Gordy founded Motown with $800; now, that amount covers the costs of a black-and-white photograph of Tammi Terrell ($5), a rhinestone dog tag ($9.99), a set of refrigerator magnets ($18), four T-shirts ($22 each), two Studio A sweatshirts ($30 each), a Smokey Robinson biography ($50), the 10-CD Motown: The Complete #1's set ($170) and a framed ticket ($400) from one of the legendary revue shows held during the label's heyday at Detroit's Fox Theatre.

What's going on?
Next Saturday, a local radio station will broadcast Motown tunes from the lawn outside the museum, from 2 to 4 p.m. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and relax to a set list likely devoted to Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. That night, legendary Detroit soul singer Aretha Franklin performs at the fabulous Fox Theatre in the downtown entertainment district (www.olympiaentertainment.com/venues/foxtheatre.jsp; 313-471-6611).

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Easy as 1-2-3

What to do
Motown Historical Museum 2648 West Grand Blvd., Detroit, 313-875-2264; www.motownmuseum.com. Admission $8 to $10.

Where to stay
The Inn on Ferry Street 84 East Ferry St., Detroit; 313-871-6000; innonferrystreet.com. Rates $115 to $324. A boutique hotel housed in four restored Victorian mansions and two carriage houses. Complimentary shuttle to the Motown museum.

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Songs to put you in the Motown mood

Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Stevie Wonder (1965)
When Stevie sings this remedy song, everything really is alright.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg
The Temptations (1966)
Darn irresistible.

Out of My System
Jamie Lidell (2008)
The British soul singer lets off some steam with an infectious beat and dandy vibraphones.

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Jimmy Ruffin (1966)
What becomes of them? They spend hours listening to this tear-jerker on repeat.

Tears of a Clown
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1967)
A pop masterpiece, simply.

100 Yard Dash
Raphael Saadiq (2008)
The lithe, ultrahip Saadiq gives Smokey a run for his money.

You Keep Me Hangin' On
The Supremes (1966)
If a case is to be made for Diana Ross as the greatest ever pop singer, this is exhibit A.

Crazy
Alice Russell (2008)
There's a reason everyone covers Gnarls Barkley's psycho-analyzing mega-hit.

Reach Out I'll Be There
Four Tops (1966)
A giant-sized promise of compassion, written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Dancing in the Street
Martha and the Vandellas (1964)
A “brand-new beat,” indeed.

Brad Wheeler

Editor's note: The original version of this article listed Aretha Franklin as a Motown recording artist. This version has been corrected.