Named in 1819 when Governor Lewis Cass, recalling the oak that hid King Charles II after the Battle of Worcester, christened a great tree here the 'Royal Oak' source
Community character
Woodward-corridor city whose walkable downtown, zoo entrance, and music venues make it one of metro Detroit's busiest nightlife suburbs source
Detroit Zoo main entrance and water tower
The zoo's Royal Oak entrance beneath the 150-foot water tower built for the city in 1928, the year the zoo opened source
National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica
Art Deco church built 1931-36, declared a national shrine by the U.S. Bishops' Conference in 1998 source
Royal Oak Music Theatre
1928 vaudeville house by John H. Kunsky, reborn in 1976 as a concert and comedy venue source
Detroit Zoo grounds
The zoo's Royal Oak acreage and entrance plaza off Woodward and I-696 source
Downtown Royal Oak entertainment district
Restaurant, bar, and festival district around Main and Fourth streets source
