Hamtramck Disneyland

Hamtramck Disneyland
Photos on this page by J. Moyer
May 14, 2021

Tucked between Klinger St., and Sobieski St., down a small alley, is Hamtramck Disneyland.  This exhibit is free to look, and does get many visitors during the year, but it is to view with your eyes only and not to go onto the property.  

Artist Dmytro Szylak, an immigrant from the Ukraine, retired from GM in the mid 1980's.  Looking for  something to do with his time, he decided to recreate his own interpretation of Disneyland and to incorporate parts of America as well as Ukraine.   His artwork became a collage of sorts while Szylak tried to use as much of his 30 foot backyard, in addition to the two adjacent garages.  The exhibit would light up and some of the attractions would even move about.  At times he would play Ukrainian music over loudspeakers for guests to listen to.  He continued working on this project until 1999 when he decided his property was full enough.  At first his neighbors and the city protested to his artwork and wanted him to take it down.  But the city started to realize that people in the thousands were flocking from all around to see this attraction so they backed off and began to admired his work.  Until the time of Szylak's death on May 1, 2015 at the age of 92, he could be found on his property repainting some of his work, or tinkering with the mechanics of some of the structures.  

After his death, the city was not sure what to do with his property as it had become a landmark tourist attraction.  Then on March 3, 2016, Hatch Art purchased the property and plans on maintaining it in honor of Szylak.  As the picture above indicates that Hatch Art plans to reintroduce lights and sound to the project as it was originally planned. 

A bust of Dmytro Szylak in his memory

Front of the home on 12087 Klinger St, Hamtramck, Mi.

Looking between the houses on 12087 Klinger, Hamtramck, to view the back yard. 

This is an UAW Daimler Chrysler 2003 Co Chairs Award; Daimler Chrysler Technology Center; Local Joint Training Committee; UAW Locals 212,412,889;