Drive Detroit’s northern edge and the pattern is hard to miss: adult clubs, one after another, strung along 8 Mile Road. 8 Mile is the line between the City of Detroit and its northern suburbs, and the 8 Mile Boulevard Association — a nonprofit formed to work on the corridor — describes a roadway that splits 13 separate communities along its length. That matters for anyone trying to understand the cluster: a venue on one side of the road answers to a different city council, a different police department and a different set of local ordinances than a venue a few hundred feet away.
Michigan law makes that boundary meaningful in a specific way. Under MCL 436.1916, the state’s permit rules for licensed premises are explicit that the statute is not intended to prevent a local unit of government from enacting an ordinance prohibiting topless activity or nudity on a licensed premises within that local unit. The state sets a floor, and each municipality along 8 Mile can go further.
Alcohol and nudity: how the rules interact
Michigan separates the right to serve alcohol from the right to put on adult entertainment. Under MCL 436.1916, an on-premises licensee needs a commission-granted entertainment permit for performances, and a separate dance permit for customer dancing. The statute states plainly that holding either one does not allow topless activity on the licensed premises. Topless activity requires its own permit — and subsection (3) limits commission-issued topless activity permits to on-premises licensees located in counties with a population of 95,000 or less, which excludes the large southeast Michigan counties.
Separately, Michigan Administrative Code R 436.1409 bars an on-premises licensee from allowing anyone on the premises to expose the pubic region, anus or genitals to public view, or to display other nudity prohibited by statute or local ordinance. The same rule extends to films, television and slides shown on the premises.
The practical takeaway for a visitor: full nudity and a liquor licence do not normally go together in Michigan, and what is permitted at any given address depends on that venue’s permits and on the local ordinance where it sits. Before issuance, a licensee must also obtain approval from the commission, the local legislative body (except in cities of 1,000,000 or more) and the local chief law enforcement officer. Assume nothing from a club’s marketing; the permits are what govern.
Detroit and 8 Mile Road
These venues sit on or just off 8 Mile:
- Penthouse Gentlemen’s Club Detroit — 20771 W 8 Mile Rd, Detroit
- Ace of Spades Detroit — 19245 W 8 Mile Rd, Detroit MI 48219
- Coliseum Detroit — 11300 8 Mile Rd, Detroit MI 48205
- BT’s Detroit — 12210 E 8 Mile Rd, Detroit
- Players Detroit — 13710 East 8 Mile Rd, Detroit MI 48205
Two Detroit clubs are not on the corridor at all — they are in the downtown core, within walking distance of Greektown and the Congress Street area:
- Bouzouki Greektown — 432 E Lafayette St, Detroit
- Legends Detroit — 415 E Congress St, Detroit
South of the city, in Lincoln Park:
- Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club Detroit — 980 John A Papalas Dr, Lincoln Park
Dearborn
Both Dearborn listings are on Michigan Avenue, at opposite ends of the city:
- The Silver Criket — 25231 Michigan Ave, Dearborn
- BT’s Dearborn — 14417 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
Flint
Flint’s two listings sit almost opposite each other on South Dort Highway. One carries a Déjà Vu brand name, which is worth a note: Deja Vu Services, Inc., founded in 1968 by Harry Mohney, now operates roughly 200 clubs internationally and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its roots, however, are in Michigan — Mohney started with a drive-in theatre in Durand, Michigan. Little Darlings is another of the chain’s brand names.
- Deja Vu Showgirls Flint — 2402 S Dort Hwy, Flint MI 48507
- Little Darlings Flint — 2341 S Dort Hwy, Flint
What to check before you go
- Whether the venue serves alcohol. This is the single most useful thing to establish in advance, because Michigan’s rules tie what may happen on stage to whether the premises holds a liquor licence and which permits go with it. Some clubs are BYOB or dry; call and ask.
- Which municipality it is in. Along 8 Mile especially, an address a block apart can fall under a different city’s ordinance, which under MCL 436.1916 may prohibit topless activity or nudity outright.
- Current hours and payment. Permitted activity is tied to legal hours for alcohol sale and consumption unless an extended hours permit is held, so closing times vary between venues. Confirm hours, cover charge and whether cards are accepted before travelling.