---
type: Airport Family Guide
title: "Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) With Kids: Every Family Facility, Mapped"
description: DTW has 8 nursing rooms, 19 family restrooms and a 24/7 sensory room, split across 2 terminals with no airside link. Verified Aug 2026.
resource: https://www.velivolotravel.com/family-airport-guide/detroit-metropolitan-airport-dtw
tags: [airport, family, travel, DTW, us-midwest]
timestamp: 2026-08-03
---

# Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) With Kids: Every Family Facility, Mapped

**Short answer:** Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is split across two separate terminals, McNamara and the Evans Terminal, with no airside link between them — switching means clearing security again with your stroller, car seat and liquids. DTW has 8 nursing rooms, 19 family restrooms and a 24/7 sensory room, but only one of its two play areas has a published location.

**Velivolo family score:** 5/10 (Fair)

DTW's family facilities are stronger than its two-terminal layout suggests. McNamara holds five of the airport's eight nursing rooms and a 24-hour Multi-Sensory Room across from Gate A36; Evans has three nursing rooms and the only play area DTW actually gives a location for, near Gate D16. All nineteen family restrooms include a baby changing table. The catch: McNamara and Evans have no airside link, so switching terminals means re-clearing security, and DTW publishes no family security lane, stroller rental or confirmed adult changing table.

## Quick facts

- DTW's McNamara Terminal and Evans Terminal have no airside connection, so a family switching between them must clear security screening again with their stroller and liquids.
- DTW has eight nursing rooms — five in McNamara and three in Evans — each with a sink, counter and outlets, accessed by calling a posted number from your mobile for a code.
- All nineteen of DTW's family restrooms have a baby changing table and a diaper dispenser.
- DTW's Multi-Sensory Room sits across from Gate A36 in McNamara, open 24 hours a day for up to six occupants at a time.
- Only one of DTW's two play areas has a published location — the Evans Terminal one near Gate D16 — while the McNamara play area's exact spot is not stated by the airport.
- The 700-foot Light Tunnel connecting McNamara's Concourse A to Concourses B and C can have its light-and-sound programme paused for five minutes using a button at each end.

## Facility matrix

| Facility | Status | Terminals | Security side | Hours | Age limit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's play area | available | McNamara, Evans | post-security | Not published | Not published | free |
| Nursing room / lactation pod | available | McNamara, Evans | post-security | Not published | — | free |
| Family restroom | available | McNamara, Evans | both | Terminal hours | — | free |
| Baby changing table | available | McNamara, Evans | both | Terminal hours | — | free |
| Sensory room | available | McNamara | post-security | 24 hours | — | free |
| Family security lane | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Stroller rental | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Dedicated family lounge | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |

## Play areas

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's play area — Evans Terminal | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Concourse D · Near Gate D16 | post-security | DTW publishes the location only — no description of the equipment. | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| Children's play area — McNamara Terminal | McNamara Terminal | post-security | unconfirmed. DTW's Traveling with Children page carries a photograph captioned "McNamara Play Area" under the heading "Play Area Locations", but the only location the page states in words is the Evans one at Gate D16. Aggregator sites variously put the McNamara area at B20/B21, C6, A8 or A18; none of those gates appears on any DTW page, so no location is recorded here. | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |

## Nursing rooms

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNamara Terminal — nursing room near Gate A18 | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Near Gate A18 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| McNamara Terminal — nursing room near Gate A25 | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Near Gate A25 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| McNamara Terminal — nursing room near Gate A53 | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Near Gate A53 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| McNamara Terminal — nursing room near Gate A63 | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Near Gate A63 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| McNamara Terminal — nursing room near Gate C2 | McNamara Terminal · Concourse C · Near Gate C2 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| Evans Terminal — nursing room across from Gate D8 | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Concourse D · Across from Gate D8 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| Evans Terminal — nursing room across from Gate D15 | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Concourse D · Across from Gate D15 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |
| Evans Terminal — nursing room across from Gate D24 | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Concourse D · Across from Gate D24 | post-security | Use your mobile phone to call for an access code; you may be asked for information from your boarding pass. Once inside you lock the door yourself and "Occupied" appears on the outside. Each room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms |

## Family restrooms

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNamara Terminal — Concourse A family restrooms (9) | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Near Gates A8, A12, A20, A28, A34, A46, A60, A68 and A72 | post-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| McNamara Terminal — Concourse B family restrooms (2) | McNamara Terminal · Concourse B · Near Gates B3 and B15 | post-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| McNamara Terminal — Concourse C family restrooms (2) | McNamara Terminal · Concourse C · Near Gates C7 and C16 | post-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| McNamara Terminal — Central Link family restroom | McNamara Terminal · Central Link · Central Link | unknown |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| Evans Terminal — Concourse D family restrooms (5) | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Concourse D · Near Gates D8, D10, D16, D23 and D26 | post-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| Evans Terminal — Ticket Lobby family restrooms, by each screening location | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Ticket Lobby · Near each passenger screening location | pre-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |
| Evans Terminal — Baggage Claim family restroom | Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal · Baggage Claim · Baggage Claim | pre-security |  | https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children |

## Sensory rooms

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Sensory Room | McNamara Terminal · Concourse A · Across from Gate A36 | post-security | Bubble tubes for visual stimulation and rhythmic, predictable motion; Crash pad giving deep pressure and tactile input; Dimmable lights — colour and brightness set by the passenger; Fiber optic bean bag giving visual and tactile feedback; Gel floor tiles that move underfoot; Musical hand wall; Rocking chair; Sensory wall of shapes and textures; Squeezy seat that applies hug-like pressure around the trunk; Tree with a built-in cubby to hide from ambient sensory input | https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/multi-sensory-room |

## Security with children

- **Family lane:** DTW advertises no family security lane. Its Security Checkpoints page lists four checkpoint areas — the McNamara ticketing lobby on Level 3, the McNamara bridge from the parking garage on Level 2, the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel, and the Evans ticketing lobby — and three programmes: TSA PreCheck, TSA Cares and CLEAR. Nothing is signed for families.
- **Strollers and car seats:** TSA rules apply: strollers, umbrella strollers, carriers, car seats and booster seats go through the X-ray, and anything too large for the belt is inspected by hand. Take your child out and carry them through the metal detector.
- **Formula, milk and baby food:** Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food are allowed over 3.4 oz (100 ml) and do not have to fit in the quart bag. Your child does not have to be travelling with you to carry breast milk. Declare them at the start of screening and take them out of your bag.
- **Shoes:** Children 12 and under keep their shoes, light jackets and headwear on during screening.
- **PreCheck:** Children 17 and under can use the PreCheck lane free with an enrolled adult. DTW's own PreCheck enrolment office is in the McNamara domestic baggage claim area.
- Source: https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/safety-security/security-checkpoints

## Getting between terminals

Inside McNamara, the ExpressTram runs the length of the mile-long Concourse A with three stations: Terminal Station in the centre, giving access to Gates A29–A55, check-in, baggage claim, ground transportation and the tunnel to Concourses B and C; South Station for Gates A1–A28; and North Station for Gates A56–A78. LED signs and speakers above each train's sliding doors announce the approaching station. Moving walkways run through the terminals as well, including the 700 ft Light Tunnel that connects Concourses B and C with Concourse A beneath the apron — an LED and sound installation whose programme can be suspended for five minutes using a button at each end, to the right at the bottom of the escalators. Between the two terminals DTW runs free shuttles: follow the signs to ground transportation and wait in the terminal area. The airport publishes neither the frequency nor the operating hours of that shuttle, and does not say whether strollers may ride the ExpressTram.
- Source: https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/transportation-within-terminal

## Layover plans

### 1–2 hours — Enough time for the sensory room or a nursing room — nothing more

1. Clear the checkpoint for your terminal; there is no family lane at either McNamara or Evans, so build in standard security time.
2. If your child needs a break, the Multi-Sensory Room is open 24/7 across from Gate A36 in McNamara.
3. Use the nearest of the eight nursing rooms to feed or change — call the number posted by the door for an access code.

### 3–5 hours — Time to use the play area and the Light Tunnel's pause button

1. If you're flying from Evans, the play area at Gate D16 is the only one DTW actually publishes a location for.
2. Riding McNamara's Light Tunnel between Concourse A and B/C with a sensitive child, use the pause button at either end for a five-minute break from the lights and sound.
3. Use one of the nineteen family restrooms if you need to change — every one has a baby changing table.
4. Check DTW's Multi-Sensory Room across from Gate A36 if your child needs to decompress before boarding.

### Connecting between McNamara and Evans — The one DTW scenario to plan real time around

1. Confirm before you fly which terminal each leg uses — Delta and its partners fly from McNamara, D-gate flights from Evans.
2. Budget serious extra time: you'll exit one terminal and clear security again from scratch, stroller, car seat and liquids included.
3. Neither checkpoint has a family security lane, so the re-screening takes as long as your first pass through.
4. DTW runs a free shuttle between the terminals, though it publishes no timetable or frequency for it.

### Overnight — Little published for an overnight wait

1. The Multi-Sensory Room's 24-hour access is DTW's one confirmed overnight amenity, across from Gate A36 in McNamara.
2. DTW publishes no dining information at all, so bring your own food for a long wait.
3. Nursing rooms are reachable by phone code at any hour, but DTW doesn't say whether family restroom staffing changes overnight.

## Your rights

- **Lactation:** DTW is a major Delta hub and a medium/large hub airport, so the FAM Act's lactation-room mandate (FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, PL 115-254) applies here. DTW meets it with eight dedicated nursing rooms — five in McNamara and three in Evans — each with a sink, a counter and electrical outlets, though access is by phone-in code rather than a walk-in door.
- **Changing tables:** The FAM Act requires baby changing tables in both men's and women's restrooms at hubs the size of DTW. DTW meets this: all nineteen of its family restrooms carry a baby changing table. What the law does not specifically mandate — an adult-sized changing table — DTW also does not confirm anywhere on the airport, in any terminal.
- **Liquids:** TSA's national rule applies at DTW: formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food over 3.4 oz (100 ml) are allowed and do not need to fit in the quart bag, and your child does not have to be travelling with you to carry breast milk. Declare these items yourself at the start of screening and take them out of your bag.
- **Boarding:** Priority boarding for families is set by your airline, not by DTW — check your carrier's own policy before you fly, especially if you're connecting through McNamara on Delta.
- **If it is missing:** DTW publishes no dedicated contact for family-facility questions on its own site. Ask at any information point in the terminal you're in, or call TSA Cares ahead of your flight if you specifically need help getting through screening with your child.
- Source: https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/safety-security/security-checkpoints

## FAQ

### Do I have to go through security again if I switch terminals at DTW?

Yes — and it's the most disruptive thing about flying through DTW with kids. McNamara Terminal (Concourses A, B and C, used by Delta and its partners) and the Warren Cleveland Evans Terminal (Concourse D) are not connected airside. DTW states plainly that if your itinerary routes you between the two terminals, you must exit and clear a fresh security screening before you can enter the other one, with your stroller, car seat and any liquids all going through the checkpoint again. Neither terminal has a family security lane, so the second screening takes as long as the first. Check which terminal each leg of your trip uses before you fly, and build real time into your connection — DTW does run a free shuttle between the terminals, though it publishes no timetable or frequency for it.

### Where are the play areas at DTW?

DTW has two children's play areas, but only one has a location the airport actually publishes. In the Evans Terminal, there's a play area near Gate D16, right beside one of the terminal's family restrooms. DTW's own Traveling with Children page is headed "Play Area Locations" and includes a photograph captioned "McNamara Play Area," confirming a second play area exists somewhere in McNamara Terminal — but the only sentence of text on that page gives a location for Evans, not McNamara. Aggregator sites guess at various McNamara gates, including B20/B21, C6, A8 and A18, but none of those appears on any DTW page, so we're not repeating a guess as fact. If a play area at a specific McNamara gate matters to your trip, don't count on finding it near any of those numbers until DTW publishes one.

### How do the nursing rooms work at DTW?

DTW has eight nursing rooms open to passengers — five in McNamara Terminal, near Gates A18, A25, A53, A63 and C2, and three in the Evans Terminal, across from Gates D8, D15 and D24. Every room has a sink, a counter and electrical outlets. Access isn't walk-in: each room has a number posted beside the door, and you call it from your own mobile phone to get an access code, possibly after being asked for information from your boarding pass. Once you're inside, you lock the door yourself and an "Occupied" indicator shows on the outside so nobody else tries the handle. DTW doesn't publish opening hours for any of the eight rooms, so build in a little slack if you're relying on one late at night or very early in the morning.

### Does DTW have family restrooms with changing tables?

Yes, and DTW documents them more thoroughly than most airports do. There are nineteen named family restrooms across both terminals — nine spread along McNamara's Concourse A near Gates A8, A12, A20, A28, A34, A46, A60, A68 and A72, two on Concourse B, two on Concourse C, one at the Central Link, five along Evans' Concourse D, plus a restroom in the Evans ticket lobby by each screening lane and one at Evans baggage claim. Every single one comes with a toilet, a bench, a baby changing table and a diaper dispenser, which is unusually complete documentation. What DTW does not confirm anywhere is an adult-sized changing table in any of these nineteen restrooms or elsewhere in the airport, so if you're travelling with someone who needs one, don't expect to find it here.

### Does DTW have a sensory room?

Yes, and it's one of the strongest facilities of its kind documented at any airport in this guide. DTW's Multi-Sensory Room sits in McNamara Terminal, across from Gate A36, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a maximum of six occupants at a time. Inside there are bubble tubes, a crash pad, dimmable lights you control yourself, a fiber optic bean bag, gel floor tiles, a musical hand wall, a rocking chair, a sensory wall of shapes and textures, a squeezy seat that applies hug-like pressure, and a tree with a built-in cubby to hide from ambient noise and light. The door stays locked; call the number posted beside it from your mobile phone for an access code. DTW describes it as built for people with sensory sensitivities or cognitive disabilities, and their families, to take a break from a busy terminal.

### What is the Light Tunnel at DTW and can it be turned off?

The Light Tunnel is a 700-foot underground passage connecting McNamara's Concourse A to Concourses B and C, fitted with moving walkways and a light-and-sound installation that plays as you walk through. For a child who finds that kind of stimulation overwhelming, DTW built in an escape valve: a button at each end of the tunnel, to the right at the bottom of the escalators, suspends the light-and-sound programme for five minutes. It's a small, specific detail that most airport guides never mention, and it's genuinely useful if you're moving between concourses with a sensitive child and need a calmer minute to get through. It only works within McNamara — the tunnel doesn't connect to the Evans Terminal at all, since Evans has no airside link to McNamara in the first place.

### Does DTW have a family security lane?

No. DTW does not advertise a dedicated family security lane at either terminal. Its Security Checkpoints page lists four checkpoint locations — the McNamara ticketing lobby, the McNamara bridge from the parking garage, the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel, and the Evans ticketing lobby — and only three programmes: TSA PreCheck, TSA Cares and CLEAR, none of which is specifically a family lane. Standard TSA rules apply regardless: children 12 and under can keep their shoes, light jackets and headwear on during screening, strollers and car seats go through the X-ray with anything too large for the belt inspected by hand, and children 17 and under can use the PreCheck lane free alongside an enrolled adult. DTW's own PreCheck enrolment office is in the McNamara domestic baggage claim area if you want to sign up before a future trip.

### Can I rent a stroller at DTW?

No, DTW offers no stroller rental anywhere in either terminal. Its Services & Amenities index covers dining, shopping, Wi-Fi, the Armed Services Lounge, baggage, ATMs, family restrooms, nursing rooms, reflection rooms, check-in, gates and boarding, the pet therapy programme and airport ambassadors — a rental service of any kind is not among them. If you need a stroller inside the terminal, bring your own and gate-check it with your airline; DTW doesn't publish its own gate-check policy, so that's set entirely by the carrier you're flying. The airport also gives no guidance on where a gate-checked stroller ends up while you're on the plane, so ask your gate agent directly if you're unsure. Plan to travel with your own equipment rather than expecting to rent anything once you land at DTW.

### Are there adult changing tables at DTW?

DTW does not confirm an adult-sized changing table anywhere in the airport. Its Family Restrooms page lists what each of the nineteen family restrooms contains — a toilet, a bench, a baby changing table and a diaper dispenser — and an adult-sized changing bench is never mentioned, including on the accessibility section of the airport's own site. This is a genuine gap: a family or caregiver travelling with someone who needs an adult changing table has nowhere DTW points them to. It's worth noting for context that the federal FAM Act's changing-table mandate for large hub airports like DTW is specifically about baby changing tables, which DTW does meet with all nineteen family restrooms — the adult changing table gap sits outside what that particular law requires, but it's still a real absence for families who need one.

### Is Detroit Metro Airport easy to get through with young children?

It depends entirely on which terminal you're in. Within McNamara Terminal, DTW is genuinely well set up: the ExpressTram runs the length of the mile-long Concourse A with three stations, moving walkways run throughout, and the Light Tunnel connecting to Concourses B and C even has a button to pause its light-and-sound show for a sensitive child. Every nursing room and the 24-hour Multi-Sensory Room sit close to a tram station. The problem is getting between McNamara and the Evans Terminal, which have no airside connection at all — a family with a connecting flight through the other terminal has to exit and clear security completely again, stroller and all. If your whole itinerary stays inside one terminal, DTW handles a family well; if it doesn't, budget serious extra time.

## Related airports

- [Minneapolis (MSP)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/minneapolis-saint-paul-international-airport-msp.md) — Delta's other major Midwest hub — a natural comparison for connecting families flying the same airline through Detroit.
- [Chicago (ORD)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/ohare-international-airport-ord.md) — The busiest Midwest hub most Detroit-area connections route through — a useful comparison in scale and layover planning.
- [Chicago (MDW)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/chicago-midway-international-airport-mdw.md) — Chicago's smaller alternative to O'Hare, worth weighing if your itinerary could route through either Chicago airport instead of Detroit.
- [Cincinnati (CVG)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/cincinnati-northern-kentucky-international-airport-cvg.md) — A similarly positioned Midwest connecting hub, useful if you're comparing regional options against DTW.
- [Cleveland (CLE)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/cleveland-hopkins-international-airport-cle.md) — Another single-region Midwest airport worth comparing directly if your route could go through either city.

## Sources

- [DTW — Traveling with Children (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/traveling-children) — Play area locations, family restroom gate list
- [DTW — Nursing Rooms (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/nursing-rooms) — All eight nursing rooms, their gates and access method
- [DTW — Family Restrooms (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/services-amenities/family-restrooms) — What each family restroom contains; no adult changing table confirmed
- [DTW — Multi-Sensory Room (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/getting-around/accessibility-additional-assistance/multi-sensory-room) — Multi-Sensory Room location, hours and features
- [DTW — Security Checkpoints (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/dtw/safety-security/security-checkpoints) — Checkpoint locations, no family lane, PreCheck enrolment
- [DTW — Transfer Between Gates (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/transfer-between-gates-0) — McNamara–Evans terminal split and re-screening requirement
- [DTW — Transportation Within The Terminal (2026)](https://www.metroairport.com/at-dtw/getting-around/transportation-within-terminal) — ExpressTram, Light Tunnel and inter-terminal shuttle

**Last checked:** 2026-08-03