[1] The first Yacht Club buildings, a small clubhouse and boatshed, were constructed in the late 1870s at the foot of McDougall Street, just south of Jefferson Avenue.

The remainder elected James Skiffington Commodore (the club's title equivalent to the "President" of other recreational and social organizations) in 1884.

During the next decade, dining facilities would be expanded, and theater-quality projection equipment installed in the ballroom, where Sunday evening screenings became a regular feature of club life.

During the 1960s, an outdoor, Olympic-size swimming pool was added, and the West End docks were built, increasing the number of boat wells to over 350.

More recently, the club added additional facilities like a fitness center and opened the Bitter End lounge area to allow for women to enter.

[2] The Detroit Yacht Club clubhouse was designed by architect George D. Mason[4] in a Mediterranean Revival style.