HONIGMAN
                                                                  (313) 465-7000
HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN LLP                        FAX: (313) 465-8000
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS                                        WWW.HONIGMAN.COM

                                                                     Exhibit 5.1

                                  June 8, 2005

      Taubman Centers, Inc.
      200 East Long Lake Road, Suite 300
      Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48303

      Ladies and Gentlemen:

            We have acted as counsel to Taubman Centers, Inc., a Michigan
      corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the public offering (the
      "Offering") of up to 3,680,000 shares of the Company's 7.625% Series H
      Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Shares"), pursuant to a
      Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-35433) (the "Registration
      Statement").

            Based upon our examination of such documents and other matters as we
      deem relevant, it is our opinion that the Shares to be offered by the
      Company pursuant to the Registration Statement have been duly authorized
      and, when issued and sold by the Company as described in the Registration
      Statement, in the amount approved by the Company, against payment
      therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable

            We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
      Registration Statement. We also consent to the identification of our firm
      as counsel to the Company in the section of the Registration Statement
      entitled "Legal Matters." In giving such consent, we do not admit hereby
      that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required
      under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the
      Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      /s/ Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

                                      HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN LLP

      DJK/LZM/DZF

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