Things to Do in Grand Rapids, Michigan

1. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Very few people outside of art history circles know that some of the most famous sculptures in the world can be seen in a Grand Rapids’ garden. Opened in 1995, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a major recreational, educational, and cultural destination in the Midwest and one of the best things to do in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Its 158-acre main campus consists of Michigan’s largest three-story conservatory with a waterfall, rock garden, and a variety of tropical and rare plants. The park also has five themed indoor gardens, four-season outdoor gardens, picturesque forest trails, and a wetlands boardwalk.

The sculpture gallery holds an internationally acclaimed collection of about 300 works by some of the world’s best-known sculptors, including Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Henry Moore, and Alexander Calder. The Park also organizes several popular temporary exhibitions.

The works of art are displayed all over the garden, among nature’s own artwork. If you are looking for things to do in Grand Rapids, MI for art lovers, you will not want to miss this beautiful attraction.

1000 East Beltline Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 888-957-1580

2. Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum started its life in 1854 as the Lyceum of Natural History. Its goal is to capture the spirit of West Michigan through immersive and authentic experiences that simultaneously provide entertainment and education.

The Museum has three floors of permanent exhibits that focus on science, history, and culture. It also showcases several special exhibits throughout the year.

The museum contains more than 250,000 artifacts in categories such as automobiles, zoology, furniture, fossils, and so much more.

Only a small number of the Museum’s artifacts are displayed at any given time. The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium is an intrinsic part of the Museum. The Museum also contains the Cook Carousel Pavilion, a café, the Meijer Theater, and a gift shop.

272 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-929-1700

3. Grand Rapids Art Museum

The Grand Rapids Art Museum building is a piece of modern art in and of itself. The magnificent contemporary home of the Grand Rapids Art Museum is a 125,000 square feet building featuring 20,000 square feet of exhibition and gallery space. It is the only museum certified LEED Gold for it environmental design. Museum collections range from Renaissance to Modern Art, with special collections focusing on 19th and 20th-century American and European art.

The museum collections contain 5,000 pieces of art, including more than 3,500 prints, photographs, and drawings. The museum organizes weekly music concerts, provides a venue for a yoga studio, and once a week invites adults to explore their artistic side.

101 Monroe Center St NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-831-1000

4. Blandford Nature Center

There are tigers sneaking through the grass in downtown Grand Rapids. No reason for alarm – they are the most popular residents of the Blandford Nature Center. The Center is an independent non-profit organization that leases 143 acres from the City of Grand Rapids. If you are wondering what to do in Grand Rapids with active kids, this is a great place to explore.

They use the land and wildlife to provide high quality community programs and environmental education. Visitors can hike the trails and explore the nature through different seasons, sign up kids for activities such as Spring Break, Winter Break, and Summer Camp, explore the Heritage Buildings to travel back in time, visit Wildlife Education Center, or walk the Wildlife Trail to see the Blandford’s wildlife.

The Center has hundreds of interactive programs that invite children and grownups to get dirty and rediscover their connection with nature.

1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-735-6240

5. Meyer May House

The Meyer May House is considered one of the most faithfully restored of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style houses in the country. Wright's house designs are easily recognizable by the low-pitched rooflines, deep overhangs, a wall of windows, and the building’s seamless connection with the outdoors.

Frank Lloyd Wright built the house for the clothing manufacturer Meyer May in 1909. The style of architecture was revolutionary and shocking for the affluent neighborhood of Grand Rapids, which was replete with stately old Victorian-style houses. Steelcase Company purchased and meticulously restored the house in 1985.

The Meyer May House and other prairie-style homes inspired an entire school of architecture called Prairie School. The House that still contains Wright’s original windows and furniture. It is open to the public.

450 Madison Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-246-4821

6. John Ball Zoo

John Ball Zoo is an urban zoo and aquarium located in a large park two miles from downtown Grand Rapids. It offers comfortable and realistic habitats for over 1,100 animals from all over the world. Some of the most popular habitats are Mokomboso Valley Chimpanzee Exhibit, Treasures of the Tropics, Budgie Aviary, Red's Hobby Farm, and so many others.

If you are wondering what to do in Grand Rapids with kids, this is a great place to visit. The zoo also offers many fun activities for kids and adults such as zip lining over the entire zoo, going on camel rides, taking a tram that goes to the second highest hilltop in Grand Rapids, going on swan paddleboats, and many others. The zoo depends on more than 200 volunteers to help with the animals, in the garden, or with visitors.

1300 Fulton W, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-336-4300

7. Grand Rapids Symphony

It is hard to imagine a music event in Grand Rapids that does not involve the Grand Rapids Symphony in some way. This group of renowned musicians is associated with almost all musical performances in the city: Bach Festival, Symphony Chorus, Youth Symphony & Classical Orchestra, and Symphony Youth Choruses. It is also the orchestra for the Grand Rapids Ballet Company and Opera Grand Rapids.

Established in 1930, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra offers ten concert series for all ages and presents over 400 performances yearly. It also takes part in sixteen educational programs. The Orchestra performs in the large number of Grand Rapids venues, from churches to parks.

300 Ottawa NW, Suite 100, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-454-9451 x 4

8. Gerald R. Ford Museum

After their time in the White House, the lives and achievements of U.S. Presidents are celebrated in the system of Presidential libraries of the National Archives and Records Administration. The Gerald R. Ford Museum opened in 1981. The core of the Museum is its permanent exhibit, which offers the highlights of President and Mrs. Ford’s lives. The permanent exhibit features an interactive video and holographic presentation that allows visitors to experience the illusion they are "participating" in history and travelling with President Ford to popular destinations throughout the world.

There is also a holographic tour of the White House as it was during Ford’s time and a light and sound show that describes a day in the Oval Office. The Watergate gallery with a multi-screen six-minute history is particularly interesting. The museum organizes frequent temporary exhibits, and it also hosts special events.

303 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-254-0400

9. Grand Rapids Children's Museum

As you pass through Sheldon Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids, you cannot miss the sounds of kids laughing from a beautifully renovated building that was built in 1916. Through the front wall made of glass, everyone passing by can see the fun the kids are having inside.

The Grand Rapids Children's Museum was designed for children between two and twelve as a hands-on interactive museum that offers a range of experiences. The museum promotes learning through play and encourages exploration. There are eighteen permanent exhibits, including a farm, a puppet stage, a treehouse and others.

11 Sheldon Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-235-4726

10. Calvin College Ecosystem Preserve

The Calvin College Ecosystem Preserve is an outdoor research and teaching venue for Calvin College students and faculty. Here, they actively work on preserving plants and animals indigenous to the area, along with their habitats. The Preserve not only offers learning grounds for students, but also for Grand Rapids residents, who can enjoy the green spaces while seeing the ways in which human activity affects the natural world around them.

They can hike through the Preserve and watch the change of seasons, watch birds, take photos, draw the flowers, write a poem, or have a nap in the grass. Bunker Interpretive Center has seasonal displays, and there are many programs for kids and families to learn about the native plants and animals. The Preserve also holds annual plant sale.

1750 East Beltline Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Phone: 616-526-7600