Location: Grand Rapids
Top Things to do in Grand Rapids
10 Things to do in Grand Rapids That You Shouldn't Miss
The comforts of a friendly, small-town atmosphere combined with the pleasures of big city life make Grand Rapids an ideal choice for a fun getaway with a host of indoor and outdoor activities. Once known as the furniture capital of the world, the city has a reinvigorated downtown area and a thriving arts and cultural community. Its most popular attraction is the museum dedicated to native son Gerald R. Ford, 38th U.S. President, where interactive exhibits take you to the White House and the 1976 Republican National Convention. Wander through the state's largest tropical conservatory at the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a magical wonderland of gardens, woodlands and over 100 bronze statues by famous artists, including the 24-foot bronze horse designed by Leonardo da Vinci. More outdoor fun is a half-hour away at the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan. Golf lovers have plenty of places to hit the greens since Grand Rapids has more privately owned, daily-fee, public courses than any other U.S. city. Wind up your busy weekend with a cold beer at the Hair of the Frog Brewery or the Grand Rapids Brewing Company.
Restaurants in Grand Rapids
1. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,947 reviews
View modern sculpture in a stunning garden setting at this combination botanical garden and sculpture park, which features exotic plants, desert and Victorian gardens, wetlands, meadows, and sculptures by famous artists throughout.
Reviewed By Relax778849
Our son’s family lives in Grand Rapids, so we often visit Meier Gardens. It’s enjoyable whether we visit during Christmas to see decorated trees from other countries, summer to walk the garden paths and visit the children’s garden where the grandkids can run and climb, or during the butterfly exhibit in the spring. The special exhibits are interesting as well.
2. Meyer May House
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 443 reviews
Built for a prominent merchant in 1908, this prairie-style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is located in the elegant Heritage Hill district, where over 60 architectural styles are represented.
Reviewed By 322JeanB
Docent Ken made the house come alive with his knowledge of the house. The introductory film is very informative, the house is beautifully restored and well worth the time to enjoy. It’s free! Thanks to Steelcase.
3. Leonardo da Vinci's Horse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 395 reviews
The Renaissance mans plans to sculpt a 24-foot bronze horse were never realized until an American sculptor created two models based on da Vincis drawings, one of which graces the Frederik Meijer Gardens.
Reviewed By ronaldw8200 - Grand Rapids, United States
The horse is so impressive, then you read the history, the care the accurracy, in a setting that allows memories without distractions. A must see among the many things to do at Fred Meijer Gardens.
4. Gerald R. Ford Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,091 reviews
Explore the life and times of Gerald R. Ford, Michigan's only President. Here documents, artifacts, photographs, and videos combine to tell the dramatic story of the Ford Presidency in the mid-1970s. Museum galleries depict Gerald Ford's rise from a humble youth to Eagle Scout, star football player, World War II naval officer, and U.S. congressman, and the unique way by which he became Vice President and President. Meet the issues of the day - the energy crisis, the Nixon pardon, Vietnamese refugees, and learn about the Bicentennial. Your visit will include a stop in the life-sized Oval Office and Cabinet Room. See for yourself how President Ford shaped our world.
Reviewed By travelingtips - North Carolina, United States
When in Grand Rapids for a conference, I met up with family who live in Michigan and we went to the Gerald Ford Museum. The museum is laid out very nicely - a walk through his early years, leading up to his presidency and death - with photos, videos and many artifacts. I especially enjoyed the special photography collection, seeing what his Oval Office in the White House looked like and the beautiful outdoor space (including President and Mrs Fords hillside graves). I learned a lot about Gerald Ford and his life. My only regret is that my husband (the history buff) wasn't with me to see it all. I hope to be able to come back again with him.
5. Grand Rapids Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 231 reviews
Children direct their own learning at this hands-on museum with both permanent and changing exhibits, where they play with slippery bubbles, study a live beehive, learn the magic of mirrors and more.
6. Grand Rapids Public Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 697 reviews
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is a place of never-ending inspiration and discovery, with a focus on science, history and culture. We have three floors of core and traveling exhibitions, the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, a 1928 Spillman Carousel and a Mighty Wurlitzer Organ.
Reviewed By 8zzf3mh8reu7ddw - Grand Rapids, United States
They have built quite the museum here. It is very beautiful, with much to see here, but I very much miss our old time museum on State street. It used to take us so long to go through our old museum, we'd go most Sundays. We could look the whole day over and over again, just loving every inch. This one has a merry go round inside for the kids and some adults. They do have a few special celebrations inside. It is big!
7. Van Andel Arena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 447 reviews
The Van Andel Arena is a 10,834-seat multi-purpose arena situated in the Heartside district of Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a $75 million construction effort, the arena opened on October 8, 1996 and since has attracted over five million patrons. It is home to the popular Grand Rapids Griffins ice hockey team, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.As a concert venue, the Van Andel Arena seats about 12,858 for end-stage shows, and 13,184 for center-stage shows. The arena floor measures 85 by 220 feet (26 × 67 m). The arena features 9,886 permanent seats and 44 luxury suites, with the 16 luxury suites in the upper bowl seating 20, and the lower 24 bowls seating 15, and the others at 18. There are approximately 1,298 retractable seats at Van Andel Arena.
Reviewed By lisagL2049TM
We were from out of town and it was our first time there. Excellent location to have dinner before the show and go out after. Our tickets were pretty far up and we didn't feel like we missed a thing. Great concert venue!
8. Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By PuttingItOutThere
Robinette's has been a staple in the community for decades. It's always been my top choice for apples and cider. It was wonderful to see that they still have great fruit and bakery items even during a challenging pandemic. Long lines for donuts but these are fresh made and worth the wait. (My personal favorite is the seasonal pumpkin spice or cinnamon sugar varieties.) Pies are also excellent here. Order early and pick up. On their lunch menu, I tried the Cranberry Chicken Salad sandwich and it was incredible. I asked lots of questions about what apples are best for baking and was given great information on all of the varieties. This place was 'farm to table' before it became a cliche. I highly recommend a visit here. Next visit, I'll be looking at their wine selection. ***It was a real shame that such negative press was given due to a visit by a member of the Trump family recently. Personally, I find it nauseating that anyone would say such mean spirited things about the Robinette family or their business. This business is a West Michigan institution and should not be tarnished with such trash talk.***
9. 20 Monroe Live
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 81 reviews
Reviewed By cbdudek - Grand Rapids, United States
My wife and I saw Lord Huron on Friday 4/20 and it was an incredible experience. The chairs are comfortable in the Mezzanine, so if you like the stadium seating experience, I can highly recommend them. Seats are a bit more expensive than general admission so be prepared to spend a little bit more for a better viewing experience. The amenities are really nice as well. The bathrooms are numerous and very clean. Getting in and out of the venue was very convenient, although I will say getting in was a little slow since they don't open the doors until the time listed on the ticket. We got there at 6:30pm for a 7pm show and had to wait until 7pm to get in. Warm up band didn't start until 7:50. If I knew this ahead of time, I would have taken my time and gotten there at 7:30 because we had seats reserved. I will remember this next time. The alcoholic drinks are a bit on the expensive side, but I found the snacks and non-alcoholic options to be reasonably priced for a concert. I did see they had some actual real food that we could have bought. I may try this next time as the food didn't look like the normal cheap fare that is normally made in fast food places. Overall, I highly recommend this venue.
10. John Ball Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 744 reviews
John Ball Zoo inspires our community to be actively engaged in the conservation of wildlife and our natural environment. Over 2,000 animals including lions, tigers, bears (oh my) and chimpanzees! John Ball Zoo brings behind-the-scenes training and care to the public daily. Guests can enjoy both indoor and outdoor exhibits. Interactive experiences include a funicular (tram), zip line, high ropes course, and more! The Zoo closes in the winter so be sure to check out the website for open dates and times.
Reviewed By jkoslowski148 - Canton, United States
I don't want to get into the ethics of this zoo or any zoo. From a purely visitor standpoint, the workers here did an excellent job. Tickets are recommended (might have even been required) in advance and as the day went on, you could tell why. We got in at 10:00 and by the time we were ready to leave a little bit before 2:00, the lines were a lot longer than they had been when we arrived. Several people I talked to had told me that they had come here and never seen any animals. By the end, I wondered where they had been because every animals was on display, whether in the outdoor portion or visible through an indoor viewing areas. The Zoo is not terribly large from a square footage standpoint but where it really excels is making use of the upper space. The next closest zoo that I could to do that was San Diego. Some sections are on the smaller side, namely the aquarium, but some are really impressive with how close you can get to some of the animals. The brown bear was literally sitting against the glass. I was blown away at the size of them, especially their head. The mountain lions were also interesting as they were up, walking around, climbing, and generally acting as I thought they would in the wild. There was one particular employee, Evan, than I want to single out. We met him at the entrance of the reptile house as well as for the Budgie feeding. He was knowledgeable and very light while talking with us. I appreciate it when employees can joke about their situation (when I asked him about his title, he responded with "well, my non-covid job is...") but still make you feel like every question you ask is relevant and important to answer. He probably gets the same questions over and over again every single day but he made me feel like I asked a great question (specifically, I asked what the difference was between a Budgie and a Parakeet) and that to me is excellent in the field of tourism. Overall, this zoo may not be the biggest as far as walking around goes but there are a lot of animals here and they are almost all out to be seen. You'll make a lot of memories here and hopefully develop a greater appreciation for the earth and it's inhabitants while you're here.
