So good! Do many great artists and things to look at! Love…read moregoing with my mom every year!

For a single weekend each June for as long as I can recall, Flint residents are treated to the…read moreFlint Art Fair, sponsored by Flint Institute of Arts and Friends of Modern Art, on the grounds of the cultural center. This two day (occasionally three days, but that's rare) festival of art & crafts is always a special treat for a beleaguered city often plagued by negativity. For that one weekend, the city comes out to enjoy art, music and activities for the kids. It's an eclectic blend of people coming together to support the arts. As a "juried" art festival, every vendor must be approved beforehand by a panel comprised of the FIA/FOMA. In other words, quality arts/crafts, not kitsch, is what the Flint Art Fair is all about. Essentially, everything from oil & acrylic paintings, pen & ink drawings, prints, mixed media, photography, sculpture, pottery/ceramics and blown glass to handmade jewelry, stained glass, clothing, handbags/wallets, leather goods, hammered metal objects, "upcycled" DIY lawn ornaments and everything in between can be found here during any given year. The selection always runs the gamut from traditional to whimsical. This year's event was no exception. I felt that most artistic mediums were well-represented from what I saw at this most recent fair, along the lines of previous years, even if there was perhaps a slight decrease in the number of participating vendors than what I'm used to seeing. In retrospect, I think there were probably 3-5 more booths last year, but it didn't seem to affect the quality of the festival at all. The FAF always has a great turnout in terms of the number and high quality of its vendors each year. The only damper on this year's event was the scorching temperature- the heat index rose to 100 degrees both days, so it was pretty difficult to walk around in such oppressive heat. Sometimes the weather is great and sometimes it isn't, but you can't control Mother Nature. Once again, the cost of admission was $5 per adult. Kids (under 12, I think) get in for free and members of FOMA also receive free admission, but not members of the FIA. I think that isn't fair to strictly FIA members, but the fee goes toward defraying costs of the event, so who cares? Seriously, they haven't raised the price of admission in several years, so who am I to complain? For that mere $5, you get to sample (and have the opportunity to purchase) an array of unique, handmade wares. Literally, a world of art is at your fingertips. Just don't break anything. I'm kidding- sort of. It's always a blast to just trek around the art fair, even if I'm not in a buying mood (who am I kidding, I'm always in a mood to shop and I can't remember the last time I attended and left empty-handed). Alas, I usually buy something, whether it be pottery, photography or jewelry. I just can't help myself. There's just always so much to see and buy. I regret not picking up some Game of Thrones style jewelry I saw. Sigh. It was gorgeous. I think it's a good way to pick up DIY tips or grab a gift that I know I'll use down the line for someone else. A few years ago, I picked up a lawn object d' arte for the garden welded from different metals for my mom''s birthday. She loved it. At this point, I have a house full of artsy finds I've managed to acquire over the years from the FAF alone. Are the prices rock bottom cheap? Not a chance, but they aren't over-the-top exorbitant, either, especially when taking into consideration the fact that you're supporting artisans from around the state (and even a few from out of state) who make their living plying their trade traveling from festival to festival. I personally like the idea of owning some one-of-a-kind, handmade home decor. In my opinion, there's something to suit just about everyone's budget- from $15 hand-crafted bottle stoppers to $800 paintings. It all depends on what you're looking for. Last year, my haul included jewelry, a glass dish and two prints. Every year is a bit different. This year, I picked up a serving tray hammered from recycled aluminum soda cans for $25. That's probably the least I've ever spent at one of these outings. I would have looked around and spent more, but the heat was unbearable. Each year, live musical entertainment is featured all weekend, including decidedly family-friendly acts during the day. However, after the sun goes down and the arts/crafts booths close, it switches to more adult fare, with the beer & food tents still active for a few more hours. Face & chalk painting are always popular activities for the kids and are of nominal cost. There's even a silent auction every single year featuring pieces donated by local artisans, but I've never managed to win anything, despite my few attempts. The items up for grabs are quite nice, particularly the blown glass and jewelry. Proceeds benefit FIA/FOMA programming. All vendors accept credit cards, sans the food/beer tent.

I had a group of friends going for the Skies Over Michigan show they have running currently and I…read morewas debating between going vs taking a nap. Luckily I didn't have to choose between the two because the thing was a SNOOZEFEST (literally multiple of us fell asleep). What was particularly annoying about the show is that very little had to do with astrology and instead was heavily focused on Greek mythology, which is neat and all, but not at all what the name of the show implied or what you would expect to get at a planetarium. It was also bizarrely presented live (instead of a recording) and while the presenter was decent, he stumbled a few times. Seems super odd they wouldn't just have a well-run, recorded show. A couple positives: 1. The show ended with a rollercoaster ride immersive experience, which we all agreed was the best part 2. The gift shop is reasonably priced and you can get little souvenirs for as little as $0.50 (I know this because I did). Maybe our expectations were too high, but I definitely wouldn't recommend the planetarium based on our experience.

Who knew Flint had a planetarium? I sure didn't until recently. When we came up here to spend the…read moreweekend in Flint to check out stuff, I realized it was immediately next door to the Flint Art Museum and less then a mile from our hotel. Both John X and I were ecstatic to go see it! Admission isn't all that much, and is discounted if you live in Genesee County. Since neither of us do, I think it was $7 a person to see the shows. They have shows literally every hour on the hour, each with different themes throughout the day, and they seem to rotate them often and frequently. We got there after 5 PM and we couldn't remember which show was next. We initially wanted to see the skies over Michigan, but they only had a 3 PM showing which we weren't able to watch since we were busy doing other stuff. The show we ended up watching was about the James Webb Telescope that launches on Christmas eve and is supposed to be kind of a big deal. As professional nerds, we were very excited about this. Okay, maybe me more then anyone else, but space and science is cool. The guy who lead the 45 minute show gave us tons of info and really did a great explanation of the telescope and he even said he had a graduate degree, so obviously he knows his stuff about space. Very informative and well worth the time and money spent here. The seats in the auditorium are super comfy and lean all the way back, for optimal viewing experience. I will also say, try not to fall asleep during the show! It's just so relaxing and fun when here. I will say, they do have a great lobby area, but we were hoping for more museum stuff. It's more of a waiting area for the shows with some displays and such but not much else. You could stare at the stuff in all of about 15 minutes, so don't plan on spending much time doing that. What I do like about the Planetarium is that it's geared for all ages and not *just* to kids. They have kid shows I'm sure, but it was nice to have "adult time" and not have to tune out screaming children during a show. Definitely an all ages experience!

Great art museum in flint featuring top quality contemporary, classic, and modern art!…read more I was really impressed with the featured show as well as works from the permanent collection. They have art from different parts of the world as well... and its grouped by region.. and in some cases art movements. Very happy i got to check it out before my trip back home! An added bonus is that there is free admission on Saturdays!

I've been meaning to check out this art museum for a while, and finally had the chance to make it…read moreup here to see what all the excitement's about. Let me tell you, it was totally worth it! While it's no DIA, it actually is super cool. For starters, every Saturday is free admission thanks to Huntington Bank. If you don't come here on a Saturday, that's fine, admissions only like $10 which is super cool. Staff here was friendly and helpful, and we did the whole museum in about an hour and a half. They have plenty of cool artwork here and there's LOTS to see and do. What we loved about it was the different styles of art, and it wasn't just painting. Glass sculptures, a beautiful horse made out of wood, and a library! The library was cool but we didn't go in and check out any books. They also have a QR audio guide if you want additional info about the specific piece of art that you're viewing. Lots of modern art along with historic art from several hundred years ago. They also have a glass blowing section where you can watch artists make glass art forms and they have a person giving descriptions of what their doing and why. We watched for about 15 minutes and really enjoyed the experience. Worth watching and checking out. You don't get to see glass blowing all that often, so that was a lot of fun as well. There's a gift shop and a cafe here, which had a nice variety of products. We weren't hungry so we didn't eat anything especially since had lunch immediately before coming here. I would have stopped to have a coffee if I wanted, but we were not needing coffee or snacks so we passed. Art museums are always worth the trip and if you want a wonderful experience come check this place out. It's also immediately next door to the planetarium, so you can easily walk next door (as long as the weather is cooperative) and check that out as well. It's also across the street from the Sloan Museum but I think their still closed for remodeling from what I understand. Overall a really great day trip to come up and do. Easy to find and a lot of good fun for all!

They've really upped their game with the recent renovation…read more. The museum is beautiful, free for general admission to Genesee county residents- non residents so pay a small admission fee.. special attractions and installations do have a separate entry fee even for local residents, but the mini g displays are really lovely so it's worth it.. before the renovation I toured the Titanic display several years ago and it was brilliant!! They've put in new displays and cultural features and kept the old charm, too.. Lots of stuff for families particularly for children.. if you like local history, this charming museum is it! They have a nice gift shop and a Coffee Beanery and free wifi, too.. Centrally located in the heart of the city's cultural center so it's close to other local tourism spots and highlights like Whiting, FIA, the library, Flint Institute of Music, Buick Gallery, Flint Youth Theatre, Applewood and Longway Planetarium, and Whaley . I really like the improvements- it's definitely changed for the better.

It is not worth it for the money. You pay a general cost for the regular museum which could use…read moresome help as it is crowded in the children's hands on area and lackluster in the other areas. Then you have to pay extra for the special exhibit which is not noted on their website. For 4 adults and a 6 year old it was over $100 for a lack luster museum. Would rather spend my money in Detroit or Grand Rapids.

Clean environment, lots of seating, wish they had tv screens so people that aren't sitting in front…read morecan actually see what's going on on stage

Beautiful building! Nice parking. Landscaping is great too! Growing up in the surrounding area, I…read morehave gone here many times and have never had any complaints.

Drove up from West Bloomfield to catch my favorite comedian, Ali Siddiq a few weeks ago. Loved…read moreeverything about the experience. Because I arrived early, I was able to park for free on the street a couple blocks away. The venue itself was very well maintained and very clean. Every staff person was friendly and helpful. Even the process for the meet and greet afterwards was done in an orderly fashion. Even the ticket prices were very affordable. I would highly recommend making the short trip. It's definitely worth it.

The Capitol Theatre is one of the city's most unique and intriguing buildings, rich in colorful…read moreFlint history. Unfortunately, it's fallen on some hard times over the years and has been open for events intermittently over the last few years. There is hope, however, for this beautiful old landmark to shine once again. There are plans for reinvestment into the Capitol Theatre, although over the years, there have been numerous stalled attempts at redevelopment and renewal. It's still gorgeous and the interior, while fading a little bit each passing year, still shows what this Art Deco era theatre was like back in its heyday. The Will Ferrell fllm, "Semi-Pro," was shot on location here about a decade ago. I have fond memories of going to a few concerts here before it closed when I was in high school. It was in a state of decline then, but it was still something to be seen. Shortly before it closed, there were attempts at improvements and renovations, and the Captiol Cafe (a cute little coffee shop) was open late nights upstairs, past the winding, spiral staircase. We used to hang out up there after shows on the weekend back when I was still in high school. Sadly missed. Any longtime Flint native should have some memories of the Captiol Theatre at some point.

Great for any history buff…read more Tours through this beautiful historic home in Flint are always a treat. Walking through Whaley House is like taking a step back in time. It's beautiful and contains so many lovely object d' art and grand furnishings from years ago that you feel moved by the way the house and its rich history temporarily transport you to a bygone era when Flint was king of the burgeoning automotive and lumber industries and the docents do an excellent job of regaling patrons with old stories and little anecdotes about Whaley's history. It's like a walking, interactive history lesson! It's a real showcase of Flint's history. This stately, Gilded Age home, named after the prominent Whaley family, is filled with period furnishings and artifacts from its heyday. Walking tours are held regularly and the Christmas tour is one of the best things going on in Flint. It's a real treat for any lover of history or architecture. The home has been lovingly maintained throughout the years and has been open as a public museum for many years. I fondly remember going on walking tours of Whaley House when I was a child. Tours are reasonably priced, designed for a family-friendly budget. It's a great little museum for both kids and adults alike. Donations are always welcome as Whaley House is always undergoing some type of preservation to main the original structure.

This beautiful Gilded Age home showcases Flint's history in a family friendly way! I am a big…read morehistory buff and there is always something new to see because they rotate their exhibits. The house itself is full of artifacts and on tours the docents do an amazing job of bringing the past to life. The entire first floor of the home is handicap accessible (which is great since some historic houses aren't!) and it my group of fifteen people felt very well taken care of. The first time I went to the house was last fall during the House in Mourning program. It was very educational, and it was interesting to learn about how Victorian customs have carried over to today. The house even attracted actor William Ragsdale (from CSI, Justified, Desperate Housewives, Herman's Head) to visit when he was in Flint for the Zombie Walk. That was totally cool! I also visited last December and the house was decorated for Christmas. It's amazing to see this beautiful home full of twinkling lights - you feel just like you are in Dickens' A Christmas Carol! I brought my family to take our Christmas picture in front of the big tree in the front parlor and it was gorgeous. They even co-sponsor a vintage baseball team in the summer that plays by historical regulations with authentic uniforms. There truly is something for everyone! I plan to visit again on a Saturday for a tour and then have lunch downtown with my husband for a date. It's a great place to take a picture with your sweetie. :-)

Flint Youth Theatre is one of the city's many hidden gems and has been for years…read more Throughout the year, quality theatre productions for the family are staged here at FYT. Reasonable admission prices for quality family-themed theatrical productions. I've attended a few plays here over the years and the production values are always high-quality. This is a must for anyone with young children. On occasion, the theatre department at UM-Flint requires its drama students to attend productions here (as well as at UM-Flint and Whiting as well) as part of a class. Another great asset in Flint's cultural center.

From the owner: Flint Youth Theatre is a member organization of the Flint Institute of Music. In partnership with…read morethe Flint Symphony Orchestra and the Flint School of Performing Arts, its mission is to change lives through a life-long continuum of music, dance, and theatre. Since 1957, FYT has provided inter-generational live theatre arts programs for Flint and Genesee County residents. FYT is the nationally-accalimed, award-winning resident theatre company at the Flint Cultural Center and, in a typical year, serves 55,000 through its programs and facilities. The FYT Promise FYT promises to engage, enlighten, and entertain people of all ages with unique professional theatre productions and professional-caliber theatre training in a welcoming environment emphasizing originality, personal growth, and authenticity.

Had an excellent experience here. Ordered an Americano & the Rhema Club. Both were fantastic! The…read morestaff were friendly and polite and I really enjoyed the space.

The cafe seems far more invested in cultivating an aesthetic than delivering quality food or…read morehospitality. Service feels slow and strangely disengaged, as though customers are interrupting the ambiance simply by ordering. What should feel warm and welcoming instead comes across as performative and inattentive. The food is especially disappointing considering the prices. The sandwiches are remarkably small and underfilled, leaving you wondering whether you accidentally ordered a half portion. The salads are even worse, which is essentially a pile of arugula. For a downtown business surrounded by residents and neighboring businesses, the lack of inclusion for the community and the repeated disregard for basic city noise expectations is difficult to ignore. Ultimately, Flint has several coffee shops that provide better food, better service, and a far more genuine sense of love for the community here.