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First Ward Park

5.0 (1 review)

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8 years ago

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Millennium Park

Millennium Park

4.6(52 reviews)
49.4 km

I love walking at Millennium Park. I have been exercising here for many years. There are miles and…read moremiles of paths to explore. I enjoy mixing up my different routes to go different distances. There are several small lakes, one of which has a beach and other activities such as paddle boats. There are two different entrances to the park, which helps spread visitors out on really busy days like weekends. On the Secchia Meadows side, there is a nice pavillon where my friends had their wedding. I highly recommend Millennium Park for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors, spotting creatures such as deer, turtles, muskrats, eagles, and more.

I've got lots of thoughts running through my head, simultaneously, all the time. So when I stepped…read moreup to the check-in counter at Millennium Park Boat Rentals, the thoughts in my head were: Wow! It only costs $8 per hour to rent a kayak? Sweet! Wow! These people checking me in and telling me safety information are incredibly young! Will they be able to save me and my family if our kayaks flip over and we fall into the lake? Wow! What a beautiful day! But I wonder how often people fall into the lake. I also wonder how deep the lake is. I also wonder if it's possible to be trapped underwater if your kayak flips over. In the end, I decided to kick it on the sandy beach and wave at my family as they happily paddled on the lake. They had a great time kayaking. I had a great time not kayaking. Like Hot Chocolate says: Everyone's a winner, baby. Kayaks are either single-person or double, and we used one of each. There are very few instructions given, which was a little alarming to me. (You mean you just assume we know what we're doing?!) But fortunately, my family knew what they were doing, so they didn't need much instruction to get themselves out on the water. As you paddle around the lake, you pass the Millennium Park beach and splash pad, plus little islands here and there. There is about four miles of shoreline to explore. I was told that the lake was nice and calm, and that it was a pleasant time on the water. We rented kayaks, but Millennium Park Boat Rentals also offers canoes, paddle boats and stand-up paddle boards to rent. Keep in mind that rentals are seasonal -- this place is only open from Memorial Day-ish to Labor Day-ish.

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Millennium Park
Millennium Park
Millennium Park

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Rosa Parks Circle - Rosa Parks Circle and Breonna Taylor Way

Rosa Parks Circle

4.3(13 reviews)
47.2 km
•$$

My boyfriend and I have a tradition to ice skate at a new place each year once finals are over…read more This year we did some research on the Christkindl Market/Rosa Parks Circle and decided to make a GR day out of it. The rink was very fun and I will always love skating but there were a few things that made the experience not merit 5 stars. We wanted to make reservations beforehand since we have trauma from Detroit's ice skating lines being INSANE. But, you have to make a reservation over a few days in advance, and don't try to call their office because they won't answer. Thankfully it wasn't busy the day we went so there was no wait, but something to keep in mind when planning your visit. Parking is tragic and that's coming from an Ann Arbor local who is constantly fighting for a spot (and her life) on State street. What we thought to be an easy parking garage turned out to charge a nightmare price of $14 for only being there a little over an hour. Not to mention, the place was a bit of a walk on unsalted and very slippery sidewalks to the park. Compared to other outdoor skating rinks, this one was quite small. The path to the rink is downhill and dangerous to walk in regular shoes, let alone your skates when you've put them on! I counted so many people who almost ate it coming to and from the rink because of the icy path. I'm aware it's an ice attraction, but no one wants to be skating before they actually get to the rink... The ice rink itself has a wall of snow all around like it's carved out of snow, which is cool, but results in snow falling on the ice and it being pretty rough to skate on. There were also a bunch of kids digging at the snow and creating snowballs and throwing it at skaters passing by. PTL I wasn't one of the ones targeted but still, a safety hazard in itself! They were given several warnings by the employees but were never taken off the ice despite being told multiple times not to. I will say that for the cons, there are a few pros. The cost of skates and skating is a combined price of $6 per person so you don't have to worry about bringing your own skates. They have plenty of cubbies to hold your shoes/belongings that are within eyesight in case you're worried about things getting stolen. (Even if it was stolen, the thief would break his back trying to run away because of how slippery it is!) There is a nice area where parents/non-skaters can sit looking over the rink. For it only being $6, the ice skating does it's job, but doesn't stand out in comparison to other outdoor rinks I've been to.

Rosa Parks Circle is a community gathering place in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. It features…read morea large open concrete area/amphitheater where people can gather for an outdoor lunch during the day, and it also acts as a stage for festivals, swing dancing, musicians, and more throughout the year. You can sometimes find food trucks parked here in the summer. In the winter months, it's transformed into a public ice skating rink. This park was designed by artist Maya Lin and is formally known as Ecliptic, which refers to the path the sun follows in the sky among the constellations over the course of a year. The park includes features that portray water in its three states: The central ice skating rink is water in its solid form, a mist fountain represents water in its vapor form, and finally, the table-like fountain represents water in its liquid form. Another unique feature of the park are the lights beneath the ice rink's surface. 166 tiny fiber-optic lights shine at night, depicting the millennial constellation of the sky over Grand Rapids on January 1, 2000, the start of the new millennium. Currently the park is under construction, with plans to refurbish the bandstand and restrooms, add a bus shelter and more shade trees, benches, drinking fountain, and additional trash receptacles. I'm excited to see the updated park and encourage anyone visiting to visit once it's completed.

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Rosa Parks Circle - Ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle

Ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle

Rosa Parks Circle - Ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle

Ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle

Rosa Parks Circle

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First Ward Park - skate_parks - Updated May 2026

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