I enjoyed the old replica of the streets exhibit. It was neat to see them. It would have been nice to go in some of the shops. The dinosaurs were neat to see. read more

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My son's class went there last month for his field trip. It's a great museum and would've been 5 stars, but a pipe had burst and there was no old downtown Grand Rapids. That's my favorite exhibit, it was too bad the kids couldn't interact and learn from the volunteers dressed from that time period. The second floor was open and had a neat exhibit about sturgeon fish, dioramas of different habitats and an enlarged drop of water to see everything that lives in marshlands. It's a whole ecosystem! The carousel was also closed due to maintenance, another disappointment as the kids would've had fun riding this antique. The highlight for me was the planetarium. We were able to view a 15 minute show that was exciting and informative. I looked and found they have shows open to the public for $5 on their website. Worth checking out, though most shows may be geared for a younger population. GRPM is an educational haven full of curiosities and learning opportunities from whale bones, to fashion and all things that relate to Grand Rapids History. Definitely worth checking out. Enjoy a tasty lunch with their hand made sandwiches and soups of the day after a titillating planetarium show. read more

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Well, I wasn't expecting to feel a connection to my deceased Polish grandma at Grand Rapids Public Museum. But there I was, making my way through all of the exhibits, when I came across an exhibit about the Polish immigrants who settled in Michigan. My maternal grandmother's parents (my great-great grandparents) emigrated from Warsaw, Poland, to the Detroit area of Michigan more than a century ago, so the exhibit I was looking at pertained directly to me, in a way. It made me wish that my grandma was still around, so I could ask her questions. The room that the exhibit was in was empty and quiet. (It seems like the historical exhibits aren't as popular as the hands-on kid-friendly exhibits). So, it was nice to take in all of this information by myself, quietly. I read about Michigan's Polish culture, and looked at all of the items on display, and thought about what my great-great grandparents were like, living in Michigan. My experience sounds much more sobering than it really was! Really, my family and I had a great time exploring all three floors of the museum. There are lots of things to do. There's a room with giant games, there are displays of taxidermied animals, there's a recreated old-timey Grand Rapids downtown, there's a planetarium for an additional fee, there's a shark exhibit that may or may not be there when you visit because it's temporary. Apparently, there was also a carousel, but I didn't see it! Maybe it was still being repaired. We spent a good hour at this museum, but could have easily spent more time if we weren't on a schedule. The great thing about the Grand Rapids Public Museum is that there's something for all ages. There are things for young kids to touch, and lots of things for older people to read. Truly, this is a museum that will entertain everyone. read more

Very cool museum! I went with my niece and nephew, and they enjoyed all the hands-on activities, educational materials, and even a show in the planetarium. I personally loved two exhibits: -The room that goes from Grand Rapids to Indiana Railroad and leads into a historic street with stores definitely gives you the feeling that you've gone back in time. -The room about fast fashion and reusing materials was insightful read more

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It was alright. Some cool exhibits, but nothing jumped out as spectacular. Notable areas that I thought were cool were the shark exhibit, the clothing and textiles exhibit, and the Tigers signed baseballs exhibit. Besides those, the rest of the spaces seemed like a hodge podge of loosely strung together things that were not designed to flow well. The key space that took my attention the whole time was the beautiful view out of the window. There are definitely some spaces that could use an upgrade or 2. The taxidermied animals exhibit needs some major renovation. The... fish room(?) across the hall was disappointing. We also got tickets for the Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" show in the planetarium and it was just eh, the sound was great but the visuals looked blurred and grey. And there was an arcade here. Overall, I think this is probably a fine museum for the kids and a fine museum for a simple trip, but nothing worth heading back out to again. read more

I love the Public Museum! They have interesting exhibits that come through and I like the selection of planetarium shows they have as well. This past time I went, they had the historic Grand Rapids Lego display and this was the sole purpose for my visit. It was SO cool. My mom and I probably walked around it for a solid 20 minutes. It was so unique. Their historical Grand Rapids streets permanent exhibit is also very neat and they had Santa's from around the world set up within the shop displays for the holiday season. I also love their permanent exhibit about the history of the people in Grand Rapids. If you're into history, animals, nature, or learning something new about Grand Rapids, then this museum needs to be on your list of things to do :) read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Historic Grand Rapids Lego Display - December 2023 - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

We came with my son's first grade class. Overall, really interesting and kept your attention. Wish we could've had more time to just explore without keeping an eye on first graders but I'm glad I was able to come and see everything. We also got a room to have lunch so overall, a great place for school aged kids. read more

I take my autistic sister here every summer for an activity and she loves it! The staff is amazing and everything so easy to coordinate and not overwhelming for her! read more

Honestly don't know why this place is so highly rated. It's BORING!! Not a single thing popped out at me and made me say wow. I feel like this is more for kids cause kids are entertained by almost anything. It's 3 floors, $12 admission ($2 if you have a food stamp card). I will say that the staff is very kind. Not a problem at all in that area. I was just really bored and felt like I wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe it's cause I'm from NYC and this place doesn't compare to what we have? I don't know. Not going back. ‍ read more

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We had a great time at this museum! We only visit Grand Rapids so often and have seen some other museums but this one is a hidden gem! Definitely enough for a good 3-5 hours of exploring. Only $5 for students outside of Kent county. My favorite exhibit was the fashion + nature! It was very unique, creative, and fun for all ages!! I want to bring my step kids back here soon! read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - History - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

We didn't get to explore the entire place, but this Museum appeared to have the works! And, you won't have to sell a kidney to afford a trip for the entire family. The GR Public Museum is so affordable! They have exhibits to interest every member of the family including steam punk, fashion, dolls, a planetarium, ect. Upstairs next to the planetarium there's a small cafe with lunch options, snacks and treats available if you get hungry during your stay. They also had ample bathrooms which were clean and well maintained. We paid to see the last planetarium show of the day, which was not what we expected. It wasn't planets, and it wasn't really for young children. If you get dizzy easy you should consider inquiring about the different shows before buying tickets. Overall we had a good experience here and it's worth stopping in if you're a local or a visitor with some time to kill! read more

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I love a good museum, and this one doesn't disappoint! It totally reminds me of the Detroit Historical Museum downtown, which I love just as much as this place. Admission's only $12, and I was able to spend a solid hour/hour and a half walking through three floors of cool stuff. The museums family friendly, but also a great place for adults as well. On the main floor you have so much to see and do, including a bunch of life sized games. Some of the games were chess, connect 4 and some bowling as well. They have a huge selection of rooms to look at, all with a variety of different things to look at. My favorite part of the whole place was the "streets of Grand Rapids" from well over 100 years ago. It's like a step back in time and really was fascinating. The second and third floor had lots of historical items from Native American history stuff, fish, dinosaurs, fashion, and many other things as well. There's also some really cool taxidermy animals native to Michigan. Some were Wolverines, deer, bears and a few others. Lots of different fish along with explanations of their living quarters, where they can be found and such. There's a café here along with a gift shop, but I didn't check out either. They have a carousel here, but it seemed more kid oriented and I guess you can take a ride on it if you choose. I really liked it here and found it a lot more interesting than I thought I would before getting here. Worth checking out if you have at least an hour to kill. read more

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I LOVE the food there! cool, and fun exhibits. The planetarium shows are the coolest thing in the world! Totally recommend the trip. Great for kids read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Limited time exhibit - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Such a fun place to show my little one, I love the changing exhibits and can't wait for them to bring back the carousel

We got to explore the Grand Rapids museum while enjoying a wedding reception. Although we were not able to see the full museum, we were able to explore the first floor and look at a lot of the exhibits while we waited for the full party to assemble. Their exhibits that we saw were interesting. And having a wedding reception under the skeleton of great whale... how cool is that? This museum is bright, colorful and has a lot of different types of exhibits. I would happily come back to learn some things! read more

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Love our local museum! They rotate exhibits and the top floor is always something new and exciting. We have spent many hours enjoying it all. Our favorites when the children were younger: the carousel, riding the giant bicycle and the whale skeleton. As they got older, we dug deeper into the doll, furniture, and indigenous peoples exhibits. A family favorite! read more

What a fun place to bring the kids! We brought our toddler during our most recent trip to Grand Rapids and he had a blast. The carousel runs every 15 minutes I believe and has a nice view of the water. We also really enjoyed Old Grand Rapids and exploring the little shops. We took our time and spent about 2 hours here. read more

The power of poison Exhibit. Oh my goodness this is such a cool place. The history as well as the nostalgia was exquisite. Their is so many things for the children to get involved in as well as the parents. They have a cool little snack shop there with all your healthy and non healthy things to eat and drink. and a lobby for your dining pleasure's. Also they have an elevator and bathroom on every floor how convenient, Right? They also have a carrousel from the 1900rds that we can still ride. I'll definitely be back' Good times. read more

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Bigger than I thought. Nice interactive exhibits. Id like to see increase toddler sensory activities but it was a fun experience for my family including our 17month old. read more

For public museums this one is pretty good. Not overly large but lots of wonderful local/state heritage items to learn about. Very informative when it comes to the origins of Michigan and it's deep history. I personally liked it because it's not massive like others I've been to, and I was still able to learn so much about Michigan. Also rich with grand rapid's history. Perfect place for children and adults. The parking lot is very large, and right next door so no need to worry about parking if you decide to go spontaneously. read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Very clean, spacious and nice lighting. The place was very clean and well organized. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have an amazing experience. read more

If you wants to learn about Michigan culture you gotta come here first. I started from the top floor, which one will give you information about the native and newcomers; this can got back when Michigan had it own oceans! I know blown my mind. Also it will give you info how this state is known for, it's protected fish, and how fashion has impacted our culture and nature. Two hours worthy. it has its own planetarium! read more

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This is the first place we stopped when we arrived in Grand rapids Michigan. It was raining out pretty bad and we were looking for something to do inside. We read some good reviews and decided to stop by. The museum gave me a student discount which was nice of them because I am from out of state. One section of the museum is dedicated to the Early to mid-1900s. You can see how early Banks and retail stores operated, the types of shoes and clothing that was worn, how early electrical inventions like radios, lighting and other mechanical equipment changed and benifited the lives of everyone over the years. There is an informative native American exhibit that elaborates on the life of the local tribes in the area(Grand rapids) before the Europeans settled there. This is an eye opener and a bit sad. Our favorite part was the exhibit dedicated to toys. The museum does a break down of the toys through multiple decades. This is an interactive area where all ages can enjoy. Just past the toys is an arcade where you can play games with the kids. When you make it back to the first floor, check out the carousel. I can't remember how old it is but it is definitely antique and everyone can ride it. I think it was $1-$2 dollars each. We had a blast! The museum made for a great time even with the poor weather we would definitely come back again for another visit. read more

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I love the Midwest, we offer so many interesting museums! Grand Rapids Public Museum did not disappoint, so many different exhibits!

More interesting than I thought it would be. First, ask for a discount. $8 is general admission. We used our AAA discount and paid $7 each. This museum is worth about $5-6 to visit. Why? Closed exhibits. The big carousel was closed, the Native American section was closed, the woodworking guy wouldn't engage (too busy chit chatting with friends and checking out his new chisels).... On the bright side, talking to the lady who operates the offset printing press and the gentleman in the old-time soda shop/pharmacy was a pleasure. read more

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This is such a wonderful museum for people of all ages! The carousel is an original from 1928 and a must ride for all kids- it looks out right over the river! The dinosaur exhibit was alright, not my favorite but interesting enough for the kids. I really loved the new toys exhibit! It was amazing to see all the toys from different generations. read more

I was very impressed by the depth of the collections at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. A lot of the other reviews explain what is good for kids but I came here as 2 adults so I might have a little different perspective. The museum has a couple focuses, the history of Grand Rapids - it's science, culture, and industry. Each display is VERY comprehensive- for example the fish display is a large room with a model of like EVERY fish you could possibly expect to find in west Michigan. My partner and I found 3 different beaver taxidermies and were comparing sizes. If you wanted to really learn and have a lesson about this stuff and what Michigan has to offer in wildlife, a comprehensive lesson can be achieved here. It's all right next to eachother. There are displays like this around each corner, each static display is well curated. Another example might be in a corner devoted to chair making a display near by had small models of maybe 25 famous types of designs of chairs. Some of it is a bit dated, I think it can be somewhat shocking to walk into a room full of hundreds of taxidermied animals nowadays when if it was new we would replace with models instead but they have done a nice job of explaining the value that this can still hold, how it was acquired, and explaining how science has changed through the years as well. There is a section on the 3rd floor of the museum devoted to discussing the multicultural heritage of Grand Rapids. It's clear they are making an effort to try to address the challenges people had, and continue to have, coming as immigrants to GR in a modern way as well. This is a great place to come with a lot of layers! read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

We loved this museum! We only got to spend a little over an hour here, but we were able to go through their Popnology and Bats exhibits, and a little bit of the other areas of the museum. I thought the layout of the museum was really great and there was a ton of information with all the exhibits. I would recommend at least a half day for visitors to take their time going through everything! read more

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staff was very helpful, went on a Tuesday afternoon, and it wasn't too busy, so we were able to take our time

What a cute spot for families Nice variety of cultural history from the area Something for everyone Recommended spot Nice and warm Parking was a bit tricky but it was a busy weekend read more

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The Public Museum is Grand Rapids' oldest museum. Their collections contain over 250,000 artifacts and specimens. ⁣ ⁣ Maybe your only memory of being to this museum is when you were a kid and went for a field trip. Well this museum is NOT just for kids! There are traveling exhibitions throughout the entire year that range diversely! ⁣ ⁣ read more

Grand Rapids Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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The exhibits are wide-ranging in topic and in educational scope- anyone could enjoy coming. My group was adults only and we had plenty to learn and enjoy, while the majority of the guests at the museum were families with young children and they seemed equally engaged and entertained. I loved the Anishinaabe exhibit, the Sturgeon exhibit, and the natural history collections in particular. We only spent a few hours inside and saw a mere fraction of what is on display. I was really impressed with the exhibits' educational quality. read more

Pretty decent museum. This place could definitely have more in it, and some of the items in the fashion section were pretty lackluster. However, the antique downtown city street is extremely well done and very interesting to walk through. The power of poisson exhibit was extremely interesting and well put together. Those were the two stand outs of this destination. We also stopped in for the light show to Queen music in the planetarium. Loved it, and will be back for the Pink Floyd show someday! read more

When planning my trip to GRR, I discovered there would be a...wait for it... ROBOT ZOO at this museum. I immediately emailed my cousins enthusiastically; the response was "are you serious?" I mean who doesn't want to go to a Robot Zoo, my cousins. Evidently my non-yelping cousin drew the short straw and he had to take me. Luckily for me (and all future communication with said cousin), he LOVED the Public Museum. I was also entertained but was slightly less enthusiastic. This is seriously the most random museum I've ever visited. Want to see some rocks? or coins? or a collection of pewter? oddities? taxidermy? random musical instruments? some old clothes? some new clothes modeled on old clothes? Old Grand Rapids? Seriously if you have a collection of stuff, this place will probably accept it. Stand outs for me: an old intact spirograph, the taxidermied mole with his terrifying feet, a flying ace Gibson donated by a KISS cover band, egg portraits, the giant whale skeleton. What was not my favorite was the robot zoo. I really wanted to be dazzled by the robot octopus and he was kind of lame. On the other hand the robot platypus, bat and grasshoppers were pretty cool. Yes, I realize that the whole Robot Zoo was really for kids. But IDC. Also the gift shop was really fun with some great robot items and various other gift-y type things at really good price points. read more

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This place is amazing!!! It is so much!! My husband and I went not knowing what to expect but this place really surprised us. It's definitely a lot bigger then we thought. It has 3 floors and a carousel room. You walk in and one of the first things you see is an A-Z map on the wall and it's really awesome because the museum is organized by alphabetical order! It's just a fun way to organize it and help kids learn. Each letter represents a room or exhibit. For example T is for Toys. On the first floor are old cars, a trolly, and the street of old grad rapids. It's pretty cool to walk around and see old train stations and shops. Some of the shops have volunteers working in them so you can come in and chat and learn some history. The second floor is the toy room and this is where we had the most fun! The second floor is the toy room and this is where we had the most fun! They have a really great display of toys and what a kids room or play area would look like based on generation. They have a baby boomers, gen X, and millennial rooms. They also have a huge operation game, a few kids play areas, and a section of working arcade games that you only need 25cents to play. The third floor has a lot of animal exhibits that are interactive complete with animal sounds. Over all, this place was great! It's very affordable at $13 for adults. Its a place you can spend the entire day at, and there is something fun and interesting for all ages!! read more

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This is one of our favorite places to visit here in GR with the kids. They have exhibitions that change very frequently and are great for families to visit. Today they had an exhibition of Snoopy, with lots of old funny cartoons. Sorry, but no pictures were allowed, but I remembered old time! I'll be back soon for the next one! read more

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The Grand Rapids Public Museum is a wonderful place to visit for families and people of all ages at any time of year, but it's also an incredible event space and was the perfect romantic, whimsical venue for our LGBTQ+ wedding! Their event staff are friendly, efficient, and professional, and we could not have imagined a more delightful place to host our wedding reception! Visit the museum or host your next event here, and you will not be disappointed. :) Photos by @livlyszykphotography read more

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First of all, it's definitely worth it to get a membership if you plan on visiting the museum more than once a year. The special exhibits are often extra and with a membership you get a discounted ticket cost, plus free admission to regular exhibits, free carousel rides, and free admission to the planetarium! You also get 10% off in the gift shop, parking passes, and opportunities to get tickets to the museum's special events before the general public. They also usually have an open admission line for members only, which is nice when the lines are long. (like the 20 minute wait we had on a Saturday afternoon!) The traveling exhibits tend to be really great! The Prohibition exhibit that just left was awesome. It was well organized, visually stimulating, and had just enough hands-on interactive elements. I learned way more than I thought I would! The King Tut exhibit was not as good. It's definitely interesting. At the beginning of the exhibit, you are given a handheld listening device which you are meant to listen to throughout the entire exhibit, starting with a short video at the beginning. It was tiresome and clunky to carry around and I eventually stopped listening shortly after the first few stops. The main area of the museum includes exhibits on Michigan history, Grand Rapids history, industry, and natural history of the area. The carousel is a favorite for kids, and it's only $1 to ride if you're not a member. I have yet to visit the planetarium but I'm excited to stop in the next time I'm at the museum. read more

On a rainy Saturday morning we were looking for something to entertain a group of 8 ranging in ages from 3 to, um lest just say well above 3. Public museum to the rescue! We love it here, there is always something I have never seen before and the travilng exhibits are usually well done. This visit brought us to the robot zoo. The kids all had fun and it was a big hit, the only negative was that some of the interactive features were broken which hindered the experience. The History/Michigan/GrandRapids elements of the museum are a treasure. My kids really love watching the volunteers use the wood lathe and the animals on the third floor. no visit is complete with a ride on the carousel. It was a terrific visit and a great time for us all. read more

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Long story short, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is one gem of a museum, and if you love museums, you should make an effort to come explore it if you are anywhere between Chicago and Detroit (or further afield). Now here is the long story: first, although the Museum doesn't have extended hours, it opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays and is open seven days a week, which provides a level of accessibility not often seen even in museums of larger cities; second, while the Museum doesn't seem to have free days, its admission is quite reasonably priced, and it is to me even a steal considering what this museum has to offer; third, the current main building of the GRPM opened in 1994, so admittedly, in some parts of the Museum the exhibit labels and lighting get in the way of an optimal viewing experience. However, such issues are less of a problem in museums of natural and cultural history (compared to, say, art museums), and the exhibits here are so diverse and fun that the issues can largely be ignored. In particular, I think their "Collecting A to Z" (which consists of small exhibits themed by a keyword starting with one specific letter--e.g., A is for Automobiles) is an excellent idea of filling the Museum space. It not only introduces the practice of collecting--still the backbone in most kinds of modern-day museums, but showcases a variety of collections that would otherwise rarely have the opportunity of making their way out of storage rooms. While children will make the most of some of these exhibits such as dolls and toys, I am sure that adults will learn from the exhibits as well since many of their themes are thoughtfully chosen and well-executed (check out the ivory exhibit, for example). I also like the detail of placing the clocks & watches display opposite the tower clock of the old Grand Rapids City Hall (and the musical instruments exhibit is at the entrance to the Meijer Theater). Another thing to applaud for the GRPM's curatorial team is their approach of blending nature and culture, which is reflected throughout the Museum--from small displays to whole exhibitions. The Lake Sturgeon exhibition ("Grand Fish, Grand River") combines audiovisuals, artifacts made by Native Americans, and live specimens (and their natural habitat right outside the window) to narrate the story about this amazing fish. Also, walk into their newer "Fashion and Nature" exhibition and you will see how this curatorial tradition is continued (as is implied from the name). In the galleries of "West Michigan Habitats", this approach stands out more in the details: urban birds are displayed on an architectural fragment, and the topic of falconry is brought up in the birds of prey display. I cannot praise the GRPM highly enough, but of course, no place is perfect and there is always room for improvement: (1) Some smaller displays/exhibits are not shown on the visitor map--you will have pleasant surprises in exploring the Museum, though. (2) A coat room always comes handy, but I would appreciate it if there were self-service lockers for use. You can carry your backpack around but you can also easily spend half a day in this place--it never hurts to go light(er)! (3) Selection of hot foods is limited in the Museum café. (4) While ample seating is provided inside the exhibition halls, there is, in my opinion, a lack of it in the hallways on the second and third floors. (5) The Native American exhibition ("Anishinabek: The People of This Place") is designated as a "Quiet Area", however, you can hear the sounds from the nearby Arcade. I also feel that the Arcade is more a game center than an exhibit--a bit more information such as the history of arcade games or how these machines work would be a welcome addition. (6) In some exhibits such as arms and hats, it is not easy to match objects to labels without them being numbered. (7) "Streets of Old Grand Rapids", while nice, doesn't feel lively and could benefit from a better soundscape. The immigrants exhibition ("Newcomers: The People of This Place") is very text-heavy and could also use a better flow when the Museum starts to renovate its "core exhibition spaces". This may seem a long list, but trust me: these are really just quibbles that should in no way discourage you from visiting this delightful museum. The GRPM is currently undergoing an expansion that seeks to better integrate its building with the riverfront of the Grand River. I'm confident that once this first phase of their ambitious project is complete, the Museum will become a gathering place for residents of the Furniture City (if it hasn't already been so). As an out-of-state visitor, my future visit is also guaranteed as I would "Be Curious" to find out how they will "tell the stories of West Michigan and the wider world" through upgrading some of their main exhibitions. read more