It had been years since my last visit to the Tri Cities Historical Museum, and Nate had never…read morevisited, so we stopped in while in the area recently during our "Christmas break." It's free to visit, although they do have a suggested donation. The museum explores the area's history, starting with the native Odawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi tribes, moving into the fur trade, pioneers, and into Victorian times. The displays are well done with many artifacts. My favorite part was the Victorian house as you can see into a bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. The second floor hosts two permanent exhibits - one about the coast guard and one about the Bastian and Blessing Soda Fountain, with a replica soda fountain counter. The rotating exhibit we saw was about Ferrysburg, a small town in the area. I didn't find that one as intriguing but I'm sure people from the area might connect with it a bit more. The museum is small but really well done for one of this size. Plus you can't really beat free entry! There isn't a ton for younger kids although they do have a small play room with books and some toys on the second level. I'd stop in here anytime I'm in the area as it looks like they are planning some updates.

This place was pretty cool. Disregard the "NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS" sign in front, too - they have them…read moreon the (new?) second floor. I had never been before and they have some cool stuff about Grand Haven and other local history. It's free to walk around but there is a $5 suggested donation. There's also a gift shop near the front. One of my friends said that the 2nd floor is completely new, which is also cool. Worth a stop if you're in downtown GH.

Must visit museum! Especially for WWII buffs…read more We visited on a Saturday. It was not crowded at all. We spent most of the time on the submarine alone, so we did not feel rushed or cramped. The submarine was very cool and looked fairly untouched! I would have liked to have seen the second deck where the periscope is. The museum balanced information on WW2 as well as the progression of submarine technology (all the way from da Vinci). As someone who is interested in WWII, I did notice that the timeline regarding Pearl Harbor did miss some vital information. You need 3-4 hours to thoroughly enjoy the museum.

I had such a fun time exploring the submarine! Our tour guide gave us great information with great…read morejokes. The information inside the museum was cool but the sub is the star! Would definitely visit again!

We finally stopped in to check out the Children's Museum in Fennville and it was such a great time!…read moreMy kids would have stayed the entire day! We were there at least two hours and they didn't want to leave. This is a great place for kids to use their imaginations and creativity. So many cute exhibits for them to pretend play, learn about science, experiment, build, etc. My 5 year old loved the Vet station, he spent a ton of time there. The sensory play area is fun! My 8 yo loved the ping pong ball bike and the area with all the cushions to build. He also really loved the Snap Circuits they had. There is a ton to do! Really cute! It is nice that it wasn't too crowded, but they still had a decent group of kids. It looks like they have a party room too to host events. A great spot!

Community supported play space, which was spot on for my toddler and young kid on a rainy…read moreafternoon. Plenty of opportunity to play and use their imaginations. We spent two hours there and they were sad when we had to leave. Donation-level admission costs, I thought it was money well spent. It's one really giant room that packs the activity in - and I appreciated not having to worry about losing my kids in a sea of crowds with multiple levels and rooms. Friendly staff and well kept facilities.

I had been looking for some things to do while visiting Grand Rapids that were within walking…read moredistance of my hotel. The Public Museum had come up in several searches, so I decided to stop in for a visit. This museum was the perfect way to spend a couple hours. The displays and different installations were just long enough to get a better understanding of the subject, but not so long and detailed that it was overwhelming. I particularly liked the baseball collection display. Upon buying my ticket, I was asked if I also wanted a ticket to the carousel or the planetarium. I decided to do both. The carousel was fun, but I think I could have probably skipped it. The planetarium was really cool. It was kind of a "choose your own adventure" as we hopped around via audience input. All in all, a fun way to spend a couple hours and very family friendly.

We had a wonderful visit, two adults. I'm sure our adult kids would have enjoyed it, too, but it…read morewas great for us older adults

One of the best things you could do in the White Lake area... climb the White River Lighthouse! The…read morelighthouse is so historic and is truly a one of a kind. It is tucked away in Whitehall but worth the drive. There is free parking on site. You can only climb the lighthouse May-October as it is a seasonal operation. It is $8 for adults to climb and $5 for children 17 and under. It is worth every dollar to climb the lighthouse. The view of Lake MI and the White Lake Channel in unreal. The blue tones of the water really show. A beautiful sight to see! There is a small gift shop where you can purchase nautical, Great Lakes themed items such as keychains, wall art, t-shirts, etc. The lighthouse keeper is always very kind when we take our family from out of town there.

Interesting lighthouse with a surprisingly deep history. Home of Michigan's first female lighthouse…read morekeeper. Interesting history of light keepers and the changes throughout. You can even climb up the spiral staircase to the top (about 50 steps) and look out over Lake Michigan like the light keepers did in the past. A great little museum is in the building with great old photos, nautical artifacts, a life ring from The Edmund Fitzgerald, and even the original 4th order Fresnel Lens. There's an intro movie in the building next to the lighthouse with more artifacts. Easy walk to the beach. Took just under an hour.

Small museum with a great art collection and various interesting items representing Holland's…read morehistory. It is located close to downtown Holland and right across Centennial Park. It is open only for a certain number of days a week- make sure you check to make sure that it is open before travelling there. The building itself is a converted post office with pretty architecture - it spans two floors with a few rooms on each floor, as well as a gift shop on the first floor. It took about an hour to finish touring the museum. The docent was knowledgeable and enthusiastic and had good recommendations about how to explore the place. The most fascinating aspect of the museum was how it catalogued the history of Holland, from the indigenous people who called it their home for thousands of years, to the more recent settlers from South East Asia and Latin America. Of course, there is also a lot of information about Dutch migration to the city as well as exhibits from that time. I highly recommend a visit to this museum even if you are not a "museum person." The entrance fee is low, with special discounts for students and educators, and the museum is small enough that it is possible to complete a relatively thorough exploration within an hour and a half. It's also great for kids - there are lots of Wizard of Oz fun facts plastered on the walls. Overall, a must see if you are in Holland!

Good location and parking with a reasonable entry fee. Two story building features local…read moreDutch/Holland themed displays outlining the history of the area in the main gallery on the first floor. The second floor features several paintings by Dutch painters from the 17th to 20th century. A small room featuring a rotating exhibit (Focus Room) is on the first floor, as is the gift shop that offers souvenirs and momentos.

This is a cute, smaller, inexpensive museum. Our kids are 7 and 3. They enjoyed it and so did we…read more We were staying in town for a few nights and needed something to keep kids busy. This was a fun morning trip. Spent almost 2 hours here. It was clean and organized. The basement had more than we thought. I think we spent the majority of our time there. Worth a trip if you are in town!

I'm a big museum buff and when I travel, I want to experience museums in the region…read more The plus: beautiful, historic building. Easy parking on the street two hours free parking on the street or unlimited in the museum nearby parking lot. Nice flow in the museum through the exhibits, including a few exhibits geared toward children. Nice diversity of exhibits. Good proximity to downtown, restaurants, parks, public art and cultural items. The minuses: I'm going to lay this directly on the young woman in the gift shop and the staff. She seemed to be put out by taking my entrance fee. Unhelpful when I was shopping in the gift shop. And when I asked if the historic Hackley/Hume homes were within walking distance, she said curtly: YES. Wow. How about, "it's one block to the left, then turn right and go down one block, it'll be on the right hand side but I'm sorry but those museums are closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays." Also, while walking through the museum there seemed to be a lot of staff milling about in the hallway, discussing a recent social event. They obstructed the traffic flow and I pinged about like pac-man on a race trying to navigate the museum. No one asked if I had any questions or offered to show me around so rather consider this a museum "visit", I'd call it a "half-visit" since I could have gotten so much more from my visit. I'm a professional tour guide, I've worked in museums in four major cities and I've never found this level of indifference anywhere. It's so sad, this museum has the potential to be so much more but without the assistance of the help, it will never be what it could be.

The Coast Guard Festival is a big deal in Grand Haven, and it shows. The festivals lasts for 10…read moredays, spanning across two weekends at the end of July and beginning of August. What's in the itinerary? It depends on the day. One of my favorites is Tuesday night's Dancing in the Street, where a large stage is set up downstage for--you guessed it--dancing in the street to a very good local cover band. This year I got to take a tour of two Coast Guard ships that were docked in the channel. My spouse was thrilled. If you're a music fan, there's nightly concerts, the majority of them being cover bands. On the second Saturday of the festival, there's fireworks, which people make sure they have a great spot for viewing as early as the morning of. The last thing I'll mention is the carnival with games, rides, and the kids who love them. Food-wise, there's a row of fair food trailers and a section of food trucks around the Elks Lodge off of Washington Street. Plus, just about all the local of the local businesses around downtown will gladly take your money. This summer New Holland Brewing Co. opened a pizza-inspired pinwheels kitchen, which appeared to be very popular with patrons of the festival. There's also plenty of opportunities for booze in the Social District as well as sweets, from ice cream to chocolates to Kilwin's fudge. I've attended the festival two years in a row, and I'll continue to come on the Dancing in the Street night. It's a great night of community and fun. I'll also try to check out the cardboard boat race, which takes place on the first Saturday of the festival. Should you come too? My vote is yes!

Lucky to have been in Grand Haven for my first Coast Guard Festival. A more patriotic atmosphere…read moreyou will have a hard time finding. The way the entire town shows their appreciation for the Coast Guard is inspiring. Flags on every home and business! Tour a ship, watch the helicopters, visit the museums, ride the rides, listen to bands and eat a ton of delicious food. Take a break from the crowds and walk along the boardwalk to the famous red lighthouse to watch the sunset. You will love every minute!

I visited the Milwaukee Clipper with my mom in August of 2024, and it was an interesting experience…read more(in a good way). We always come over on the Lake Express, and we wanted to finally tour the ship, so we gave it a try. The service was great onboard, the actual tour was informative, and the price was not bad either. First, the service. All of the volunteers working at the Milwaukee Clipper were kind, passionate, and informative. You could tell they were interested about the vessel, and it made for an enjoyable experience. The only gripe I have with the Clipper is the spotty availability. For a Friday, the hours are 1-5pm and the gate is supposed to be open, so we get to the attraction and it was closed with a posted phone number to call. We called the phone number and it wasn't even the Milwaukee Clipper that answered. So, that was an interesting miscommunication. My Rating for this Category: 4/5 Second, the tour itself. The tour was amazing, and the tour guide takes you all around the vessel, explaining everything in detail in the process. Their enthusiasm was appreciated, and she always made you want to know more. The tour took about 40 minutes which was plenty of time. My Rating for this Category: 5/5 Finally, the price. My mom and I paid about $12/piece, and for a forty minute tour of an extremely historical boat, we found the price to be reasonable. There are other pricing rates available depending on various circumstances. Also, with the great customer service, we had no complaints here. My Rating for this Category: 5/5 The next time that I am in the Muskegon area with friends or family between Wednesday and Sunday, I would have no reservation taking them on the Milwaukee Clipper. The great tour with great service and a nice price makes this a no-brainer when in the Muskegon area. So, I have no reservation recommending the Milwaukee Clipper tour to anyone.

I sailed past this old grand dame of a ship while on the Lake Express boat coming into Muskegon…read moreharbor. She is quite the beauty, although long-in-the-tooth and rusty around the edges. But the S.S. Milwaukee proudly welcomes you for a tour where you can see and experience how our forebears once made the trek across Lake Michigan. I came by while visiting in late April but the ship does not open for tours until May 27 through Sept. 3 and from 1 - 5 p.m. on Saturdays & Sundays only. Admission is $7 for adults; students are $5 and kids 5 and under are free. This National Historic Landmark, also known as "The Queen of the Great Lakes, would be a great adventure to experience. There is a lot of history to discover as the former S.S. Juanita, is a "retired passenger ship and automobile ferry that sailed under two configurations and traveled on all of the Great Lakes except Lake Ontario. Along with the SS Keewatin, the Milwaukee Clipper is one of only two US passenger steamships left on the Great Lakes," according to Wikipedia. She really got around! 4 YELP STARS for that.

We found a place that offers kids a fun interactive hands on experience that includes some learning…read morealong the way. If your kiddos like to have fun and explore you need to visit the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. They have exhibits that change often that include local or even trending kids shows! The museum has two floors and has an elevator. They have an array of learning and interactive opportunities. You can find a list of days and times on their website! When we were there we got a chance to learn about music and the kids got to play some instruments. The museum is very inclusive and friendly! They offer sensory kits at the front desk if needed too! According to their website the "kits include noise reduction headphones, a weighted vest and suspenders, emotion recognition flashcards..." All the team members we have encountered have been kind and helpful! My only comment of suggestion would be for a little more adult seating in some of the "middle sections" of the museum. There are a few spots all along the walls but not much towards the middle. I understand it creates more opportunities for grownups to get involved with the kids too but for those of us with disabilities that need a minute to catch our breath it was difficult to find a spot close to where my kids were. Lots of interactive play and many memories made here! I highly suggest visiting. The rate to visit is $12 per person but they offer many types of discounted rates for different reasons. All rate information is available on their website. Parking can be a challenge as they do not have their own parking structure and the closest parking is side street meter parking that you can pay using the parking app. They do not validate parking.

What a cutie patootie children's museum! Grand Rapids Children's Museum is small, but it's…read moreeverything you need in a children's museum, and a great place for young children to play. I visited with a tween and teenager, so we were definitely a little older than the target age. That said, my children had a great time! I had to practically pull them away when it was time to leave. When we arrived, we were told to explore and "follow our hearts" around the museum. I loved that! This children's museum really encourages self-directed play, which is obvious by all of the fun, open-ended objects everywhere. You've got the giant blocks, magna-tiles, LEGO tables, pretend kitchen and house, and lots of other things. Both of my children gravitated to The Spin Zone, a three-tiered table that uses centrifugal force to power different objects. Upstairs, there's a bubble area, where you can create giant bubbles; a play house to pretend in; a train table to drive trains around; a makerspace to make stuff in; and an exhibit called Weathering Emotions, a walk-through spot where you can learn about and experience emotions. Some of these exhibits are permanent, and some are just visiting, so your visit might vary. I would say that the Grand Rapids Children's Museum is the perfect place for ages 2 to 10. Beyond that age, it's definitely fun, but it might not hold the attention of older kids. But that's OK! This children's museum is a space for the little kids, and that's perfect.