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.

We visited ArtRat Gallery during ArtPrize because I really wanted to see the Mini Mart entry - it…read morewas incredible! The art gallery also housed several other ArtPrize pieces, but they function as a gallery all throughout the year. They also have a large gift shop that has lots of great items - art, art supplies/crafts, handmade items, apparel and accessories, and more. I'm looking forward to visiting again outside of ArtPrize! I'd love to see what kinds of events and exhibits they have throughout the year. There is plenty of street parking in the area.

Surprisingly large antique mall with friendly folks and reasonable antique prices. We enjoyed our…read morevisit.

Bought out by Wally's Antiques (in Grand Rapids area). This changed a lot. It seemed like several…read moreof the dealers moved out. This was one of the true antiques malls left, with all antiques, no junk. As we walked around the upstairs, a woman/dealer was hanging up junky modern stuff and looked like she had two booths. None of the longtime folks were at the counter or working. Experience here changed a lot - big disappointment.

I've been going to Grange Fruit Farm for the past few years for seasonal fruit picking. I love…read morecherry season in West Michigan, and it's back! Grange just opened the last week of June for sweet cherry u-pick. I went at 9 am on a Friday when they opened and picked almost 4 pounds in 30 minutes. The employees are always friendly and helpful. They'll give you however many buckets you want (each bucket holds about 5 pounds) and direct you to the picking area. I had fun trying each of the three varieties they had available: cavalier, black pearl, and white gold. They post on social media when each variety is ready to pick. Sour cherries usually come a bit later in July, but I prefer having lots of sweet cherries to eat. As of June 2025, U-pick cherries are $2.90 per pound. You can also buy pre-picked cherries, as well as other items at their farm stand. They take cash and credit cards. The parking area is a bit small, but I've always just gotten there early so I'm not sure if they have an overflow parking area anywhere. I'm looking forward to hopefully coming for blueberry season next!

Great cherry and peach picking. Many varieties of cherries. Staff is very helpful if you haven't…read morepicked before.

They're located right on Monroe Center. . The GRAAMA has…read morehosted ArtPrize pieces over the years and even won the Outstanding Venue Award for ArtPrize 10! . . Check out their exhibits and displays of African American traditions and history. They host special events as well - check out their website for details. Their gift shop also features pieces from local artists! .

Small but mighty- a wonderful collection of art and artifacts, as well as archives, of the Black…read moreand African American experience and history in our city and region. Excellent location on Monroe Center, right down the street from the other major GR cultural institutions. Also serves as the We Are Lit book store.

This is a cute shop that I enjoy visiting randomly when I'm in the area. It has a nice selection of…read morehome goods, gifts, accessories, some clothing, kids' items, books, etc. I really like the fun displays - the carousel is so whimsical and there was a garden table setting display when I was in most recently. I always have fun looking around and finding unique items I haven't seen elsewhere. It's a great spot to find a gift and I'll be back again soon!

I love stopping in here from time to time to see what new things they have! Their selection changes…read morequite frewuently and the owner is always styling things differently and making specific displays in the store, its so pretty! Over the weekend wehn I went in, there was an apres ski display and valentines that were new since the last time I went in! I also find that the prices here are more reasonable than other interior design places in town!

Finally- bottled Schmohz root beer! While they don't offer a huge selection of craft beers and…read morelocal bottles, they have a few unique ones, including this delicious, locally made root beer I was on the hunt for. But their main drink of choice, as the name suggests, is wine. In addition, the shop is filled with other Grand Rapids-centered and Michigan-made items including salsa, cheese, interesting condiments, and gifts. I get the impression that when the owners find something they think is tasty, funny or whimsical, they bring it to their store. IE. The food, drink, and gift selection is a little bit random but with every item, there is a story, which the friendly staff easily offers up. When I stopped in last, it was close to closing time and the staff was having what appeared to be a wine and cheese paring party. I'm not sure if it was an actual publicized customer event, or they were just drinking wine in the middle of the day, but they eagerly offered some free drink samples to us as we shopped. Cheers to day drinking and local shopping!

This was a last min trip due to rain and it was an unexpected surprise…read more It's an imposing structure. It's very clean and the landscaping is nicely done. Staff inside is so friendly - and they even had a scavenger hunt (with prizes)! We meandered along in the exhibits. The Oval Office and cabinet room were very neat - with interesting tidbits on the sides. All in all a good visit. We only had an hour - so we had to race through - you probably want to leave 2 hours to really experience everything. Take pics and look later was the advice of the woman who sold us our tickets (and it was good advice!) I didn't know much about Gerald Ford - and even so - this was a fascinating visit. Truly interesting.

I had never visited a presidential library before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's…read moredefinitely more museum than library, but, in full disclosure, the library portion of the building was closed the day I visited, so the library part could have been massive. I never really considered myself a huge President Ford fan, but the museum was really cool. Plenty to see and peruse though, starting with his early life and going through his funeral. If you find yourself in Grand Rapids with a couple extra hours and and interest in presidential history, the Ford Presidential Library cam definitely scratch a historical itch.