This is a perfect mid size Midwest city. There are a ton of great restaurants, breweries, and…read morethings to do for all types of people. Do you like the outdoors? Check out all of the park and gardens, including the Meijer Gardens. One of the best sculpture gardens I have ever been to. There is also a river walk which is nice. This town has a lot of college opportunities as well. It has multiple satellite campuses as well as Grand Valley. Ferris, MSU, Western, and more are all represented here There are a ton of places to eat. We found quite a few that I wrote reviews on. Highly recommended to come here. A little of something for everyone.

Great beer and great art Cheers Beer City USA!…read moreI'm a Brewsader I had been wanting to get to Grand Rapids to visit for probably ten or more years now. It is the long reigning Beer City USA. Founders is the most well known of their breweries and lived up to the hype. I also really enjoyed City Built which is just north of Downtown, Two Guys to the South, and Perrin to the North. Lots of public murals and I have heard nothing but great things about their annual Artprize event every fall. Although I did not partake, there is a free public bus that does loops around the Downtown area (I guess they call it Center City there). The metro population checks in at a little over a million which is not that much smaller than Buffalo or New Orleans. Not quite big enough for any pro sports teams yet. If you decide to go there for the beer like me, make sure to download the BeerCity Brewsader app on your phone. Check into eight different breweries and score a sweet T-shirt which you now pick up at Founders. Hope I make it back to Grand Rapids at some point in the future!

Ah-Nab-Awen Park is a long park along the Grand River with public art, city views, a running trail…read moreand sculptures. Murals line the running trail along the water. There are a few hills inside the park that make for picnic spots with views of downtown Grand Rapids.

You can take a nice walk along the river. Really nice and peaceful however you can see many sign…read moreand evidence of the city needing to cut back on maintenance budget. Over grown weeds, garden sort of out of control, trash along the passage, etc.

Came here specifically to see the Chihuly Exhibit with my MI gal pal…read more She had seen some of his art while at a Dane National somewhere in the Midwest. Neither of us can remember the location. We were slow to get started and finally arrived close to 230 on this day. Thanks to the reciprocal program of the Desert Botanical Garden (Phoenix, AZ), I was able to get complimentary passes to the Garden and only needed to pay an additional fee for the special exhibit. I would advise anyone wanting to visit this Garden to plan for 3-4 hours, at least, if they've not visited before. We took in a good amount of this place but I know we didn't see at least two (2) Chihuly pieces. It was already feeling like it was getting late and my friend was feeling tired. I will say when we made it to the parking lot the landscaping we observed in progress was completed and the parking lot more than half of the vehicles that were there when we arrived were now gone. The Garden is quite stunning and I'm glad we made the three (3) hour drive to visit. Wish i was closer. Certainly would be great to see in the different seasons. The Chihuly Exhibit greatly added to the sights. They were very well placed and certainly enhanced the mood, lending to the peace and serenity of some areas, whimsy to others. And the pictures we captured were all great keepers. And almost forgot to mention the wildlife. Bees, Dragonflies, Groundhog(s), Cranes. I bet there's even the occasional Deer sighting here every now and then. Such a beautiful place. So glad I was finally able to visit.

What a beautiful place! Plenty of parking. We came for the Chihuly exhibit…read more There was an option to walk the beautiful grounds or pay to have the shuttle drive to the areas with the sculptures. It was a lot of walking as the grounds are expansive. There are gardens inside also. English gardens. Dessert gardens. Rainforest climates. Complete with giant palm trees, beautiful plants, & even birds. The glass sculptures were amazing. Huge & beautifully arranged. The Chihuly exhibit was there for a limited time. There are also a lot of permanent art sculptures that were so unique. There is a restaurant here also. We had the ice cream at the cute little cafe outside. Lots of restrooms available.

It is a really nice park! It is usually very very crowded. I usually have a hard time parking here…read more I would not go here by yourself and I often walk fast past this when leaving late theater rehearsals. The coffee shop is lovely.

This park is up a small mound or hill…read more A nice short walk up to the Veteran's memorial. At the top, feels like you are away from the downtown.

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.

Calder Plaza is home to La Grande Vitesse, an Alexander Calder sculpture that was formally…read morededicated in 1969. The plaza is also a popular gathering place for events, art exhibits, festivals, etc. As of January 2023, there are some World of Winter exhibits at Calder Plaza, including a big house of cards that features art from local artists. It lights up at nighttime. I've attended many festivals and events at Calder Plaza throughout the years. The sculpture is impressive and makes for great photos - It's 43 feet tall! Street parking can be tough to find close to Calder Plaza, and there is no natural shade for events that take place there during the summer. The Plaza connects City Hall and the Kent County building in downtown Grand Rapids. La Grande Vitesse is one of the most recognizable icons of Grand Rapids, and is included in the city's official logo.

Calder Plaza. ⁣ ⁣ The…read moreproper name for this 42 ton red sculpture is actually La Grande Vitesse. Translated from French, it means The Grand Rapids. However, us locals refer to it as The Calder, because Alexander Calder, an American sculptor, created it. ‍⁣ ⁣ The Calder is an ode to our city that is home to so many artists and has inspired numerous new art initiatives. It hosts many events, festivals, and even summer food trucks! The Calder is an iconic spot for those of us who call this city home. ⁣

The dedication of this monument took place 19 April 2007 (on the 96th anniversary of the 1911…read moreFurniture Strike). The statues are located on Pearl St. in a recessed area near the Indian Mounds at the entrance to the Ford Museum property along the Grand River. The figures were carved and cast by Roberto Chenlo. The project was the work of the Labor Heritage Society of West Michigan. It's a rare thing to commemorate organized labour in West Michigan...

Incredibly kind and attentive staff. Pleasant shopping experience of getting to peruse both hand…read moremade and vintage items, so fun! They have a great selection, I had a hard time leaving!

I've been coming to Gallery 154 for a couple of decades now and I always love it. So many unique…read moretreasures to be found here. Walking around and looking at the walls, shelves, and ceiling is such an adventure. The ornament selection at the holidays is unmatched by any other retailer and the quality of them is exquisite. I think they're celebrating their 33rd year here - let's give them another 33 years, Yelpers!

Hagar Park is a great old growth forest with trails, old and "new" playground. Many shelters…read moreavailable for rent and picnic tables everywhere for a fun/ low key get together. I love biking or walking through the trails. I love how this park backs up to a neighborhood and feels quiet yet is still residential. There is a huge wooden play ground that overlooks a grass and rock replica of the USA complete with hills representing mountain ranges. You can walk the perimeter of it for a close up view, but the best vantage point is from the top of the hill. Many things to play on and do at Hagar Park. Pack yourself a picnic and enjoy the facilities during these warmer summer months.

We have a family reunion here most summers, reserving Maples Shelter. It is a gazebo styled covered…read morepicnic area with a concrete floor. There are several picnic tables, AC power outlets to plug in crock-pots, etc., and a counter to lay out food to serve. There is a drinking fountain just outside the shelter. Parking is close and the adjacent grassy area is great for yard games. It is also reasonably close to the massive wooden play structure and modern restrooms.