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City in Michigan, United States
Photo: Rachel Kramer, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Not to be confused with Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
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Offers the sights and sounds of centuries gone by, coming alive once again. Downtown on the west bank of the Grand.
Chronicles the United States' "accidental" presidency, the only Chief Executive never elected to serve, who restored a measure of trust to the office following its greatest crisis. Permanent and changing exhibits, highlights include Watergate break-in tools, State Gifts, Bicentennial materials, Oval Office, and interactives. Betty Ford Daylily on display, seasonally, in Betty Ford Garden. President and Mrs. Ford's final resting places are just north of the museum. Free parking is available.
GRAM
In addition to its permanent collection, features special exhibitions.
As the website suggests, "The Greater Grand Rapids area has quietly built an impressive collection of modern and contemporary sculpture over the course of the last thirty years." Highlights around downtown include La Grande Vitesse, a particularly good example of an Alexander Calder stabile resplendent in trademark bright red-orange, Fish Ladder, a sculpture-cum-overlook platform with views of the riverfront and migrating fish, and Project X, an earthwork by minimalist artist Robert Morris built into a hillside in Belknap Park. The website has extensive information on the pieces, the artists, and their locations, and a section dedicated to the works at Fredrik Meijer Gardens mentioned above.
GRAMMA
Grand Valley State University, the largest university on this side of Michigan, is in Allendale. It's the location of the Meadows Golf Course and the Grand Valley Renaissance Festival. Route 50 of The Rapid (the Grand Rapids public bus system) runs between the GVSU Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids and the GVSU Allendale Campus.
Plan at least four hours and up to eight hours to enjoy all that there is to offer. Walk the outdoor nature trails and boardwalk, study world-class sculpture within the outdoor sculpture park (including "Leonardo's Horse", a finished interpretation of the giant sculpture Leonardo da Vinci intended to be his masterpiece), and enjoy endless hours of fun with the kids in the children's garden. Visit the indoor areas including a special sculpture exhibitions in the lovely indoor galleries, see the largest tropical conservatory in the state of Michigan and gaze at exquisite arid and carnivorous plants. The gardens host special concerts in their outdoor amphitheater. Beautiful scenery.
DeVos Performance Hall.
Michigan's only professional ballet company.
One of two opera companies in the state (Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit being the other), Opera GR is Michigan's longest-running professional company.
Comstock Park. Minor League Baseball. Single A affiliate of Detroit Tigers
American Hockey League. Farm team for the Detroit Red Wings.
GRCT
The GRCT is the largest community theatre in Grand Rapids and one of the largest in the entire United States. Each season: 110 performances of the six main stage productions; 20 performances of the two productions for children; and special events. GRCT is one of the oldest community theatres in Michigan and in the United States. GRCT has a history of continuity and is one of the more self-sufficient arts organizations.
Circle Theatre continues to produce a season of main stage and Magic Circle productions during the summer months of May through September. The rest of the calendar year is focused on the academic theatre programs of Aquinas College and the Catholic high schools.
Actors' Theatre is committed to bring West Michigan the best in entertaining, innovative, challenging and thought-provoking theatre.
Blackbox theatre that rents space to different acting troupes, so there's always something fresh going on! Comedy on Monday nights.
An open-air market, full of arts and crafts from all skill levels. Booth space is fairly cheap. Open June to September, Sundays from 11AM-3PM.
A live music festival and fireworks show held on the weekend after Labor Day. A tradition for the area since the 1980s.
Downtown Grand Rapids and some of the adjoining neighborhoods is transformed into one giant arts showcase, as competing artists place their sculptures, paintings, murals, performances, etc., throughout the urban landscape, vying for the world's largest cash prize for art (first prize: $200,000). Winner is decided by public vote, enhancing the dialogue between artists and the public, both expert and casual observer alike. Runs for 3 weeks late Sep—early Oct.
Fantastic Mediterranean country cuisine. One of the best values in all of West Michigan. This is more like a place you'd find in New York or Chicago. Great wine and beer list. Open for lunch and dinner.
Upscale food, big city atmosphere, casual attire. Cuisine of Spain with a Latin and Cuban flair. Specializing in tapas, sangria, sherries, ports and a wonderful wine list.
One of the many Gilmore collection restaurants, this is one of the most popular. It has a great view and many delicious, yet tasty, foods.
Genuine early-20th-century memorabilia, genuine all-beef hotdogs, seemingly chaotic order-taking/filling procedure (trust them: it works). A quirky local institution in the Eastown neighborhood. (If you want to pass for a regular, skip the "dog" when ordering: e.g. "two Yester[dog]s, one Cheddar[dog]". Buy a T-shirt!)
Made to order eastern-mediterranean food, a local-immigrant success story.
Ample servings of delicious vegetarian food in the closest Grand Rapids gets to a bohemian atmosphere.
At Division Avenue. Mexican specialties, including their famous sauce-smothered "wet burrito". (No, it's nowhere near the East Beltline or the South Beltline--way back when they opened, 28th was "the south beltline".)
This "dive bar" has a great atmosphere and amazing chili dogs.
Popular Tex-Mex eatery with Mexican-American flavors.
Another popular Tex-Mex eatery with Mexican-American flavors.
Good Thai food, especially on a student budget. Most dishes are between $6-8.
This is a breakfast restaurant where you must bring your appetite and expect long waits, particularly on the weekend, but it is worth it.
A bar/pub for twenty- to thirty- somethings into counterculture and indie rock. Sunday "make- your- own bloody mary bar". Not for the faint of heart. Right across from Yesterdog at the corner of Wealthy and Lake, in the Eastown neighborhood, a few miles East of Downtown. Bus 6.
"the Big Old Building"
At is a popular downtown nightspot featuring a diverse assortment of restaurants and bars under one roof, across the street from the Van Andel Arena, downtown. Buses 11,12 are closest, 1,3,4,6,9,13,14,15 all run nearby.
A long-standing venue for live rock and other kinds of music, in a large space downtown. Short walk from Central Station where buses 1-16 and 18 terminate.
Opened in 2007, this hipster bar specializes in cheap drinks (numerous specials throughout the week), unique concoctions (try the "Vern Ehlers", named after the city's representative in Congress), pinball, and a great jukebox. Outdoor patio in the back. Bus 5, or 4 and 6 get close.
In Eastown, features live music - especially blues - most nights. Bus 6.
A great microbrew and taproom. Count on a great variety of beer and occasional live music. Buses 1-16 and 18 all terminate at Central Station across the street.
A great variety of craft and micro brewed beers, next to Bar Divani, on Ionia. Featuring over 40 rotating draft beers, and over 100 bottles to choose from, there is something for everyone (including liquor for those that can't drink beer). Buses 1,3,4,6,9,13,14,15 all get close.
A Belgian-style brewery in an old chapel in the East Hills neighborhood. A small menu of gastro-pub style food is available, along with cider from Spring Lake's Vander Mill. Bus 4 or 6.
Less than two miles from the Gerald Ford Airport. Business center with high speed internet available. Free airport and surrounding area transportation shuttle. Smoke-free, pet-friendly.
Less than fifteen minutes from downtown Grand Rapids and three minutes from the Gerald Ford Airport. Business center with high speed internet available.
Southeast.
Just minutes from the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and the DeVos Convention Center.
A few miles from Gerald R. Ford International Airport and fifteen minutes via expressway from downtown Grand Rapids.
Near numerous shopping opportunities, ten minutes from downtown.
In the heart of downtown. Probably GR's most luxurious hotel (possibly tied with the Amway Grand Plaza).
This large independent bookstore is a great place to relax, read and even get some coffee.
By car
Major highways to Grand Rapids include I-196 (from the Chicago area), I-96 (from Muskegon, or from Lansing/Detroit), and US-131 (from Kalamazoo, or from northern Michigan).
By train
By bus
S. cities, an automobile is the most convenient means of getting around, with convenient free parking available most places outside of downtown.g. arena concerts).g. Monroe Center NW on Saturday).
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Grand Rapids · International · GRR
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