The surprise hit of our Grand Rapids weekend was the Grand Rapids Public Museum. A surprise because we almost didn’t go. If you’re in the city, with or without kids, this is a must-visit.
Disclosure: Our visit was hosted by Experience Grand Rapids. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own.
Grand Rapids Public Museum favorite exhibits
There are some can’t-miss things on display that you, literally, cannot miss since they’re in the main hall. The large sperm whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling comes to mind.
It’s name is Finny, by the way.
My favorite area was a replica of an old street scene, complete with stocked stores, street lights, and a unicycle photo opp. The scene is 1890s Grand Rapids.
We allowed such a short amount of time, so regrettably, we rushed through some things. And there’s so much to see! Exhibits on musical instruments, phones, history, animals…a little bit of everything.
My kids are 6 and 8 years old and they were fully engaged here. There’s even a space for them to learn about space.
The Carousel at Grand Rapids Public Museum
You can’t really go to the museum without stopping by the carousel. The 1928 Spillman Carousel is a little extra to ride, unless you have a membership, but it’s iconic and a kid-pleaser.
If you go
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Where: 272 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Hours may be found here
More about Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids was the first stop of an epic road trip adventure through Michigan. Go ahead and check out where we stopped and what we did, or use this ultimate Michigan Bucket List to plan an awesome road trip.
For Grand Rapids highlights, read these posts:
48 Hours In Grand Rapids With Kids
Where to Stay in Downtown Grand Rapids
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Jim Winslow, CTA
Sunday 16th of September 2018
It was great having you and the group from Experience Grand Rapids visit the museum the other day. Thank you for such a great write up.