Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, 1000 East Beltline Avenue NE (North of I-96 on East Beltline, between Bradford St. and Leonard St.), Toll-Free: 888-957-1580, . M,W-Sa: 9AM–5PM, Tu 9AM–9PM, Su Noon–5PM. 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 if you don't mind dealing with the frequently unpleasant staff. Adult 14–64: $12; Senior 65 & older: $9; Students with ID: $9; Children 5–13: $6; Children 3–4: $4; Children 2 & younger: Free.
Van Andel Museum Center, 272 Pearl Street NW, 616-456-3977. M– Sa 9AM–5PM, Su 12PM–5PM, . Offers the sights and sounds of centuries gone by, coming alive once again. Downtown on the west bank of the Grand. Adults $8, ages 3-17 $3.
Gerald R. Ford Museum, 303 Pearl Street NW, 616-254-0400, . Every day 9AM-5PM exc. holidays. 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. Jerry's final resting place is just north of the museum. Downtown on the west bank of the Grand.
Grands Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center, (616) 831-1000, . In addition to its permanent collection, features special exhibitions.
Public Art - as the 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.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Grand Rapids
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Grand Rapids - updated May 2024
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Grand Rapids Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
