Grand Rapids is a city that truly surprised us. It's the perfect weekend getaway for art, food, and nature lovers. After visiting for three days, Justin and I are sharing the best things to do in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Despite being Michigan's second largest city, the atmosphere of Grand Rapids feels much more like a small town. It's divided into several smaller neighborhoods, each being quite walkable and community-focused.
In this blog post, we're going to show you the best things to do in Grand Rapids. This Grand Rapids itinerary is perfect for a weekend getaway or spending a few days in the city.
If you're visiting during ArtPrize like we did, you can easily set aside a whole day for this city-wide event. ArtPrize venues can be sprinkled throughout your trip as you stumble upon them, too.
Jump to:
Why We Love Grand Rapids
It's easy to fall in love with Grand Rapids. Here are a few reasons why we enjoyed traveling to Grand Rapids:
- It's So Artsy: We've never seen a city so artsy as Grand Rapids. Not only is public art everywhere, but they host the annual ArtPrize event. There's also an amazing sculpture garden in Grand Rapids, too.
- Culinary and Craft Beer Scene: Grand Rapids is Beer City USA with over 35 craft breweries. There's also a fantastic restaurant scene with many vegan options.
- Charming Neighborhoods: Grand Rapids is a city of neighborhoods with their own atmosphere. We particularly enjoyed visiting Uptown, which is divided up into four separate neighborhoods. You can easily walk from one to the next.
Watch our Grand Rapids Video
We've edited a short video from our time in Grand Rapids. This is our Grand Rapids itinerary from start to finish, including most places we mention within this blog post.
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay in touch.
Things to Do in Grand Rapids, Michigan
There are so many fun things to do in Grand Rapids, MI. I loved exploring Grand Rapids on a couples' trip, though it would also be great to visit with a group of friends or family members.
These unique activities and attractions offer a bit of history, art and culture. Plus, they're unlike any places that I've ever experienced before. You'll just have to come to Grand Rapids soon for your own adventure.
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is one of the world's finest gardens with over 200 sculptures. Year over year, it's voted as the best sculpture park in the USA.
This 158-acre botanical garden has multiple indoor and outdoor spaces to explore that seamlessly blend art and nature. Justin and I spent nearly four hours here, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to properly visit.
Aside from the captivating sculpture trails with new discoveries around each corner, my favorite space was the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. This is an authentic Japanese garden that's very serene and peaceful. The fall colors looked especially gorgeous here, too.
Top tip: before you explore the gardens, head over to the information desk. The staff here are a wealth of knowledge and will direct you to the unmissable spots and pieces to check out during your trip.
Meyer May House
Take a tour of the Meyer May House, a preserved and restored prairie-style house designed by famed architect and designer, Frank Lloyd Wright. This home dates back to 1908 and was thoroughly restored from 1985 to 1987.
You will have to pre-book your tour, and the tours are free of charge. A tour starts with the film, The Renewing of a Vision where you'll learn about the history of the home and the extensive restorations. Then, you'll go on a guided walking tour around the exterior and interior of the house.
Learn about how its design seamlessly blends the indoors to the outdoors through its layout, greenery and gardens. See the incredible art glass windows, original murals, and uniquely designed furnishings throughout Meyer May House.
Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery
Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery is the ultimate farm experience, especially in the fall! Go apple picking at the orchards, taste their homemade apple donuts, shop for local gifts, and taste 20+ varieties of Michigan-made wine, fruit wine and hard ciders.
Justin and I loved participating in the wine and cider tasting. First, take a look at their list of over 20 offerings and choose five samples to sip and savor. We mostly sampled their fruit wine and hard ciders in all kinds of unique flavors that you don't typically find.
Robinette's has a wide selection of their wines and ciders that you can bring home with you. The staff might also offer their wine slushies to sample or purchase. These are really refreshing, and we ended up buying some pre-made wine slushy pouches so we could make our own at home.
Uptown Neighborhoods
Uptown Grand Rapids was among our favorite places to visit. We spent an entire afternoon walking around the four neighborhoods that collectively make up Uptown: East Fulton, East Hills, Eastown and Wealthy Street.
The four business districts of Uptown are very walkable, so I suggest parking your car for free on the west side of Wealthy Street and exploring on foot. There are tree-lined streets, specialty boutique shops, delectable dining options and unique finds.
Some establishments to add to your list (or add as markers to your Google Maps, that's what I like to do!):
- Art of the Table
- Donkey Taqueria
- Rowster Coffee
- Mokaya Chocolate
- Rebel
- Sticky Fingers
- Furniture City Creamery
- Vivant Brewery & Spirits
- Books & Mortar
- Woosah Outfitters
- Hopscotch Children's Store
Big Mini Putt Club
Big Mini Putt Club has a few locations throughout the Midwest, including one in downtown Grand Rapids. It's an indoor 9-hole mini golf course and bar that's a great place for a date night or gathering with friends.
While the mini putt holes themselves are smaller, it packs a large amount of fun. The course is pretty innovative and challenging enough to keep you on your toes.
After you're done playing a round of mini golf, there are a few other arcade machines scattered throughout the bar, along with some free games like an old Nintendo 64 console, darts and giant Jenga.
The Pyramid Scheme
The Pyramid Scheme is also located in downtown Grand Rapids, right around the corner from Big Mini Putt Club. This is a popular pinball bar and live music venue.
We didn't visit on a concert night, but we thoroughly enjoyed playing the pinball machines. There are 24 pinball machines in total that are coin-operated. You can get your bills made into coins at one of the on-site change machines.
The Pyramid Scheme also has an extensive craft beer list, wine, seltzers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options/mocktails as well. It's one of the best pinball arcades we've visited in a long while with a fun selection of machines featuring rock bands, movies and more.
ArtPrize in Grand Rapids
ArtPrize is an annual art competition and cultural festival that takes place every fall. It showcases the works of hundreds of artists, both local and international.
ArtPrize is truly a massive celebration of art that welcomes 800,000 visitors to the city each year. Plus, there are around 700,000 works of art, like sculptures, paintings, installations, murals, public art and more.
Best of all, it's almost entirely free to visit. With the exception of some ticketed events, all ArtPrize venues are free to wander inside, view the art, and vote for your favorites.
ArtPrize Venues
Walk down city streets and witness art in parks and public squares. There are smaller venues, like cafes, restaurants and hotels. Larger venues include the Ford Presidential Museum, DeVos Place Convention Center and more.
There are venue maps on the ArtPrize website so you can plan out your adventures. We did a little bit of planning, though we mostly walked down the street and stumbled upon venues.
There are signs outside each ArtPrize venue, so it's easy to find the art...and art is everywhere in Grand Rapids!
Arborialis
Arborialis was a ticketed experience at ArtPrize. The tickets themselves weren't expensive by any means, and you had to sign up for an entry time since space was limited.
Designed by Architects of Air from the UK, Arborialis is an immersive experience for the senses. This is an inflatable world where you wander through interconnected pathways and domes. It's dedicated to the theme of "trees" and resembles being lost in a forest.
This magical journey is enhanced by the auditory soundtrack by Irish composer Dr Michael Morris. We loved being transported to another world at Arborialis.
Craft Breweries in Grand Rapids
Since 2012, Grand Rapids has been dubbed Beer City USA. It's also been named as America's Best Beer City by USA Today for several years in a row.
If you want to visit Grand Rapids and try all the breweries, you have your work cut out for you. There are more than 40 breweries within 25 minutes of downtown Grand Rapids.
Check out the Beer City Ale Trail for a master list of all the breweries in the Grand Rapids area.
Justin and I had a chance to try a couple of different craft breweries during our trip. First, Founders Brewing Co is a longstanding brewery in the city for over 25 years. They've been named as one of the best breweries in the world.
At their location in downtown Grand Rapids, we had the opportunity to sample a beer flight and listen to live music on an open mic night. There's food, entertainment, and refreshing beer, which has all the makings for an amazing night out.
Next, Vivant Brewery & Spirits is the world's first LEED-certified microbrewery. It's a rather unique and picturesque brewery, located inside a former chapel. They serve up European-inspired brews, including their Cult Pils poured from an authentic Czech side pull faucet.
Grand Rapids Coffee Shops
Grand Rapids has its fair share of excellent independently owned coffee shops and cafes. As a coffee addict myself, I'm always looking for the best places to find a good cup of coffee.
There wasn't any shortage of great coffee in Grand Rapids. Here are a few of my favorites where you can get cozy with a cuppa:
Vegan in Grand Rapids
We were fortunate to visit Grand Rapids during the Vegan Chef Challenge event. Chefs from restaurants all over Grand Rapids participate in the challenge, creating inspiring vegan dishes on their menus.
Diners have the chance to vote on their favorites. There's the hope that some of the best dishes will find a permanent place on restaurant menus, too.
I'd love to see the Vegan Chef Challenge return to Grand Rapids in the future. Don't worry, Grand Rapids is a very vegan-friendly city, and there are tons of plant-based offerings in the city.
I'll be writing an entire vegan guide for Grand Rapids soon. In the meantime, here are a few of our favorite spots to find veggie meals at restaurants and cafes:
Where to Stay in Grand Rapids
We spent three nights at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, centrally located in downtown Grand Rapids. This is a spacious, historic property with comfortable rooms.
There are quite a few amenities, like a rooftop pickleball court, on-site spa, and fitness center. It was also an ArtPrize venue when we visited with several art pieces throughout the hotel lobby.
The location was very convenient. We could walk everywhere downtown, and we could easily reach other attractions by car within several minutes. Book your stay at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Don't forget travel insurance!
Heading out of the country? Don't forget to get travel insurance. It's best to be covered in case of an emergency, cancellation or accident.
Leave a Reply