"Michigans OTHER City" Top 5 Page for this destination Grand Rapids by capman

Grand Rapids Travel Guide: 116 reviews and 152 photos

I'm 29 and have lived in GR my entire life. I travel quite a bit, and have come to think that compared to other mid-sized cities, Grand Rapids is definately one of the nicer ones. The downtown area has been rejuvenated with new businesses all over the place. There are many unique restaurants for almost any taste or style, and almost everything is withing walking distance (1-mile or less), via sidewalks or through the skywalk system. Lake Michigan, with it's beaches and numerous small resort towns is only a 30 minute drive from downtown.

Intro Written Sep 11, 2002
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Reviews (11)

Downtown - The Ford... Things to Do (1)

Downtown - The Ford Presidential Museum, The Grand Rapids Art Museum, Hockey or football at the VanAndel Arena, Amway... more travel advice

The VanAndel Museum Center... Tourist Traps (2)

The VanAndel Museum Center looks cool from the outside, but the exhibits are just embarassing. more travel advice

The VanAndel Public Museum... Tourist Traps (2)

The VanAndel Public Museum Center. It looks spiffy from the outside, being on the river, with a big carousel over the... more travel advice

The downtown area is typically... Warnings and Dangers (1)

The downtown area is typically safe, but I still wouldn't walk around alone at night. There are several one-way streets,... more travel advice

What to Pack (1)
Packing List
Transportation (1)
Drive or fly.
Favorites (1)
Visit the Gerald R. Ford...
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ChrysN May 3, 2008 at 1:03 PM

Okay, it may not be the Smithsonian, but my family likes this museum. When my kids were small (preschool-first grade), this was a nice place to go. It's not too expensive, and we always enjoyed the planetarium, the carousel, and the nature exhibits.