Our go-to getaway is always Grand Rapids. A quick 2 hour drive down the freeway offers exciting adventures everyone looks forward to. Plan a trip this spring AND enter to win a Getaway Giveaway from Experience Grand Rapids!
There are so many fun things to do in Grand Rapids and both the downtown and surrounding area are easy to navigate with kids. Whether you stay for the day or make it an overnight trip, you’re sure to have lots of fun and make great memories. The three museums are located within walking distance in downtown Grand Rapids. The Meijer Gardens and John Ball Zoo are short drives outside of the city center with easy and ample parking. Check out our 5 favorite destinations and enter to win a trip from LittleGuide Detroit and Experience Grand Rapids.
Frederik Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park
The Frederik Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park is beautiful and expansive – wear walking shoes because there’s plenty to see. Start your visit inside at the Conservatory and Children’s Garden Discovery Experience, the annual Butterflies Are Blooming event runs March 1st thru April 30th! Afterwards, head out to the Children’s Garden where you can stroll along the boardwalk through the wetlands to the treehouse fortress. Kids love running across the bridges and from different treehouses. Afterwards let them get ‘lost’ in the garden maize. Throughout the gardens you’ll spot beautiful animal sculptures that will capture their attention – including a couple of dragons.
Pull out the map of the grounds and decide where to go next – the Sculpture Park, Japanese Gardens, Michigan’s Farm Garden or Frey Boardwalk.
The Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park is open daily. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children. The Gardens is part of the Museums for All program and EBT/WIC cardholders qualify for a reduced admission rate of $2 per person for up to four people.
Grand Rapids Children Museum
Grand Rapids Children Museum is a miniature world for kids of all ages that regularly transforms with traveling exhibits and this spring you can find Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood! The Grr-ific exhibit allows you to step into Daniel Tiger’s world and join him and his friends as you explore the Neighborhood. Through immersive experiences, visitors will work together to solve problems, use their imaginations to transform their surroundings, and play along with Daniel’s singable strategies to learn life’s little lessons.
The museum is open Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm, Thursdays 9am to 7pm and Sundays from 12pm to 4pm. Admission is $12 per person. The museum is part of the Museums for All program AND offers reciprocal membership admission for both the Ann Abor Hands-On Museum and Impressions 5 in Lansing.
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Grand Rapids Art Museum is a world-class art museum, and it currently features Brick by Brick: The Creative Art of LEGO exhibit – hands-on fun for creators of all ages. BONUS: All galleries have a kid crafting table and there’s an interactive children’s play area on the ground floor. Located in the city center it’s across the street from the LOVE sign that’s a perfect for your own artful photo op.
The museum is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids, enjoy FREE admission on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is made for kids and families and features 3 floors of hands-on fun. Walk the streets of old Grand Rapids, stroll through the A to Z exhibit to learn new things, play vintage arcade games, see a show in the planetarium and more! Littles will love the temporary Building Buddies exhibit that gives them a chance to change the neighborhood by painting, building and being creative in the neighborhood.
The museum is open daily, and admission is $12 for adults and $5 for kids.
John Ball Zoo
If you feel like you’ve been to zoos before and don’t need another one, John Ball Zoo is not your average zoo. When you arrive you’ll think you’ve entered a nice big park because there are multiple playgrounds by the parking lot. Once you enter, it’ll feel like you’ve arrived at a hidden oasis. Take the Funicular ($4 per person) up the hilly terrain to the top of the zoo and begin your adventure. The Zoo is organized by continents and animal habitats can be viewed by guests from multiple angles and entry points. You’ll enjoy seeing the animals surrounded by greenspace with engaging elements like bridges and climbers to keep them busy. The zoo has over 1,300 animals including lions, tigers, chimpanzees, red pandas, and newly homed koalas.
Animals aren’t the only ones with fun things to climb on. There is a nature-based Clubhouse for kids and climbers throughout the zoo to get them moving like the animals.
The zoo opens for the season on March 22nd. Admission is $17 for adults and $13 for kids. A family membership is $155 and something to consider if you have multiple children over the age of 3 and think you’ll head back for another visit.
