10 Places to Visit in Grand Rapids

Commissioned in 1908 by Meyer and Sophie May, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Meyer May House is situated in Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill Historic District east of Downtown. Typical of Wright’s work during his Prairie School period, the two-story pale brick home features decorative art glass windows, skylights, broad eaves, and hipped roofs. “Michigan’s Prairie Masterpiece” was painstakingly restored to its original grandeur in the late 1980s.

In addition to a fully-restored exterior, the home is beautifully furnished with a mixture of original, restored, and miscellaneous Arts and Crafts period furnishings. The grounds and landscaping have also been returned to their early 20th-century design. Tours are offered on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays throughout the year; for Frank Lloyd Wright and architecture enthusiasts, the Meyer May House is an experience not to be missed.

Founded in 1854, Grand Rapids Public Museum is the oldest museum in Michigan and among the oldest in the United States. After outgrowing the site it called home for nearly 100 years, GRPM transitioned to its current downtown facility on the banks of the Grand River in 1994. The Museum features over 250,000 artifacts and specimens in the 155,000 square foot Van Andel Center and other sites in and around Grand Rapids.

With permanent exhibitions on the city’s heritage as a furniture manufacturing capital, the region’s Native American culture, and heritage, and the diverse ecology of Western Michigan, the Museum is a regional treasure. Home to a gift shop, café, meeting space, a theater, the Chaffee Planetarium, and a 1928 Spillman carousel in a pavilion built over the Grand River, this sprawling facility can’t be fully appreciated in a single visit.

Nestled into the ravines and bluffs on the City’s western edge, John Ball Zoological Park is home to over 2000 animals across 140+ acres. Founded in 1884 with a donation from famed explorer John Ball, the Zoo has grown into a regional attraction welcoming more than a half-million annual visitors. The Park offers a gift shop, numerous concession options and the new Monkey Bar for snacks and rotating draught beers.

The Zoo features a Funicular inclined railway that transports visitors to the upper portions of the property, offering spectacular views of Downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to countless animal exhibits throughout the Park, visitors can choose from a variety of experiences including a zip line, ropes course, camel rides, and panning for precious gems and artifacts. The facility also hosts conservation education and community events throughout the season.