Are you looking for fun things to do, experiences, attractions and events in Grand Rapids? We’ve got you covered.
As you know, Beer City/Furniture City/River City is home to tons of excellent restaurants, breweries and bars, but that’s far from the only activity in town. There’s fun to be had with friends, with your family, or even on your own, whether it’s playing games, competing physically, heading to the zoo—you name it, Grand Rapids probably has it.
So, here’s our guide to things to do in Grand Rapids, which will be updated as new options catch our eye or arrive on the scene!
FUN WITH FRIENDS
Mind Games
Escape rooms have gained immense popularity in recent years, and West Michigan has a variety of captivating options to choose from. These interactive experiences challenge your problem-solving skills and teamwork while providing an exciting adventure. With multiple themed rooms to choose from, such as solving a murder mystery or escaping a zombie apocalypse, you and your friends will be immersed in a thrilling race against the clock.
A few options: The Great Escape Room, The Ruse, Locked460
Bullseye!
The satisfaction of hitting a target, the exhilarating experience of challenging your skills, the friendly competition between peers, and a little bit of physical activity—just a few reasons why axe throwing has exploded in popularity recently, not to mention all the other experiences local spots have begun to offer. For instance, FlannelJax has not just axe throwing, but crosscut sawing and “Thump the Stump” too. Anywhere you go to throw, experienced instructors will guide you, so you don’t need to be a lumberjack to join.
A few options: FlannelJax, Wood-Splitters, BattleGR Tactical Games
Football + Bowling =
For a truly unique and entertaining experience, head to the Fowling Warehouse in Grand Rapids. Fowling is a hybrid game that combines elements of—you guessed it—football and bowling. Quite simply, the objective is to knock down the opposing team’s pins by throwing a football, and it’s a whole lot of fun! Not to be confused with bowlball, which involves running and throwing pins down a field into endzones (just kidding). The Fowling Warehouse provides the perfect setting for this truly unique activity with multiple lanes and a social atmosphere, guaranteeing an evening filled with fun and friendly competition.
Bowling.
And, you know what? There’s nothing wrong with the classic bowling either. Rolling that big bowl down the lane and into a pin (or 10) is a feeling we all crave—it’s simply fun to knock things over! If you disagree, you might want to try duckpin bowling, available at Woodrows in the Amway Grand Plaza. It’s a smaller ball that fits in the palm of your hand, with shorter and squatter pins spaced further apart.
A few options: Clique Lanes, Wengers, Northfield Lanes
Game Night
For a more laid-back yet entertaining night, gather your friends and head somewhere with board games. One of the best spots around for this is House Rules Lounge, which combines craft beer, cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks and board games, creating the perfect atmosphere for a game night extravaganza. Choose from a massive extensive selection of board games or bring your own! Plus, they just opened a brand new kitchen!
Through the Looking Glass
Step into the realm of virtual reality (VR) and embark on extraordinary adventures with your friends. Virtual reality arcades provide a wide variety of immersive gaming experiences, where you can explore virtual worlds, fight zombies, solve puzzles, or engage in multiplayer battles. Whether you just want to play some classic VR or immerse yourself in one of the newer, more unique free-roaming experiences, West Michigan has it all.
A few options: Amped VR, Zero Latency
Get Cooking
Discover the art of culinary excellence at The Local Epicurean in Grand Rapids. Offering a range of engaging and hands-on cooking classes, this renowned establishment invites food enthusiasts of all skill levels to expand their culinary horizons. Led by expert chefs, these classes provide a unique opportunity to learn essential techniques, explore global flavors, and create delectable dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
NATURE CENTERS
John Ball Zoo
1300 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids / jbzoo.org
One of Grand Rapids’ largest and oldest attractions is also a great opportunity to learn. The John Ball Zoo is up-close and personal, which is ideal for actually seeing animals. Throughout the park, you may even find some animals outside of their cages with the zookeepers, giving you an opportunity to be closer while learning a thing or two. If you haven’t been to the zoo in a while, they’ve been going through big renovations and expansions over the years and bringing in new animals like a red panda, meerkats, toucans, armadillos and more. Plus, did you know there are special experiences to join in on all season long? Check out the Twilight Tours, which let you see the zoo in a new light and occur most Fridays and Saturdays, right before sunset. Or sign up for one of the Behind the Scenes tours that lets kids see special spots close up, such as the Under the Sea tour, which gives you the chance to touch a sea star and urchin while learning about how the aquarium is kept clean and running.
Blandford Nature Center
1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, Grand Rapids / blandfordnaturecenter.org
Inspired by true nature—getting dirty and learning hands-on—the Blandford Nature Center is passionate about what they do. With a passion for building community, Blandford focuses on rescuing animals while letting them live in a truly natural setting. It may not have all the animals big zoos have, but it does have lovely “wildlife ambassadors” like owls, vultures, snakes and turtles, all of whom couldn’t survive completely on their own.
MUSEUMS
Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids / grpm.org
Unmissable with its iconic carousel along the west bank of the Grand River, the Public Museum achieves the “something for everyone” ideal of any museum. In its more than 160 years as part of Grand Rapids’ cultural landscape, the museum has claimed various homes, but since 1994 has occupied its current spacious abode, loaded with exhibits exploring history, science and regional culture. Don’t forget that the museum has not just exhibits to explore, but a renovated carousel and a slate of fascinating planetarium shows that range from educational to mindbending.
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
11 Sheldon Ave. NE / grcm.org
It’s hard to imagine an institution with a more agreeable mission statement than the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, which is that play is healthy, play is transformative, play is a right and play benefits families and people of all ages. It’s emphatically pro-play, something we can all get behind. GRCM offers a dizzying variety of ways to scratch that itch and there’s no better place in West Michigan to spend a rainy afternoon with your kids.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids / meijergardens.org
Meijer Gardens is a perennial draw, and not just for its open air summer concert series. This is known as one of the best sculpture gardens in the country thanks to the beautiful art and architecture interwoven with nature. From the huge, beautiful marble faces adorning the walls of one room to the understated beauty of its Japanese garden, it dazzles. Kids can burn through their energy in the children’s garden before standing in awe beneath Leonardo Da Vinci’s Horse.
PARKS
Aman Park
0-1859 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids
Aman Park is a great little system of woodland trails tucked away off Lake Michigan Drive. The forest here is full of blooming flowers and dead trees, creating a unique ecosystem. There isn’t much parking, which is part of the appeal; if you show up and can’t find room for your car, don’t force it!
The Highlands
2715 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids | thehighlandsgr.org
It’s rare to a highly manicured golf course transform into a lush, 121-acre nature preserve with flourishing biodiversity, but Blandford Nature Center has achieved it with The Highlands. If you want a beautiful place to stroll along nearly 3 miles of crisscrossing trails and see nature up close (including lots of great bird-watching), this is the place to be. And it’s free!
Pickerel Lake
6001 Ramsdell Rd. NE, Cannonsburg
Pickerel Lake is a lovely nature preserve tucked away in the Rockford area. Because it’s a preserve, nature is pretty much left to its own devices, allowing for a ton of unique sights. Walk around the lake for a beautiful view of the trees reflecting on the water.
Provin Trails
2900 4 Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids
Right down the road from Robinette’s, Provin Trails can get busy. But there’s so much freedom to roam, you really don’t have to worry about being overcrowded. If you head to the center of the park, you’ll encounter a huge hill of sand in the middle of the woods, which is perfect for running down — or sledding, in the winter.
Cannonsburg
6800 Cannonsburg Rd., Belmont | cannonsburg.com
You clearly can’t snowboard at Cannonsburg right now, but what you can do is bike up to 11 miles of trails around the hill. It’s a great workout, and extremely different from a flat, paved trail, so make sure you’ve done your squats. The trails are also open for hiking or running! When you’re done, head to Cannonsburg’s Sweet Spot, which offers a huge variety of sweet treats as well as alcoholic beverages and gourmet toast. It’s perfect for fueling you beforehand or relaxing you after.
MUSIC VENUES
The Intersection
133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
sectionlive.com
With five stages in one venue, The Intersection is built for just about every kind of show you could hope for. While electronic/EDM/house music has a strong presence here, so do hardcore, hip-hop, tribute bands, country, retro parties and more.
The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
pyramidschemebar.com
The ultimate indie venue, Pyramid Scheme is home to quite a few local showcases, along with larger indie touring groups like Jeff Rosenstock and Slaughter Beach—as well as metal shows like See You Next Tuesday. Plus, their front bar is full of pinball machines!
Midtown GR
123 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
themidtowngr.com
Formerly known as The Listening Room, this is a seated, unique, very intimate venue with a focus on atmosphere and acoustics. Head here for shows you really want to pay attention to and soak in (plus, regular improv comedy from River City and Pop Scholars).
Skelletones
133 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
skelletones.com
This legendary venue has returned after years of being closed. It’s an all-ages space, alcohol-free and wheelchair accessible, focused largely on punk, hardcore, metal, emo, ska and other underground genres.
SPORTS
Grand Rapids Gold
We may not have Lions, Tigers and Red Wings, but we do have spectacular sports teams of our own to spectate. Of course the winter months are perfect for watching the GR Griffins and Kalamazoo Wings sweep the ice in hockey, but the Van Andel Arena is also home to the Grand Rapids Gold, our official minor league NBA team now associated with the Denver Nuggets (hence the name). If you want to see pros play before they head up to the big leagues, here’s your chance!
Grand Rapids Rise
This year, the Grand Rapids Rise is playing its inaugural season, with 24 games ahead. This is a female professional volleyball team, played by elite athletes, “who, for the first time, have an opportunity to make a REAL living wage without leaving the county.” Head to Van Andel to see this athleticism on display!
Grand Raggidy Roller Derby
grandraggidy.com
Founded in 2005, Grand Raggidy Roller Derby is proud to be one of only 30 founding member leagues of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come see their games, where women showcase their speed, agility and strategic prowess. Watch skaters with names like “Marzi Pain” and “Scary Magdalene” slam into each other, slip past each other and race around the track. It’s fun for everyone!
COMEDY
Pop Scholars
popscholars.com
When it comes to improv, Pop Scholars have something special. There’s a chemistry between the four guys that started strong and has only grown over 15 years of performing together. If you think improv just isn’t your thing, you’re probably wrong—check out Pop Scholars.
GLC Live at 20 Monroe
11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
livenation.com
You’ll find many of your favorite comedians at GLC Live, where second shows are regularly added due to popularity. Stavros Halkias, Lewis Black, Nimesh Patel, Nikki Glaser, Ari Shaffer—just a few of the comedians already slated for 2024!
Dr. Grins Comedy Club
20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
thebob.com
Every week, typically Monday through Wednesday, a new comedian takes up the mic at Dr. Grins, the comedy venue inside The B.O.B. These are largely the comedians who are out there touring and crushing it before they develop a massive following. Beth Stelling, Don Friesen and Step Tolev are some upcoming names!
The Comedy Project
540 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids
thecomedyproject.com
The Comedy Project is the area's only full-time, professional improv and sketch comedy theater venue, performing "Second City-style sketch and improv comedy shows" every Friday and Saturday—not to mention popular comedy classes. Head here on weekends for cocktails and multiple improv comedy shows ranging in themes from Battle Bots to Jellybean Station, “the comedy kid’s show no kid should see.”
