What to See, Do & Know in Grand Rapids for Hard-of-Hearing Visitors

A Guide to Visiting Grand Rapids with Hearing Loss

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you know that travel can be fraught with unnecessary barriers and challenges. Grand Rapids, Michigan is committed to accessibility for all visitors, including those with hearing impairments. We want to empower you to fully participate, engage and immerse yourself in the many joys of Grand Rapids, which was named one of CNN’s 10 Best American Towns to Visit in 2024.

With some proactive planning and research, you can create a travel itinerary that eases your journey and caters specifically to your needs and interests. Here are some things to consider for deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers visiting Grand Rapids.

Getting to Grand Rapids

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport, named North America’s easiest and most enjoyable airport, offers sign-language boards at key points throughout the facility, enabling deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers to receive flight information and announcements others hear over loudspeaker. Visitors who use T-coil compatible assistive hearing devices can also access the airport’s paging system in the public areas of the main terminal Grand Hall and Concourses A & B.

The airport is proud to participate in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network, a global initiative aimed at providing support and assistance to travelers with non-visible conditions, including hearing loss. Passengers with hidden disabilities can request a free Sunflower item at the airport’s Visitor Information Desk and security screening checkpoint. Airport staff and partners are trained to recognize the Sunflower symbol and provide appropriate assistance.

Getting Around Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids’ award-winning Rapid bus system offers accessible transportation options for individuals with hearing impairments, including bus stops with audio announcements and ticket vending machines with audio and braille. Bus operators are trained to assist riders with disabilities, including those with hearing loss, as they board or exit the vehicle. The Rapid’s Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) offers free rides throughout the city center.

Staying in Grand Rapids

There are nearly 100 hotels in Grand Rapids offering a wide range of budgets and amenities, including hearing-accessible features. You can search our Hotels page for location, budget and 16 different amenities, then click the links to individual hotel pages to discover their accommodations for deaf and hard-of-hearing guests.

If you want to stay downtown, steps away from 300+ restaurants, shops, museums and entertainment venues, the Canopy by Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton, JW Marriott and Residence Inn provide a range of accessibility options, including hearing-accessible rooms or kits, visual alarms, visual door-knock alerts, TTY/TTD relay systems and closed-caption TVs.

Many hotels outside the city center offer similar features – and more. For example, Staybridge Suites Grand Rapids SW (in Grandville) employs staff proficient in sign language. Home2 Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids North offers hearing-accessible king and queen studio suites. Best Western Byron Center delivers visual alerts for phone calls, door knocks, fire alarms and smoke alarms.  

It's always smart to contact the hotel in advance of your stay for a full list of hearing-accessible features and to let staff know of your needs.

Dining Out in Grand Rapids

Visitors with hearing loss will likely want to seek out quieter restaurants with well-spaced tables, soft music and sound-absorbing décor. The SoundPrint app, which allows users to measure and share noise levels, rates a number of Grand Rapids restaurants as “Quiet,” including KCM (whose katsu curry was named one of the Best American Dishes of 2023 by the New York Times), Leo’s Seafood Restaurant & Bar, Madcap Coffee, Mangiamo Italian Restaurant, MudPenny, Rainbow Grill and the Chapbook Café at Schuler Books.

Things to See and Do in Grand Rapids

Many Grand Rapids attractions are equipped to help individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing enjoy their offerings to the fullest. Here are some of the city’s best:

Celebration Cinema

With four locations around Grand Rapids – Downtown (Studio Park), Rivertown (Grandville), North and South – Celebration Cinema presents new-release movies in theaters equipped with the latest technologies and comfort amenities. For most shows, guests can request a personal open caption device that sits in the seat cupholder or an assisted listening device that amplifies the audio.

DeVos Performance Hall

DeVos Performance Hall hosts performances by Broadway Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Ballet, the Grand Rapids Symphony and Opera Grand Rapids in addition to touring concerts, comedy and family shows. The 2,543-seat theater is T-coil compatible and offers a limited number of Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs) on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign language interpreters can be arranged upon request.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Named America’s Best Sculpture Park by USA Today and one of the world’s most visited art museums, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is an oasis of art and nature. More than 200 sculptures from classic and contemporary masters are exhibited in indoor and outdoor gardens and galleries. American Sign Language interpretation can be scheduled for any tour, program or event with a minimum of two weeks’ advance notice. Requests on shorter notice are accommodated if possible. Many of the venue’s event rooms are equipped with an induction loops system that transmits audio directly from the speaker system to a hearing aid with appropriate technology. The annual spring Butterflies are Blooming exhibit includes an inclusive Deaf or Hard of Hearing night that offers ASL interpreters, special signage and more.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

An entertaining tribute to the life and times of Grand Rapids native Gerald Ford and his wife Betty, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum offers closed-captioning or text panels in a number of exhibits to assist hearing-impaired visitors. The Museum Auditorium is equipped with a T-coil assisted listening loop, and hand-held units are available upon request. With a minimum of two weeks’ notice, the Museum can provide Sign Language Interpreters at no charge. Sign Language Interpreters who are accompanying and assisting visitors who are hearing impaired are admitted to the Museum at no charge.

GLC Live at 20 Monroe

A contemporary concert hall in downtown Grand Rapids, GLC Live at 20 Monroe offers Assisted Listening Devices powered by Listen Everywhere Technology, which allows patrons to use their mobile devices to hear more clearly. The venue also has receivers for use. Sign language interpretation is available on request with at least two weeks’ notice.

Grand Rapids Art Museum

A beacon of the arts in an art-loving city, the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) is home to a permanent collection of more than 7,000 objects and hosts a wide variety of touring exhibitions. GRAM offers assisted hearing devices free of charge for lectures, presentations and films in the auditorium. Audio in the auditorium is also T-coil compatible.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

One of America’s oldest and largest community theatres, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre presents a wide range of crowd-pleasing productions each year, including children’s shows. At select performances, a skilled ASL interpreter will be present to sign the entire performance. “The Civic” also offers Williams Sound personal amplifying devices to help hard-of-hearing individuals hear every word the script has to offer, and the venue is equipped with a T-coil hearing loop system for patrons with compatible devices.

Grand Rapids Public Museum

In addition to housing 250,000+ historic and cultural artifacts and scientific specimens that tell the stories of West Michigan and the wider world, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, which transports guests on immersive visits to far-away galaxies, constellations, planets and more. The planetarium is equipped with a T-coil compatible hearing loop system and also offers two loop receivers with headphones for those with non-compatible hearing devices. The Museum’s theater offers standard hearing-assist headphones for public programs.

The Grand Outdoors

Grand Rapids offers hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, 30+ golf courses, 20+ beaches, and dozens of lakes and rivers, all of which offer minimal barriers to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Check out the city’s Outdoor Recreation opportunities.  

Van Andel Arena

Van Andel Arena is a 12,000-seat entertainment destination in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. It hosts the nation’s biggest touring concerts, comedy shows and family events, and it’s home to the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team, Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team and Grand Rapids Rise women’s volleyball team. Complimentary hearing assistance devices are available for all events and sign language interpreters can be arranged upon request.

Tours Around Michigan

The first U.S. tour company endorsed by Accessible Travel Press Online, Tours Around Michigan offers a variety of public and private tours of Grand Rapids oriented around city landmarks, art, historic homes, ghost stories, churches, food and beverages, and more. The company is happy to work with guests who are hearing-impaired, mobility-impaired and/or neurodivergent. For example, sign language and spoken language interpreters receive a free ticket on the tour to accompany the person they are helping.

For more information about activities and events for the hearing impaired, visit Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS)on the web.

As you plan your Grand Rapids trip, be sure to contact hotels, attractions and other hospitality providers in advance to inform them of your needs and confirm their services for the deaf and hard of hearing. You’ll save time on site, feel more confident and ensure a more accessible and enjoyable trip.