20 Fun and FREE Things to do in Grand Rapids

Whoever said nothing in life is free hasn't been to Kent County, Michigan. The greater Grand Rapids area offers a wide variety of no-cost activities to keep you busy throughout the year. Downtown Grand Rapids even offers free transportation – just hop on the bright pink DASH Bus, which runs seven days a week. Save some money and have a great time with these 20 fun and free things to do!

1. Cultural Festivals

Celebrate the rich diversity of Grand Rapids at free-to-enter cultural festivals and celebrations including the Asian-Pacific Festival, Justice 4 All Juneteenth Jam, Pride Festival, Italian Festival, Return to the River Festival, A Glimpse of Africa Festival, Hispanic Festival, Dozynki Polish Festival, Yassou! Greek Festival and more. An easy way to find free festivals (and other free activities) is to click FREE Event when you search our Events page.

2. ArtPrize

ArtPrize is the world's most attended public art event, and it takes place every fall in Grand Rapids, for free! View hundreds of creative, and frequently colossal, works of art just about anywhere you look in downtown Grand Rapids – parks, sidewalks, bridges, storefronts, restaurants, museums and more. The competition runs from mid-September to early October every year, and an ever-growing number of pieces remain on permanent year-round display.

3. Trailventures

Hike and bike on endless miles of non-motorized trails through all sorts of terrain. Cannonsburg State Game Area, Grand Ravines North and South, Grand River Park, Huff Park and the White Pine Trail were mentioned most often by our followers, and there are dozens more in every area of the city and county. Many paved trails are accessible to people with disabilities.

4. Snowventures

Many of our trails are also ideal for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing once winter sets in. Sledding is another free and popular winter pastime, with our followers singling out Charlie’s Dump, a sledding bowl at Jenison’s Rosewood Park, for special praise.

5. World of Winter

Speaking of winter, our annual World of Winter festival invites everyone to experience the snowy season in a new (and free) way. WoW brings outdoor entertainment, activities, events, ice sculptures and giant art installations to downtown Grand Rapids from early January to early March each year.

6. City Sightseeing

You’ll see plenty of awesome sights engaging in numbers 1-5 above, but our followers specifically called out the visual splendors of downtown Grand Rapids as a distinct free experience. No wonder: the city center is filled with distinctive architecture, public art, beautiful greenspaces, a riverwalk along the Grand River and even a Fish Ladder to watch salmon leap upstream – all of it free and absolutely Instagram-worthy.

7. People Watching

Downtown is also a great place to sit and watch the hustle and bustle of passersby. Rosa Parks Circle, a functional art piece by famed sculptor Maya Lin, is a prime place for people watching, especially during its summertime Relax at Rosa series featuring free lunchtime entertainment. Also recommended: Ah-Nab-Awen Park (a prime viewing site for free 4^th of July fireworks) and the scenic Blue Bridge, a pedestrian walkway used to traverse downtown’s Grand River.

8. Live Music

Rosa Parks Circle is just one of many sites around Grand Rapids and Kent County hosting free live music events. Between no-cover-charge bars, community concert series, public festivals and unique concert venues like Horrocks Market and the Grand Rapids Public Library, you can enjoy free live performances all year-round.  

9. Library Perks

Not only does the Grand Rapids Public Library offer all sorts of free programming – including free wifi, computer use, computer training, storytimes, classes, concerts and more – a GRPL card can also be used to check out free passes to Blandford Nature Center, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum and John Ball Zoo. Local performing arts and sports venues occasionally offer free tickets to check out, as well. Check out the details. 

10. Disc Golfing

When the weather gets nice, get your throw on at 14 free disc golf courses and see for yourself why Grand Rapids is one of America’s top 15 disc golf cities.

11. Museums

Browse fascinating exhibits at the Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives  at no charge. (Donations are gratefully accepted.) Enjoy free general admission at the Grand Rapids Art Museum  during Meijer Free Tuesdays (noon-5pm) and Thursday nights (5-8pm). The  Bruce Dice Mineralogical Museum  at Calvin University , which hosts over 400 unique geological specimens collected from around the world, and the Grand Rapids Auto Classics Museum, featuring 50+ antique, vintage and exotic vehicles, are always free.

12. Outdoor Fitness

The City of Grand Rapids offers a Free Outdoor Summer Fitness Series from May through August, featuring cardio, dance and yoga classes at parks and public spaces across the city. You can work out anytime on the free outdoor fitness equipment at downtown’s Sixth Street Park and Canal Street Park, as well as at MacKay-Jaycees Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Ottawa Hills Park and Roosevelt Park. Outdoor bouldering walls at Highland Park and an accessible kayak launch at Riverside Park are also free to use.

13. Theatre

Stage productions at Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids aren’t exactly free – but they are pay-what-you-can, in an effort to make the theatre’s entertaining, innovative, challenging and thought-provoking works accessible to all. Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, one of America’s oldest and largest community theatres, hosts Ten for All, an annual festival presenting original world premiere 10-minute plays by West Michigan playwrights. The March semifinals, featuring the plays read aloud on stage, are free to attend.

14. Farm Fun

There are dozens of family farms in and around Grand Rapids, many of them offering farm markets, baked goods, u-pick produce, harvest festivals and more. Free activities and events include the five-mile orchard trail at Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery, the petting zoo at Deep Roots Produce and tractor wagon rides at Schwallier’s Country Basket.

15. Covered Bridges

Take a free trip back in time when you visit Ada Covered Bridge (erected in 1867), Fallasburg Covered Bridge (1871) and Whites Covered Bridge (an 1869 bridge rebuilt after a 2013 fire). Ada is pedestrian-only while Fallasburg and Whites are open to vehicle traffic. Each is a popular selfie spot, especially when framed by fall foliage.

16. Gerald R. Ford International Airport

As many as 300 aircraft take off or land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport  on any given day. You can watch them from a special Viewing Park  equipped with parking spaces, picnic tables and restrooms.

17. Meyer May House

Tour the Meyer May House  designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908, and restored by Steelcase  in the '80s. This classic example of Prairie School Architecture is open to the public on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tours are free but online reservations are required. Meyer May House is in the Heritage Hill Historic District, so be sure to take a stroll around the neighborhood to see other homes dating back to the 1840s.

18. Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens

Connect with nature on trails through preserved woods, meadows and wetlands at the Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens , which is free and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. Explore other natural areas for free at the nine Kent County sites managed by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan .

19. Chillin’ Spots

Throw up a hammock at Wilcox Park. Contemplate the mysteries of life at the St. Francis of Assisi Sculpture Garden and Trail. Watch the sunset from Lookout Park and other bird’s-eye vantage points. Bring your furry friend to city-owned Covell Dog Park or Hillcrest Dog Park. Stroll the Grand Haven Pier. They’re all free ways to calm down and relax.

20. Public Art

From Alexander Calder’s mammoth La Grande Vitesse  sculpture – a symbol of the community’s creative spirit – to past ArtPrize entries, street murals, painted ticket booths RAD Women electrical boxes and more, downtown Grand Rapids is filled with free-to-see-and-appreciate art.