LGBTQ+ Weekend Getaway in Grand Rapids

No matter who you are or who you love, you’ll find a warm welcome in Grand Rapids. What was once a conservative Rust Belt town has transformed into a diverse, progressive and prosperous “new urban” city. In 2023, Grand Rapids earned its first-ever perfect score for LGBTQ+ inclusivity from The Municipality Equality Index, a national system that ranks cities based on how they treat LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Our inclusive spirit extends to queer visitors, who’ll find a lot here to appeal to their special sensibilities.

CNN named Grand Rapids one of America’s 10 Best Towns to Visit. Thrillist says the city offers “much of the art, food and music trappings you’d find in Chicago or Detroit, only at half the price and one-quarter the commute times.” Grand Rapids is filled with awesome things to see and do, all awesomely easy to access – which means you can experience more in less time.

We’ve prepared a sample weekend itinerary below to give you an idea of the joys to be had on a short weekend stay. We’d love to have you stay longer, of course, and we encourage you to visit for the annual Pride Festival, one of the city’s largest single-day events, held every June since 1988. You may also want to time your visit for ArtPrize (Sept. 18 - Oct. 4, 2025), the world’s most attended art event. ArtPrize fills downtown Grand Rapids with hundreds of works of art from global artists vying for a huge cash prize awarded by visitor vote. A separate juried competition includes Visibility Awards for artists from underrepresented communities – Isabel Dowell’s “What Does It Mean To Be Queer” photography project and Pat ApPaul’s “Sovereign,” a celebration of the local drag community, were Visibility Award winners in 2024.

We hope to see you soon!

Where to Stay

Stay downtown to explore 200+ restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and cultural attractions within a 10-minute walk of your hotel. You can’t go wrong with any of downtown’s 13 hotels, but for a touch of old-world glamour, choose the Amway Grand Plaza. The Pantlind lobby, a nod to the original 1913 hotel on this site, features three grand Austrian-crystal chandeliers imported from Czechoslovakia and a domed ceiling covered with tissue-thin gold leaf – the most extensive gold leaf installation in the U.S. One wall of the lobby is dominated by a magnificent wooden-gilded “sunburst” that graced the Palazzo Moroscini, an opulent Venetian palace, for more than 150 years. Beneath the sunburst is an exquisite Sheraton sideboard dating back to the late 1800s and an array of Duncan Phyfe and English Adams period furniture. Click here for an overview of these and other historical design features.

The Amway delivers impressive levels of modern luxury along with its vintage grandeur, with 656 impeccably appointed guest rooms ranging from historic to contemporary and modest to magnificent. Many rooms offer a view of the Grand River that flows through the city. Guest services include a full-service concierge, valet and self-parking, guest laundry and dry cleaning services.

If all that seems a bit too much for you, you might like boutique hotel The Finnley. It offers five distinctly different guest rooms adorned with brick walls and sparkling custom tile bathrooms, along with the convenience and independence of contactless check-in.

Dinner at MDRD

Treat yourself to dinner at one of the city’s finest restaurants on your first night in town. MDRD – pronounced “Madrid” – is a contemporary Spanish restaurant situated on the 27^th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza. USA Today named it the second best new restaurant in the United States in 2022, and it’s gotten even better with age. Enjoy modern Spanish cuisine and lavish libations surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a bird’s-eye view of the city. Reservations are strongly recommended, though bar seating is available for walk-ins, as available.

If MDRD doesn’t sound like your cup of sangria, you can get fine steak and seafood at Ruth’s Chris Steak House or made-from-scratch global fare at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, both also in the Amway.

Nightcap at The Apartment Lounge

If you’re not too tired from your travels, check out The Apartment Lounge, a 10-minute walk (or free 5-minute bus ride) from the Amway. Michigan’s oldest gay bar, dating back to 1972, The Apartment is a comfy, low-key space where everyone feels welcome and comfortable. Friendly bartenders serve a wide variety of beers, ciders, wines, cocktails and spirit-free selections. 

In the mood for something livelier? Rumors Night Club is a five minute walk from The Apartment. This queer bar offers a variety of entertainment, including drag shows, karaoke, cabaret, rotating DJs, and a dance floor that’s always kicking. Rumors is closed for renovations through late December 2024.

Morning at Meijer Gardens

After a good night’s sleep, start the day with scratch-made gourmet waffles and micro-roasted artisanal coffee at Social Misfits, a restaurant that “respects and celebrates the diverse, alternative and authentic.” They also serve cocktails, including killer mimosas and Bloody Marys, so live it up if you want. Social Misfits is an easy walk from the Amway Grand.

No trip to Grand Rapids is complete without a trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, so get into your car, call a Lyft or Uber, or take Rapid bus #15 for the five-mile drive. Meijer Gardens has been voted both the nation’s #1 sculpture park and #2 botanical garden, and it’s one of Michigan’s premier attractions. You can wander 150+ acres of theme gardens, inside and out – including a breathtaking Japanese Garden – that are dotted with 200+ sculptures by classic and contemporary masters. Plan on spending at least two hours here (many people spend much more) and consider a tram tour to learn fascinating facts about the visual delights on display. Consider a spring visit to see what Travel + Leisure called “1 of the Best Cherry Blossom Displays in the U.S.”

During or after your visit, enjoy lunch at the James & Shirley Balk Café, featuring a globally inspired menu of sandwiches, salads, small bites and more, all made with local ingredients. Sit inside under a dazzling glass ceiling sculpture by renowned artist Dale Chihuly or outdoors on the terrace.

Afternoon Museums & Shopping

Head back downtown for the diversion of your choice – culture diving or retail therapy (or both!). The Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will immerse you in different aspects of the local community, and they’re all just steps from the Amway Grand. If you’re into historic homes, stroll the streets of downtown-adjacent Heritage Hill to view Michigan’s largest concentration of 19^th and early 20^th century homes – including the Meyer May House, a Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie masterpiece. You can take a free tour of the Meyer May House on Sunday, if you want to work that into tomorrow’s schedule.

The downtown shopping scene is vibrant and eclectic. Queer-owned The 12^th House is full of fun and colorful t-shirts, magnets, enamel pins and other handmade gifts from local artisans, as well as an assortment of pride merchandise. Other gift stores worth checking out include Courage & Soar, Oh, Hello Paper & Gifts and Periwinkle Fog. Decaydence Vintage, a queer-owned secondhand store, is one of seven downtown destinations for curated collections of gently used clothing, toys, home décor and more. There’s an even wider variety of vintage treasures to discover at Century Antiques, Lost & Found and Warehouse One Antiques & Collectibles, all located in the same former factory building.

The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is a great place to shop for gourmet foodstuffs – wine, cheese, spices, sweets, pastries and much more. (The Christkindl Markt, a European-style outdoor Christmas village at the Downtown Market, is a must if you’re visiting at the holidays). If you have a taste for the finer things, stop by Shinola, an iconic Detroit brand offering luxury watches, jewelry, leather goods and more. There are more than 100 additional stores downtown, so shop as long as you like.

Dinner & Cocktails

Downtown’s Medical Mile is the site of Maggie’s Bar, a queer-owned hotspot for the local community and anyone else who loves good food, good drinks and good times. The menu offers a variety of options, including appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, nachos, and salads, made using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, including meat from Grand Butchers right next door. Maggie’s is fun and casual, with affordable cocktails and a large beer selection to complement your meal.

You can while away the evening at Maggie’s or head due west about two miles to General Wood Shop, an intimate and stylish cocktail bar curated with the queer community in mind. You’ll appreciate the sassy drink names – including a selection of “mock cocks” – along with splashes of glitz and glam, and events for every flavor. General Wood Shop is part of the Bridge Street Entertainment District, a historic neighborhood lined with trendy bars, restaurants and breweries. You can explore Bridge Street late into the night.

Up in the Morning

Just make sure you don’t sleep too late to spend a few morning hours in Uptown, a collection of four walkable commercial districts a mile or so east of downtown. This is the city's hippest destination, where a diverse mix of locally owned specialty shops and galleries, restaurants, coffee houses and entertainment venues reflect the area's friendly, funky, fabulous character.

Queer-owned Tex-Mex restaurant Basalt opens at 8am, with a variety of delicious breakfast tacos and burritos sharing the menu with pancakes and biscuits & gravy. Fuel up for shop hopping at nearby stores like Rebel and Sprit Dreams for cool gifts, Argos Book Shop and Redux Books for vintage and rare books, Vinyl Alchemy for records and pop culture collectibles, and Sticky Fingers for nostalgic candy. Stop into queer-owned Good Judy’s Market & Juice Bar – named for gay icon Judy Garland, natch – for a refreshing juice, smoothie or lunch salad.

An Artful Afternoon

Spend your remaining hours in town on a self-guided mural tour of downtown GR. The 28 murals showcased include “Rainbow Road,” a colorful street mural created by Michigan artist Joey Salamon in conjunction with Pride Month 2019. “Rainbow Road” is located just outside The Apartment Lounge.

Extend Your Stay

The weekend is over and we’ve barely scratched the surface of queer-friendly Grand Rapids. Professional ballet, opera, theatre and symphony companies present a wide variety of performances, with Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids at the forefront of dramatizing queer stories and experiences. General Wood Shop and Rumors host regular drag shows, and MI Drag Brunch brings high-energy drag entertainment to local restaurants and other venues, ranging from the Grand Rapids Art Museum to an outdoor stage at the annual World of Winter, America’s largest winter festival.   

Outdoor types will love the abundance of trails, waterways, golf courses, parks and beaches just minutes from downtown. Sports fans can cheer on hockey, baseball, basketball and women’s volleyball teams. Discriminating palates will have a delicious time exploring one of America’s Top 20 Foodie Cities and the Craft Beverage Capital of the U.S. Live music lovers can choose from a tremendous range of genres and venues most every day of the week.

Stay a little longer to soak up more of the city – or come back for another go-round sometime soon. When you do, make time for a day trip to Saugatuck/Douglas, about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids. Recognized as one of America’s Best LGBTQ+ Destinations by Thrillist, this Lake Michigan resort community has been welcoming same-sex couples since the 1950s. Its many queer-owned and queer-friendly businesses include The Dunes Resort, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ resorts in the country.

In addition to a range of accommodations, The Dunes offers a nightclub for dancing and multiple bars – including a show bar for cabaret, comedy and drag performances, a deck bar hosting Sunday tea dances and a pool bar that will keep you cool in the summer heat. The Dunes is open year-round, with “off-season” events like drag queen bingo, euchre potluck and karaoke keeping the fun alive.