Resolutions to Keep During Your Next Trip to Grand Rapids

Want a New Year’s resolution you can stick to? Resolve to have more fun in 2026. Make time for play, try something you’ve always wanted to do, indulge in a treat now and then, and visit someplace new – or revisit a favorite destination.

We asked our staff and social media followers to recommend fun things to do around Grand Rapids and came up with 26 suggestions to help you plan your next visit to our amazing city. From some of the area’s top tourist attractions to a number of off-the-beaten-path pleasures, they’re practically guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Resolve to experience as many of them as you can in 2026 to have a truly happy new year!

Shop & Dine at the Downtown Market

The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is a local foods emporium housing 20+ artisan food vendors and restaurants under one greenhouse-covered roof. The outdoor Christkindl Markt, a traditional European-style Christmas village, is a seasonal delight.

Meet Hugo at John Ball Zoo

Hugo is the adorable pygmy hippo calf born at John Ball Zoo in September 2025. See him and 2,000+ other animals when the Zoo reopens for the season, March 20, 2026. The Zoo will also unveil a new North American River Otter exhibit in 2026, tripling the size of the previous exhibit.

Explore Blandford Nature Center

Hike trails through woods and meadows, meet wildlife ambassadors and farm animals, walk through a small historical village with buildings dating back to 1853, attend festivals, take classes and more – all just 10 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids at Blandford Nature Center.

See Cherry Blossoms at Meijer Gardens

One of the world’s most visited art museums, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a breathtaking mix of art and nature. It’s a sensory delight in every season, including early spring, when its Cherry Tree Promenade transforms the landscape with what Travel + Leisure calls one of America’s best cherry blossom displays.

Visit America’s Most Entertaining Presidential Museum

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is a tribute to the life and times of America’s 38th president, Grand Rapids’ own Gerald Ford. State-of-the-art Interactive exhibits give visitors a visceral sense of Ford’s journey from boyhood to life after the White House, emphasizing the responsibilities of democratic citizenship and service to country. 

Raise a Glass at TwoGuys Brewing

Grand Rapids has held the title of Beer City USA for more than a decade, and TwoGuys Brewing is one of the 35+ local craft breweries that keep us at the top. It’s a comfortable, kid-friendly spot to enjoy great beers and delicious food, with plenty of non-beer and non-alcoholic choices, too.

See a Show at the Acrisure Amphitheater

Opening in May 2026, the new Acrisure Amphitheater is a 12,000+-seat outdoor performance venue on the banks of the Grand River in downtown GR. Get tickets for its debut season, which boasts a packed lineup of top-tier music and comedy talent.

Hike, Bike, Boat, Fish & More at Millennium Park

One of the nation’s largest urban parks – nearly 2½  times the size of New York’s Central Park – Millennium Park features 18+ miles of paved trails, six miles of Grand River frontage, a six-acre beach and splashpad, boat rental facilities and more, just five minutes from downtown GR.

Enjoy Meat & Whiskey at Butcher’s Union

A modern gastropub in the Bridge Street Entertainment District, Butcher’s Union features a meat-heavy menu of globally inspired fare along with 100+ whiskeys and many other adult beverages.

Discover Farm Fun in The Orchards at Red Barn

Lowell, a small town 20 minutes east of downtown GR, is the setting for The Orchards at Red Barn, a fifth-generation farm offering a café, hard-cider taproom, bakery, ice cream parlor, farm store and gift shop as well as u-pick apples, barnyard animals, corn mazes and more.

See a Movie or Show at Wealthy Theatre

Built in 1911, the lovingly restored Wealthy Theatre is a cinema and performing arts venue featuring a full slate of classic and independent films, magic acts, comedy shows and more. 

Shop the Local Harvest at Fulton Street Farmer’s Market

Grand Rapids is home to dozens of family farms and fruit orchards, and many of them offer their fresh-picked produce and other goods for sale at Fulton Street Farmer’s Market, just five minutes from downtown GR.

Bite into Nostalgia at Yesterdog

Serving up hot dogs the same way since 1976, Yesterdog is a local legend and the inspiration for the hot dog joint in the hit film American Pie. The hand-crank register still rings, the jukebox still glows and the walls are covered in photos of fans and famous faces who’ve stopped in for a dog.

Try a New Sport at Fowling Warehouse

Football + bowling = fowling, a sport that originated at an Indy 500 tailgate party in 2001. The Fowling Warehouse amps up the fun with 30 fowling lanes, two fully stocked 45-foot bars and a $2 Mystery Beer Machine.

Stroll the Uptown Neighborhood

Uptown Grand Rapids is a collection of four walkable commercial districts a mile or so east of downtown. A diverse mix of locally owned specialty shops and galleries, restaurants, coffee houses and entertainment venues reflect the area's friendly, funky, fabulous character.

Find Vintage & Artisan Treasures at The Elevated Market

Browse 25,000 square feet of unique clothing, furniture, art, décor, books and more at The Elevated Market, less than 10 minutes from downtown GR. More than 75 vendors and artisans stock the clean, attractively merchandised space.

Tour the Meyer May House

The Meyer May House is a 1908-09 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in GR’s Heritage Hill Historic District. Free tours of the meticulously restored house are conducted on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Walk the Blue Bridge

Originally a railroad bridge, the cool-hued Blue Bridge is now a pedestrian crossing over the Grand River in downtown GR. It’s a popular selfie spot and a convenient way to travel between east and west downtown.

Visit, Vote and Go Viral at ArtPrize

ArtPrize is the world’s most attended public art event, occurring every fall (Sept. 17-Oct. 3, 2026). See hundreds of artworks all over downtown Grand Rapids, vote for your favorites to win huge cash prizes and make your social media posts stand out with photos of dazzlingly diverse artistic creations.

Discover a New Place to Explore Black Culture

The Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives moved to a new building in late 2025, quadrupling the space it can devote to preserving, honoring and passing down the region’s Black history and stories. A grand (re)opening is planned for early 2026.

Browse Vintage Shops in Downtown GR

Downtown GR’s Division Avenue – aka the “Avenue for the Arts” – is also something of a Vintage Row, with at least seven secondhand shops within a few blocks. Check out The August Connection, Decaydence Vintage, OTONO, Rewind, Khloe Mae Bridal, Second Vibess and Zabház for a fun and efficient shopping expedition.

Enjoy Some Dinnertainment at SILVA

Exquisite cuisine meets vibrant entertainment at downtown GR’s SILVA, a one-of-a-kind venue offering great food and drink, bocce ball, darts, puzzles and a diverse array of music, theater and other live performances in a refurbished historic furniture factory.

See a Grand Rapids Ballet Show

Michigan’s only professional ballet company, Grand Rapids Ballet presents a mix of classic and contemporary dance performances each season, including an acclaimed annual production of The Nutcracker featuring stunning sets designed by Grand Rapids’ own Chris Van Allsburg, author of The Polar Express.

Cheer on a Pro Sports Team

Grand Rapids Rise women’s volleyball (Jan-April), West Michigan Whitecaps baseball (April-Oct), Grand Rapids Griffins hockey (Oct-April) and Grand Rapids Gold basketball (Nov-March) provide year-round opportunities to attend a pro sports game. MLS Next Pro team Athletic Club Grand Rapids joins the fun in spring 2027, when the new Amway Stadium opens for soccer play.

Race Go-Karts at Grand Rapids Grand Prix

Designed by racers for racers, Grand Rapids Grand Prix features Michigan’s only two-level indoor track along with electric go-karts that travel at speeds of 30-35 MPH. There’s also an arcade, axe throwing and food & drink.

Ride a Carousel at the Grand Rapids Public Museum

The 1928 Spillman Carousel at the Grand Rapids Public Museum reopens in spring 2026 with a new wheelchair-accessible chariot and ramp plus new communication features for those who are blind, low vision, deaf or hard hearing. The renovations are part of a $50 million expansion project enhancing riverfront access, education and community space.

Honorable Mentions

Hard as we tried to limit ourselves to 26 suggestions, we have to acknowledge strong support for a few other things to do in 2026:

Kids ages 2-10 will learn through play at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, featuring two floors of interactive exhibits and daily drop-in programs.

The entire family can enjoy lavishly staged plays and musical at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, one of America’s oldest and largest community theatres.

Head to Broadway Bar, an old-school tavern on the city’s west side, for both its beloved namesake burger and its over-the-top Christmas decorations.

Explore the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail and Kent Trails, two of many multi-use recreational trail systems that extend through Kent County and beyond.

Play pickleball at Belknap Park, one of the Midwest’s finest pickleball facilities and the site of the annual Beer City Open pro pickleball tournament.

Our wish for 2026 is that you treat yourself to as many of these quintessentially Grand Rapids experiences as you can. Dream Grand and Go!