Experience GR, Three Day Itinerary

Grand Rapids is a destination like no other - one on the leading edge of art, culture, dining, and nightlife. Minutes away from world-class beaches and a lake so vast it feels like the edge of the world. From a hip and friendly downtown to an endless array of outdoor activities, Grand Rapids offers all sorts of ways to keep your group engaged and delighted for three days (and longer!).

Day One: Art

You’ll get a sense of the city’s internationally renowned art scene on day one of your GR itinerary.

Morning Activities

After breakfast at your hotel, take a guided tour of downtown. Both Tours Around Michigan  and Grand Rapids Running Tours  offer itineraries focused on downtown art and architecture, as well as many other topics. (GR Running Tours also offers walking tours and step-on services.) Or take a Grand Rapids Beer Tour  to see how Grand Rapids (aka Beer City USA) has perfected the art of brewing craft beer (1½ - 2 hours).

Next, visit the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which is fronted by one of the city’s most significant public artworks – Ecliptic by Maya Lin, famed for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The Museum is home to a permanent collection of more than 6,000 works of art dating from pre-history to the 20^th century. It also hosts rotating shows ranging from the nation’s finest touring exhibitions to showcases for significant Michigan artists. The Museum building itself is a work of art, named one of the world’s six best new buildings of 2007 by Newsweek magazine. (1½ - 2 hours)

For even more eye candy, consider visiting during one of the city’s big art events:

• AQS QuiltWeek, featuring stunning quilt exhibits, quilt contests, workshops, lectures, a vendors’ mall and more (Aug).
• ArtPrize, the world’s most visited public art event, when 900 or so artists from around the world display their work all over downtown GR (fall).
• World of Winter, America’s largest winter festival, which includes 20+ large-scale outdoor installations from global artists (early Jan-early March).

Lunch

Every member of your group will find something to enjoy at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, which is home to 19 diverse food merchants and restaurants. After lunch, group members can shop the Market for gourmet foods and gifts (2 hours). Visit mid-November through just before Christmas to experience the Christkindl Markt, an outdoor European-style holiday village featuring 60+ vendors, holiday food favorites and festive fun.

Afternoon Activities

Spend the afternoon creating your own art in a hands-on class or workshop. Get guided painting instruction at Brush Studio. Make custom-scented candles at Wax Poetic Candle Bar. Cook Italian-style masterpieces at The Local Epicurean. Craft your own custom fragrance at The Aroma Labs. Learn floral design, quilt-making, charcuterie, DIY crafts and much more. You’ll take new skills and talents home with you! (1-3 hours)

Dinner

Our day-one dinner recommendation is The B.O.B. (Big Old Building), a former warehouse converted to a four-story dining and entertainment center. In addition to an on-site brewery, beer garden, pizza joint, nightclub, live-music venue, and comedy club, The B.O.B. offers event and banquet space that can accommodate any size group. Want even more dinner options? Check our list of group restaurants – all can seat groups of 45 or more! (2 hours)

After Dinner

Enjoy an after-dinner show. It’s a few short blocks from The B.O.B to DeVos Performance Hall, which presents a wide variety of regional and national entertainment – including the Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids Symphony and Broadway Grand Rapids, which brings the nation’s best theatrical tours to town. (2-3 hours)

Day Two: Gardens and Farms

Greater Grand Rapids is a modern metropolis that boasts more than one million residents – but it’s also one of the nation’s premier growing regions. Day two of your GR itinerary explores the greener side of the city.

Morning Activities

Follow breakfast with a trip to the St. Francis of Assisi Sculpture Garden. Picturesque wooded trails, lined with hand-carved benches, pass along beautifully crafted bronze sculptures inspired by the life of the much-loved saint. It’s a quiet, meditative start to the day. (1 hour)

Next stop is Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, named America’s Best Sculpture Park by USA Today and a 2024 “Best of the Best” culture destination for group travel by the American Bus Destination. This 158-acre oasis in the city features breathtaking botanic gardens and more than 200 works of art by world-renowned sculptors. A tram takes visitors on nature trails through meadows and woods as guides provide information on sited sculptures – such as the magnificent 24-foot-tall American Horse inspired by the work of Leonardo da Vinci. Interior spaces include Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory, arid and Victorian gardens, art galleries, a café and gift shop (1½ - 2 hours).

You might want to time your visit around one of the Gardens’ signature events:

• Butterflies are Blooming, March - April
• Bonsai Show (May & Oct), Daylily Show (July), Dahlia Show (August)
• Mums at Meijer Gardens (Oct)
• Christmas & Holiday Traditions celebration and ENLIGHTEN outdoor holiday light spectacle, late Nov - early Jan.

Lunch

Enjoy a convenient lunch in the James & Shirley Balk Café at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The globally inspired menu emphasizes local products and changes with the seasons to offer always-fresh, always-delectable sandwiches, salads and small bites. The beverage list includes a selection of Michigan craft beers. Guests can sit indoors under a dazzling 60-foot-long Dale Chihuly sculpture or on the outdoor terrace (1 hour).

Afternoon Activities

Nearby Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery is next on the itinerary. This family-owned and operated fruit farm offers a market, cider mill, winery and bakery with delicious homemade baked goods. Its century-old gift barn is stocked with fine collectibles as well. (2 hours)

Now it’s out to The Fruit Ridge – a topographical land feature regarded as one of the world’s prime fruit-growing regions – for a visit to Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm Market. This fifth-generation family operation offers fresh-picked produce, sweet treats, Michigan-made products and unique gifts. The family’s Pink Barrel Cellars crafts beer, wine and hard cider you can enjoy on site in spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas. (1 hour)

Dinner

New Holland Brewing - The Knickerbocker is an excellent choice for your day-two dinner. In addition to offering a broad menu of artisanal and locally sourced food, a full line of craft beer and spirits, and multiple options for group seating, it sits in the midst of downtown’s Bridge Street Entertainment District. After dinner, your group can shop for Grand Rapids and Michigan-made products at the Bridge Street Market, and browse locally owned Cellar Bird Books, both just steps away from New Holland.

Day Three: History

The recorded history of the Grand Rapids area stretches back two millennia and reflects the contributions of many diverse peoples. Your day-three itinerary introduces you to some of our historical high points.

Morning Activities

Join Tours Around Michigan for a guided walking or driving tour of Heritage Hill, a nationally recognized historic district embracing 1,300 homes built from the 1840s to the 1920s, reflecting more than 60 architectural styles. Many of the most elaborate structures were commissioned by lumber barons who prospered from 1860-1910, when Michigan was the nation’s leading lumber-producing state. (1½ hours)

Finish your swing through Heritage Hill with a guided tour of one the district’s most significant structures – the Meyer May House, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house built in 1908-09. Considered one of the finest examples of Wright’s Prairie School era, the house has been meticulously restored and maintained by Steelcase, an international office furniture company based in Grand Rapids. Free tours are conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and groups can contact the Meyer May House to request tours outside normal hours. (1½ hours)

Lunch

Enjoy your mid-day meal at Bistro Bella Vita, a downtown dining spot offering modern French and Italian cuisine prepared from scratch with farm-fresh ingredients. A mainstay of “Best Restaurants in Grand Rapids” lists since it opened in 1997, Bistro Bella Vita features an extensive menu and beverage list sure to please every member of your group.

Afternoon Activities

Continue your excursion with a tour of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, downtown on the riverfront. This state-of-the-art entertainment/education center features three floors of interactive history and natural science exhibitions. Visitors will marvel at the region's furniture-making tradition, the culture of Native Americans who first inhabited the area, the natural environments of West Michigan and much more – including a restored 1928 carousel and a walkable "Streets of Old Grand Rapids” exhibit (2 hours). 

Just several hundred yards away is the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the next stop on your journey through history. “America’s Most Entertaining Presidential Museum” honors the life and times of the 38^th president of the United States, a longtime Grand Rapids resident. Fascinating exhibits include an interactive replica of the White House Oval Office and a multimedia simulation of the typhoon that struck the aircraft carrier on which Ford served during World War II. You can pay your respects to the President and First Lady Betty B. Ford, who are buried on the grounds of the Museum. (1½ hours)

Dinner

Leo’s is our recommendation for your day-three dinner. Repeatedly voted the best seafood restaurant in Grand Rapids, this downtown eatery sources fresh-quality ingredients to craft exquisite seafood dishes, classic non-seafood cuisine and decadent desserts. It also serves an extensive variety of curated wines, craft cocktails and local craft beers. Not in the mood for seafood? You can find other group-friendly restaurants here. 

After Dinner

Top off the day (and your trip) with a cruise on the Grand Lady Riverboat, a two-tier boat constructed in the style of the paddlewheel steamboats that served communities along the Grand River during the 1800s. Your narrated cruise will point out historic landings and town sites, and bar service is available. Open May through October, it’s a perfect cap to your Grand Rapids trip.

If you’re visiting other times of the year, consider rounding out your trip with an evening of live music. There are 100+ music venues around town, ranging from intimate clubs to the mammoth Van Andel Arena. There’s a setting and music genre to appeal to every member of your group!