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Downtown Grand Rapids

“Loads of personality and plenty to see and do without the elbow-to-elbow crowds of the big tourist cities.”

That was CNN’s criteria in assembling its inaugural list of America’s 10 Best Towns to Visit – a list that includes Grand Rapids – and it’s one of the most apt descriptions of downtown Grand Rapids we’ve ever encountered.

Downtown GR boasts the amenities of a major metropolis, with 200+ restaurants, shops, performance venues, nightspots and cultural sites providing diversions for every age and interest. It’s the site of year-round cultural festivals and celebrations, it’s filled with amazing works of public art and it’s dotted with family-friendly public parks. Yet the city center is safe, clean and compact – everything is within a 10-minute walk – and the vibe is relaxed and small-town friendly.

Downtown hotels provide easy access to all the urban core has to offer – and they’re a perfect home base for exploring hundreds of additional dining, entertainment and outdoor recreation options just a short drive away.

Scroll down to discover the many delights of downtown Grand Rapids!

Downtown Events

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Downtown Grand Rapids hosts many of the city’s biggest events, including spring’s Irish on Ionia, Michigan’s largest St. Patrick’s Day street party; summer’s Festival of the Arts, America’s largest all-volunteer arts festival; fall’s ArtPrize, the world’s most attended art event; and World of Winter, the largest winter festival in the U.S.

Downtown Grand Rapids is also the go-to site for cultural festivals, concerts, comedy acts, plays, musicals, museum exhibitions, sporting events, family shows and more. Search below to find events that match your visiting dates.

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Places to Stay Downtown

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Downtown Grand Rapids is home to 13 hotels offering a range of budget and amenity preferences. Choose from such iconic brands as Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott or opt for a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel.

For the ultimate in luxury, check out the 29-story Amway Grand Plaza, which combines elements of a 1913-era Art Deco hotel with a soaring modern glass tower. The Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown offers the rarest of big-city hotel perks – free self-parking – while Homewood Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown offers beautiful views of the city from a rooftop bar exclusive to guests. You can browse all downtown hotels below.

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Downtown Food & Drink

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Grand Rapids has been named Michigan’s Best Food City and a Top 20 U.S. Foodie City. More than 140 downtown restaurants justify those honors by offering an astonishing range of cuisines, ambiences, experiences and price points. Highlights include MDRD, a 27th-floor Spanish eatery named America’s 2nd best new restaurant of 2022 by USA Today, Stella’s Lounge, which GQ  Magazine says serves America’s Best Burger, and the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, which gathers 20+ restaurants and gourmet food vendors under one roof. Get the Flights of Flavor digital pass to find downtown’s best food & drink flights – and earn prizes for ordering them.

Grand Rapids is also America’s Best Beer City and the Craft Beverage Capital of the U.S., and you’ll find handcrafted beers, ciders, coffees, ciders, meads, sodas and spirits in establishments all over downtown. Download the Beer City Brewsader® passport app and visit all 8 downtown breweries: Atwater Brewery, B.O.B’s Brewery, Broad Leaf Brewery+ Spirits - Westside, City Built Brewing Co., Founders Brewing Company, Fountain Hill Brewery, Küsterer Brauhaus and New Holland - The Knickerbocker. Then you just have to visit one more of our 40+ local breweries to earn a FREE exclusive t-shirt.

You can even stroll the sidewalks of downtown with an alcoholic beverage in hand, thanks to our outdoor Refreshment Area. Just purchase your drink from any of 60+ participating businesses and enjoy the sights while you sip!

MDRD

MDRD

  • 187 Monroe Ave. NW

Char

  • 6 Jefferson Ave. SE

Ding Tea

  • 45 Ottawa Ave. SW Suite A

Divani

  • 15 Ionia Ave. SW

K-Rok

  • 169 Louis Campau Promenade NW

Kind Crumbs

  • Various Grand Rapids Locations

Leo's

  • 60 Ottawa Ave. NW

Luna

  • 64 Ionia Ave. SW

MeXo

  • 118 E. Fulton St.

PHO 616

  • 435 Ionia Ave. SW

Subway

  • 100 Wealthy St

Yote Lab

  • 333 Grandville Ave. SW

Downtown Attractions

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Downtown is home to five museums dedicated to African American culture, art, children, presidential history, and history and science. There’s also a planetarium, 10-screen movie theater, local foods emporium, skate park, fish ladder, escape rooms, spas, historic sites and a riverwalk along a very Grand River. Purchase Culture Pass GR and you’ll enjoy discount admission to top attractions.

Downtown’s Van Andel Arena hosts professional basketball, hockey and women’s volleyball games in addition to the nation’s biggest touring family shows. DeVos Place is the site of huge consumer shows focused on autos, boating, golf, camping, gaming, pop culture, wine, beer & food, and much more. Rosa Parks Circle and Calder Plaza attract crowds for cultural festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

Explore downtown in-depth with a guided walking (or running!) tour highlighting different facets of the city, from notable residents and significant architecture to historic homes and haunted history. There’s something for every age and interest!