Things to Do

Wondering what to do with your free time before and after the event? Have we got suggestions for you!

Visual arts, performing arts, museums, historic sites, live-music venues … Grand Rapids is a treasure trove of delights. Purchase and download Culture Pass GR to your smartphone for discounted three-day admission to many of the area’s cultural attractions.

There are 60+ craft breweries within 60 minutes of downtown Grand Rapids. Pick up a Beer City Brewsader® passport or download the app to earn a FREE collectible t-shirt while you’re here – you just need to visit eight select breweries. Beer not your thing? Try our distilleries, cideries or wineries.

Bike, hike, paddle, golf, fish, ski and beachcomb your way around Grand Rapids and West Michigan. Every hotel in the area is just minutes away from natural splendors.

Enjoy farm-to-fork meals at hundreds of local restaurants. Visit 50+ delectable destinations on the Grand Rapids Food Trail. Shop artisan food vendors, attend foodie events and take cooking classes at the Downtown Market. Tour family farms for just-picked produce and fresh-made goodies.

Need a last-minute wedding gift? Welcome to the best shopping between Chicago and Detroit. Find the brand names you know and love at Woodland Mall, Rivertown Crossings Mall and Tanger Outlets Mall. Or hunt for one-of-a-kind treasures in the strollable shopping neighborhoods of Ada, Downtown Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Lowell, Rockford and Uptown.

Entertain the Kids. Traveling with your family? Kids and parents alike will love Craig’s Cruisers, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, John Ball Zoo, the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, TreeRunner Grand Rapids Adventure Park and Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park.

Browse our Tours & Experiences for more uniquely Grand Rapids activities.

Travel to and Around Grand Rapids

You can travel to Grand Rapids by plane, train or automobile – and once you get here, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get around.

• The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Airport offers 120+ nonstop flights to 25+ destinations. It’s within a 20-minute drive of most area hotels.
• Located at the intersection of two major expressways, Grand Rapids is an easy car trip from anywhere in the Upper Midwest.
• Amtrak provides daily rail service between Grand Rapids and Chicago, with connecting points across the nation.

Once you arrive, you can count on plentiful parking, easy-to-navigate roads and a robust public transportation system – including FREE Dash Shuttles for downtown travel.