A Foundation for Your Trip at the Grand Rapids Public Museum

If you want to learn more about the history of Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is the place to go. The museum presents several exhibits on the foundations of the city which will give you more of a connection. Of all of the exhibits, we were entirely amazed by the old city streets of Grand Rapids which is one of the best city street reproductions we have seen.

Streets of Old Grand Rapids in the 1890's!

Other exhibits on the city discuss the native people that once lived in the area, the stories of immigrants, the furniture building industry and natural history. Originally founded in 1854, you can imagine how many artifacts the museum holds and each exhibit certainly has plenty to look at!

Love this vintage popcorn truck!

Guests are immediately welcomed to the museum by a spacious gallery. Above are the bones of a whale--curiosity ignited! In this area, we also found large games to play with--so perfect for little ones that need a little playtime before or after exhibits.

In an alcove off of the main gallery is the doll exhibit. The exhibit contains a remarkable collection of dolls from around the world. Some are quite old and the conditions are amazing!

Another favorite exhibit for us contained fossils! We were not expecting to find a collection there so definitely a welcomed delight! We especially enjoyed seeing the bones of "Smitty," a mastodon discovered in Grandville, Michigan!

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is a great place to indulge in childhood whimsy while riding their 1928 Spillman Carousel right over the Grand River! The carousel is indoors, so rides are available year round. At only $1, who can pass up this slice of childhood?

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is currently hosting an exhibit on King Tut. There are many areas to explore and learn about King Tut and ancient Egypt. There is a reproduction of King Tut's tomb that you can visit for an additional fee.

Check out the mummy!

Things to know;

• The museum is quite larger than it appears from the main gallery. The galleries contain quite a bit to see and do!
• Located an easy walk from the Amway Grand and JW Marriott.
• Host to special exhibits. Please check website for current offerings. Some many have extra admission charges.
• Be prepared to touch and experience! There are plenty of engaging experiences for kids!
• There is a planetarium for those wanting to look at the stars!
• The natural gallery has a large collection of taxidermy animals so some kids may not feel comfortable--it is easily avoided, though!

Follow along!

A special thank to Experience Grand Rapids for hosting our visit!

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Experience Grand Rapids did provide complimentary admissions for the purpose of accurate reviews.