Families looking for one last dose of fun before the school year begins have plenty of reasons to head downtown.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is inviting West Michigan families to squeeze in a final summer adventure, with three floors of exhibits, hands-on experiences and opportunities to learn about the world close to home. And for families in Kent County, there’s an added perk: Kent County kids get in free every day.
Here are a few reasons to put the museum on your late-summer list.
Dive into the Grand River at Grand River Adventure
Saturday, Aug. 15 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The museum’s final Summer Saturday of the season is all about one of West Michigan’s most defining natural resources: the Grand River.
Now in its fourth year, Grand River Adventure is a one-day, open-house-style event exploring the history, science, culture, art and stewardship of the Grand River Watershed.
Families can learn more about the watershed and ways to help protect it, connect with community organizations working on riverfront projects and discover what’s happening along the Grand River. There will also be food available on the riverfront, making it easy to turn the visit into a full day downtown.
Admission to the event is included with general museum admission, and visitors can explore all three floors of the GRPM while they’re there.
For a full list of community partners and vendors, visit Grand River Adventure.
One last backyard adventure
If your kids have ever wondered what’s happening beneath their feet—or what the world looks like from the perspective of a tiny insect—Backyard Adventures offers a playful way to find out.
The traveling exhibit remains at the museum through Sept. 6, giving families a few more weeks to explore the science hiding in their own backyards.
Designed with children ages 5 to 12 in mind, the interactive exhibit invites visitors to see the natural world from an insect’s perspective, experiment with imaginary watersheds and get hands-on with the science of everyday environments. It’s the kind of experience that can turn an ordinary backyard walk into a science lesson.
Backyard Adventures was created by SciTech in Perth, Australia, and produced by Imagine.
Game Garden is entering its final days
Prefer your learning with a little friendly competition? You’ll want to make a stop at Game Garden before it closes Aug. 24.
Located on the museum’s second floor, the exhibit gives classic games a larger-than-life makeover. Visitors can tackle a giant version of Operation, using oversized tongs to remove plastic “funny bones” from a child-sized Cavity Sam without triggering the alarms.
There’s also giant chess, baseball-sized Yahtzee dice and oversized Lincoln Logs. Along the way, visitors can learn about the history and inventors behind some of the games that have become staples of family game nights.
It’s a nostalgic trip for parents and grandparents—and a chance for younger visitors to discover some classics in a whole new way.
A last-minute summer learning opportunity
With Game Garden closing Aug. 24 and Backyard Adventures ending Sept. 6, the end of summer is a particularly good time to visit the GRPM.
The museum’s collection includes more than 250,000 artifacts documenting the history of Kent County and beyond, while its three floors of exhibits, planetarium and educational programming offer plenty to explore beyond the temporary exhibits.
And with free admission for Kent County kids every day and free parking for Kent County residents, a museum visit can be an easy—and educational—way to fill one of those final summer afternoons.
Plan your visit at Grand Rapids Public Museum.
