1/ Grand Rapids Public Museum: Special exhibitions: Through Oct. 13, “Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963” chronicles African American history with artifacts such as anti-slavery newspapers from the 1800s and buttons from the 1963 March on Washington. Local stories and oral histories also will be incorporated, in addition to community programming. Through Sept. 8, “TOYS!” Permanent exhibitions: Streets of Old Grand Rapids; Newcomers: The People of This Place; West Michigan Habitats; Grand Fish, Grand River; and Be Curious. Also, restored 1928 Spillman carousel. Special events: See Mini Maker Faire in Special Events. $8 adults, $7 seniors, $3 kids 3-17. 272 Pearl St. NW, 929-1700, grpm.org.
2/ Deer Tracks Junction: One hundred-acre farm with elk, whitetail deer, Tibetan yaks and reindeer; evening wildlife safari tours; hands-on farm with goats, pigs, donkeys, rabbits, yaks, parakeets; bottle-feeding stations; play area; and ice cream shop. Open daily. General admission: $10, kids 2 and under free; safari tours and bottle feedings extra. 7850 14 Mile Road, Cedar Springs,
863-3337, deertracksjunction.com.
3/ Grand Rapids Children’s Museum: Hands-on permanent and traveling exhibits for kids 2-10. Special exhibit: Through Jan. 20, the traveling exhibit “Amazing Dinosaurs” includes an array of hands-on displays with touchable dinosaur fossils. The exhibit is included with admission. Permanent activities: Think Tank, Kidstruction Zone, Little GR, Bubbles!, Wee Discover, musical instruments and more. Toddler Time 10 a.m.-noon Tue. Family Night 5-8 p.m. Thu. ($1.75). Closed Mon. $9, $8 seniors, kids under 1 free. 11 Sheldon Ave. NE, 235-4726, grcm.org.
Blandford Nature Center: Special events: Aug. 2, Free First Friday. Aug. 3, Yoga in the Highlands. Aug. 8, Mindfulness in the Meadow: Family Edition. Aug. 23, Bands at Blandford: Josh Rose and the Founding Fathers, and Riverside Raconteurs Storytelling Bonfires. Aug. 30, Bands at Blandford: Molly. Permanent attractions: 143 acres of trails, heritage buildings, farm. Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center open Mon.-Sat. Trails open daily dawn to dusk. $3. 1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, 735-6240, blandfordnaturecenter.org.
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park: Eighty-acre park with giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, alligators, kangaroos, lemurs, prairie dogs, ostriches and antelopes. Plus, safari rides and opportunities to feed animals. Special events: Aug. 1-2, Baby Animal Days. Aug. 8, Jr. Detective Day in the Jungle. Open daily. $14 age 12 and up, $12 seniors, $10 kids 3-11, kids under 2 free. 8313 Pratt Lake Ave. SE, Alto, 868-6711, boulderridgewap.com.
Coopersville & Marne Railway: Restored 1920s-era railway with EnterTRAINment Excursions. 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. every Sat. except Aug. 10. $14 adults, $13 seniors, $12 kids 2-12. 311 Danforth St., Coopersville, 997-7000, coopersvilleandmarne.org.
Coopersville Farm Museum: Museum honoring farming and rural life. Special exhibits: Aug. 1-Sept. 28, Quilts and Their Stories. Special events: Aug. 3, Family Day. Aug. 5, Talent Show. Aug. 6 and 20, Acoustic Jam Night. Aug. 7, Kids Day. Aug. 7-10, Tractor Show. Aug. 31, Kids, Crafts & Critters. Permanent attractions: Tractors and other farming equipment; also Eclipse windmill. Open Tue., Thu., Sat. $4 adults, $2 kids 4-12, kids 3 and under free. 375 Main St., Coopersville, 997-8555,
coopersvillefarmmuseum.org.
DeGraaf Nature Center: Eighteen-acre preserve with Interpretive Center, indoor pond, animals, SkyWatch. Knee-High Naturalist classes for kids 3-5. Center open Tue.-Sat. Trails open daily dawn to dusk. Free. 600 Graafschap Road, Holland, 355-1057, degraaf.org.
Downtown Market: Open daily with culinary-related products at more than 20 local businesses and restaurants, plus cooking classes and private rentals. Special events: Aug. 9, Cars and Coffee Grand Rapids. Aug. 15, 3rd Thursdays. See Made in MI Pop-Up Marketplace in Special Events. 435 Ionia Ave. SW, 805-5308, downtownmarketgr.com.
Felt Mansion & Gardens: Summer home of millionaire inventor Dorr E. Felt features 1920s architecture. Self-guided tours 1-5 p.m. Sun.-Wed. $15 adults, $12 seniors (free on Mon.) and students, kids 12 and under free. 6597 138th St., Holland, 335-3050, feltmansion.org.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: Special exhibitions: Through Aug. 25, “A National Treasure: Fred Meijer, His Collection and Legacy.” Special events: Aug. 2, 9 and 16, Fridays at the Farm. Aug. 11, Summer Sculpture Walk. Aug. 17, Japanese Tea Ceremony in the Teahouse. Aug. 18, Inside the Japanese Teahouse. Aug. 31-Sept. 1, National Dahlia Show. See Meijer Gardens Summer Concerts and Tuesday Evening Music Club in Music and Grand Rapids Ballet in Stage & Film. Permanent attractions: Modern and contemporary 30-acre sculpture collection, Japanese garden, tropical conservatory, children’s garden, nature trails and boardwalk, café, gift shop. Open daily. $14.50 adults, $11 seniors and students, $7 kids 5-13, $4 kids 3-4. 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, 957-1580, meijergardens.org.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum: Special exhibitions: Through Sept. 2, “Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford.” Permanent exhibitions: Highlights from Mr. and Mrs. Ford’s lives, plus featured online exhibits. Also, DeVos Learning Center. Open daily. $8 adults, $7 seniors, $6 college students, $4 ages 6-18, kids 5 and under free. 303 Pearl St. NW, 254-0400, fordlibrarymuseum.gov.
Grand Rapids Art Museum: Special exhibitions: Aug. 24-Feb. 2, “Billy Mayer: The Shape of Things.” Through Aug. 11, “Self, Symbol, Surrogate: Artist Portraits from GRAM’s Collection.” Through Sept. 1, “Maya Lin: Flow.” Through Sept. 8, “Melanie Daniel: Only Four Degrees.” Special events: See Creativity Uncorked in Lectures & Workshops. Drop-in Studio: 1-4 p.m. every Sat. Closed Mon. $10 adults, $8 seniors/students, $6 kids 6-17, kids 5 and under free; free admission 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue. and 5-9 p.m. Thu. 101 Monroe Center NW, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.
Holland Museum: Special events: Aug. 6, Museum on the Move: Lost Holland Walk. Aug. 12, Free Admission Monday. Aug. 16, Museum on the Move: Fire Walk. Aug. 20, Museum on the Move: Local Ladies Walk. Permanent exhibitions: Local history and Dutch galleries with artwork from the Netherlands from the 1600s-1900s. Also, Spark!Lab. Open Wed.-Sun. $7 adults, $6 seniors, $4 students, kids 5 and under free. 31 W. 10th St., 796-3329, hollandmuseum.org. Also, Cappon House: 228 W. Ninth St. Settlers House: 190 W. Ninth St. The Armory: 16 W. Ninth St.
John Ball Zoo: More than 2,000 animals representing 230 species, plus aquarium, petting zoo and gift shop. Special events: Aug. 17, Princess Day. Aug. 24, Monarch Day. See Rock, Roar and Pour in Special Events. Open daily. $13 adults, $10 seniors and kids 2-12, kids under 2 free. 1300 W. Fulton St., 336-4300, jbzoo.org.
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts: Special exhibitions: Through Aug. 18, “Orna Ben-Ami: Entire Life in a Package.” Through Aug. 25, West Michigan Area Show and “L’esprit: Exploring Wit and Beauty in French Prints.” Through Sept. 22, “Moments of Peace: Watercolors by Sunghyun Moon.” Special event: Aug. 2, Everyone’s a Member Day with free admission, class discounts, gallery shop discount and Art Hop. Closed Mon. $5 adults, $2 students with ID; members and kids 12 and under free. 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo, (269) 349-7775, kiarts.org.
Meyer May House: Restored Frank Lloyd Wright 1909 prairie-style house includes original furnishings. Open for guided tours 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tue. and Thu.; 1-4 p.m. Sun. (last tour one hour before close). Free. 450 Madison Ave. SE, 246-4821, meyermayhouse.steelcase.com.
Muskegon Museum of Art: Special exhibitions: Through Aug. 18, “Replay: The Exhibition.” Through Sept. 1, “Lights, Camera, Rock ‘n Roll: The Music Photography of Paul Jendrasiak” and “Guitar with Wings: The Photography of Laurence Juber.” Through Sept. 8, “Rising Voices: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realists.” Special event: Aug. 1, Lecture by Bennett Prize Winner Aneka Ingold. Closed Mon. $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 college students, kids 16 and under free. 296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon, (231) 720-2570, muskegonartmuseum.org.
Nelis’ Dutch Village: Dutch theme park with rides, petting zoo, wooden shoe carving, Delftware-making demonstrations, costumed employees, shops and restaurants. Special events: Aug. 21, Ice Cream Social and Grandpa’s 85th Birthday. Open daily. $13 adults, $12 seniors, $11 kids 3-15. 12350 James St., Holland, 396-1475, dutchvillage.com.
Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium: Shows use Digistar production and surround sound. This month: “SpacePark360: Infinity,” “Secrets of the Sun,” “Subatomic,” “Under Scorching Skies,” “The Little Star that Could,” and “Dark Side: The Light Show.” $5, $4 with admission to the museum, members free. Special event: Aug. 1, Double feature: “The Queen Light Show” and “Dark Side: The Light Show.” Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW, 456-3977, grpm.org/planetarium.
TreeRunner Adventure Park: Self-guided high-wire forest adventure includes ziplines, Tarzan swings, rope bridges and swinging logs, plus Junior Park for kids 4-7. Training included with admission. Special events: Aug. 8, Beach Bash Glow Night. Open Fri.-Sun. $39 adults, $35 kids 7-13, $20 kids 4-7. 2121 Celebration Drive NE, 226-3993, treerunnergrandrapids.com.
Veen Observatory: Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association hosts various events. Special events: Aug. 10 and 24, Public Night from 9-11:30 p.m. ($3 adults, $2 kids 5-17, kids under 5 free). Aug. 24, Telescope Clinic. All events subject to weather; call 897-7065 for updates. 3308 Kissing Rock Ave. SE, Lowell. graaa.org.
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