Best for Kids in Grand Rapids

Named after the family responsible for its existence, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a place all visitors to Grand Rapids must experience. This 158-acre (64 hectare) facility comprises a botanical garden as well as a sculpture park. Indoors, you can explore the Lena Meijer Conservatory as well as various gardens; outdoors, there is the famous Sculpture Park featuring pieces by the likes of Auguste Rodin and Jaume Plensa. Michigan's Farm Garden, meant to replicate a typical family farm from the 1930s, complete with bronze sculptures of pigs and goats, is one of the major attractions of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The Amphitheater Garden, with a capacity of 1900, plays host to concerts in the summer. This is a place the whole family is sure to fall in love with.

Grand Rapids Children's Museum encourages children to learn new things in a fun way. The many exhibits here are aimed at helping children grasp things in such a way that they will remember it for a long time to come. The combination of playing and learning make visiting Grand Rapids Children's Museum a fun experience for the little ones.

Located on Fulton Avenue, the John Ball Zoo is owned and operated by the County of Kent. One of the most attended cultural facilities in the city, the zoo is home to over 250 species of animals, amounting to one of the largest collections of zoo animals in Michigan. The management also arranges for many educational programs and events for children. Apart from the friendly, live animals, the ceramic Loch Ness monster in the zoo pond is also a local favorite.