-
January 2024 by Jill Cripe
I was afraid there wouldn't be enough for my grandkids, 2 and 4 years old, to do here, but after 3 hours, they begged to stay longer. The builder exhibit was a huge hit, and although the bug exhibit was a little scary for the 2 year old, there were parts that were fun for her, too. They also loved the habitat and animal exhibits. What a GR treasure!
-
January 2024 by D Kooy
Nice displays!
-
January 2024 by Kuffs Klassics
Had a great time at this museum. Lots of history and science. Make sure you visit the theater planetarium. ? Admission was very reasonable. Great place to take the kids!
-
January 2024 by Chunfen Zhou
Long story short, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is one gem of a museum, and if you love museums, you should make an effort to come explore it if you are anywhere between Chicago and Detroit (or further afield). Now here is the long story: first, although the Museum doesn't have extended hours, it opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays and is open seven days a week, which provides a level of accessibility not often seen even in museums of larger cities; second, while the Museum doesn't seem to have free days, its admission is quite reasonably priced, and it is to me even a steal considering what this museum has to offer; third, the current main building of the GRPM opened in 1994, so admittedly, in some parts of the Museum the exhibit labels and lighting get in the way of an optimal viewing experience. However, such issues are less of a problem in museums of natural and cultural history, and the exhibits here are so diverse and fun that the issues can largely be ignored.In particular, I think their "Collecting A to Z" (which consists of small exhibits themed by a keyword starting with one specific letter) is an excellent idea of filling the Museum space. It not only introduces the practice of collecting—still the backbone in most kinds of modern-day museums, but brings out a variety of collections that would otherwise be locked inside storage rooms. While children will make the most of some of these exhibits such as dolls and toys, I am sure that adults will learn from the exhibits as well since many of their themes are thoughtfully chosen and well-executed (check out the ivory exhibit, for example). I also like the detail of placing the clocks & watches display opposite the tower clock of the old Grand Rapids City Hall.Another thing to applaud for the GRPM's curatorial team is their approach of blending nature and culture, which is reflected throughout the Museum—from small displays to whole exhibitions. The Lake Sturgeon exhibition combines audiovisuals, artifacts made by Native Americans, and live specimens (and their natural habitat right outside the window) to narrate the story about this amazing fish. Also, walk into their newer "Fashion and Nature" exhibition and you will see how this curatorial tradition is continued. In the galleries of "West Michigan Habitats", this approach stands out more in the details: urban birds are displayed on an architectural fragment, and the topic of falconry is brought up in the birds of prey display.I cannot praise the GRPM highly enough, but of course, no place is perfect and there is always room for improvement:(1) Some smaller exhibits are not shown on the visitor map—you will have pleasant surprises in exploring the Museum, though.(2) A coat room always comes handy, but I would appreciate it if there were self-service lockers for use. You can carry your backpack around but you can also easily spend half a day in this place—it never hurts to go light(er)!(3) Selection of hot foods is limited in the Museum café.(4) While ample seating is provided inside the exhibition halls, there is a lack of it in the hallways on the second and third floors.(5) The Native American exhibition is designated as a "Quiet Area", however, you can hear the sounds from the nearby Arcade. I also feel that the Arcade is more a game center than an exhibit—a bit more information such as the history of arcade games or how these machines work would be a welcome addition.(6) In some exhibits such as arms and hats, it is not easy to match objects to labels without them being numbered.(7) "Streets of Old Grand Rapids", while nice, doesn't feel lively and could benefit from a better soundscape. The immigrants exhibition is very text-heavy and could also use a better flow when the Museum starts to renovate its "core exhibition spaces".This may seem a long list, but trust me: these are really just quibbles that should in no way discourage you from visiting this delightful museum. Kudos to the staff of the GRPM. I am already expecting a
-
January 2024 by John Weaver
I almost took my family somewhere else because the Museum requires unnecessary personal information to issue tickets.What Happened: We stood in line to buy our tickets at the Museum. When it was our turn, I was asked four questions (with my answers) - Are you a Member? (No) Are you a Kent County resident? (No) What is your email address? (No thank you) What is your phone number? (No thank you). The Attendant then told me that either my phone number or email address was required in order to sell me tickets (even if paying cash!). This is highly unusual and I considered taking the family somewhere else. But then I realized that the ticket system doesn't care if I give accurate information so I made up a phone number beginning with "555". I was then able to buy tickets.(If you are short on time, please skip to the end of this review for a suggestion on what to do if you also think you shouldn't be required to give your personal information.)Why does this matter? I'll be the first to admit that I cast my personal info far and wide but this situation was unique. I routinely decline to give my info at stores because I don't want to be added to a marketing list. And, every time, I can make the purchase. But at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, they will not sell you a ticket if you do not give this information.The following day I emailed their Customer Service and received a reply - the same day! - from Fin Ackerman, the CS Manager. He explained: "Currently our policy is indeed to collect emails and names, with phone numbers as a backup. This is something we have done since we first transitioned to our current ticketing software five years ago. Because our museum has a number of free add-ons and experiences, and because we are using a primarily digital platform to send and scan tickets, we do require at least a name and one unique identifier (email or phone) to assign to your tickets. This allows us to check guests into extra exhibits, rides, and shows, as receipts are easily lost on fun days out with family and friends.Emails are collected in order to send out digital versions of our tickets, which include a QR code. Our newsletter option is something that is opt-in only, which means even if you had given your email (understandable that you did not, no worries!) there is only one email ever sent to you, containing your digital tickets."This was an exceptional answer! While I understand the Museum's practical reasoning, I still believe that 1) I should be able to Opt-Out from giving personal info if it's not necessary and 2) the Museum Staff should be able to explain to customers like me why it's being asked for. It was very embarrassing to be put in a situation where I was going to be denied tickets just because I wouldn't share my info. My two pre-teen kids were right there and we've had many discussions about online privacy and protecting your identity. So without an explanation, I felt that I had to stick to my guns and refuse to provide the info.SUGGESTION FOR WHAT TO DO: If you've read my full account, you understand that the Museum doesn't have a nefarious plot to send you tons of junk emails or sell your info to mobsters overseas. But where do we draw the line? If you feel, as I do, that you shouldn't be denied entry to the Museum for not providing personal information, I suggest doing the following (in person only. You'll definitely be giving your email address if you order tickets online):When asked for a phone number, use "555" and the last 4 digits of your phone number. This will do the following:- you get in to the Museum, no problem- you send a message that you agree with me (I told Mr. Ackerman I would be writing this and suggested that he occasionally look in their database for "555" so he could track how many people do this)- if you decide to add experiences to your ticket, you'll be able to go to Customer Service and do soWe enjoyed the rest of our visit and do recommend spending half your day there. Tha
-
January 2024 by Sopita “Patty” Sitthirad
We love this place!
-
January 2024 by Denise Parr
We enjoyed our entire visit to GRPM! We most enjoyed the "West Michigan Habitats" & "Streets of Old Grand Rapids" Exhibits. This was a fun and educational experience for the entire family. Be sure to visit the Spillman Carousel if you visit, which is included in your admission! Also, the traveling "Bugs" exhibit was amazing, and available to visit until February 4th, 2024.
-
January 2024 by Amanda Pratt
We saw a show in the planetarium, it was awesome
-
January 2024 by PAGE
We fell backwards in & then over ourselves with this place.What an amazing place! We intended to go to the Art Museum & accidentally ended up here. We almost went on to our intended destination never to know the treasures of the Gem we were in and we're so grateful to be right where we were. - We'll do the Art Museum next time, and then here again with friends.This place is worth a stay-cation in itself.The whole area is great, with nice shops, huge antique warehouses & really nice places to stay & eat, but these people have truly outdone themselves with this place. Wow..I was so shocked at how absolutely incredible these little tours though so many things were.Thanks to all of the benefactors for such an amazing public place! - Just amazing. Absolutely loved it!
-
January 2024 by Prince David
Visited with family on the Tuesday after Christmas. A must to visit place. Has something for everybody from kids to grown ups. We loved it. It’s like visiting a time capsule in some sections.Staff and volunteers are very kind. Always willing to help.Cafe on the first floor is good for quick refreshments.Don’t miss the live demo of the wood workshop. Lots to watch. Be generous with time.
-
December 2023 by Andrew
A wonderful small museum! But dont lose your parking ticket, they charge you $28!
-
December 2023 by Candace Ewing
Great for the entire family! We took a 2 year old, 6 year old, and 16 year old and everyone enjoyed themselves. There was a short line to purchase tickets and enter but it was less than 10 minutes (we went on a Wednesday morning). Be sure to book the carousel with your tickets (it's free but it gets booked up quickly and there's no other option to ride than booking ahead - we were scheduled 2 hours after our entry to the museum which we thought was going to be too far into the day and that we'd be done with the museum; but that wasn't the case). We spent about 3 hours at the museum.
-
December 2023 by jose miguel pinzon montealvo
Really good place to visit.
-
December 2023 by Courtney Burrows
Here’s the deal- we love to support all our local spots and usually we have a membership here bc we want it to thrive but membership had lapsed so we were just paying for a single entrance and the line was literally out the front door and they forced us to give our personal email to get tickets for the visit… Which is annoying because everyone has to wait while one single person hand types every customers email address in by hand but also they didn’t disclose what they would use our personal email for we didn’t want to give it but we were told we couldn’t enter the building without one ?!?! Poor experience, feels like a data mine and never have I ever been for us to give my personal data to enter a museum.
-
December 2023 by Brittney VanDeLaare
Always an awesome experience, and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas ?? I have always loved going here since I was a kid. I decided to take my nephew to see the bug exhibit and he had an amazing time. The only negative I can say is the person we experienced at the cash register in the cafe had no personality and was quite unwelcoming.
