Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau 171 Monroe Ave. NW #700 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 459-8287 Population 189126 Time Zone Eastern Latitude/Longitude 42.96° /-85.66° Today's Forecast HIGH: 65 LOW: 40

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Attractions

Michigan's second largest city boasts a compact and accessible downtown with interesting sites and attractions on each side of the Grand River.

On the Grand's western bank, the Gerald R. Ford Museum lets visitors attend a White House State Dinner, eavesdrop on an eventful day in the Oval Office, stand on the floor of the 1976 Republican National Convention, and check out the original tools used in the Watergate break-in. The nearby Public Museum of Grand Rapids encompasses the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium and the Van Andel Museum Center. In addition to major touring exhibitions, the Van Andel offers its own collections of local artifacts and memorabilia -- among its treasures is an amazing 1928 carousel with a thousand burning lights and a working band organ.

On the river's opposite shore, the new DeVos Place (completed in 2005) provides more than a million square feet of state-of-the-art exhibition and convention space on a 13-acre riverfront site. The 2,400-seat DeVos Performance Hall, an integral part of DeVos Place, presents classical and popular music concerts, family events and various popular touring performers.

Just a few blocks away, a fine new home for the Grand Rapids Art Museum is expected to open in 2007. Public art pops up throughout the city, most spectacularly in the form of Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse, which graces the plaza at the entrance to City Hall. For cutting-edge visual, performance and film arts, head to the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts; the UICA has been offering challenging works by the most interesting practicing artists for more than 30 years. Art and nature complement each other at the Frederik Meijer Gardens: in addition to being the largest tropical conservatory in the state, the gardens feature works by many of the most highly regarded sculptors of the 20th century displayed over a 30-acre site.

Sports fans have a choice of teams to root for in Grand Rapids. Van Andel Arena offers AHL hockey from the Griffins (primary Detroit Red Wings affiliate) and the Rampage of the Arena Football League. Meanwhile, the West Michigan Whitecaps (Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers) play Midwest League baseball at Fifth Third Field just to the north in Comstock Park.

For more outdoors adventuring, visit the John Ball Zoological Gardens. The zoo's 140 acres are home to more than 200 species including the snow leopard, komodo dragon, and African crane. The well-maintained hiking trails at Blandford Nature Center take you through woodlands, fields, ravines, and marshes. Grand Rapid's other noteworthy stops include the Voigt House Museum, a perfectly preserved Victorian home in historic Heritage Hill, and the Meyer May House, one of the most complete Frank Lloyd Wright home restorations, which is also open for tours.

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