Grand Rapids has many opportunities to enjoy your favorite pastime.or discover a new one! Professional sports, art and sculpture, music, theater, botanical gardens, water sports, snow sports, day trips or leisurely vacations to not-so-far-away places, golf and much more are at your fingertips in West Michigan, which was ranked third in the nation in the fun and recreation category by Places Rated Almanac.
We know it's cliché. However, we're using it honestly here. Grand Rapids is only 40 minutes from Lake Michigan and all it has to offer: clean sandy beaches, clear water, boating, sailing, big-lake fishing. In just 40 minutes, you can arrive in one of Michigan's best-kept secrets: our wonderful beach towns. Sometimes elegant, but always quiet and quaint, our beach towns are the perfect day trip.
If small lakes are more your speed, you can find them here. In fact, we have 20 of them in West Michigan, all of them perfect for waterskiing, boating, fishing and jet skiing.
Where else can you go? Drive an hour or so north and you'll find the best ski resorts in the Midwest. Just three hours south is Chicago. Stay along the Lake Michigan coast and visit Michigan's award-winning vineyards. Head north again, past the ski slopes, and in about 3 hours you'll find Mackinac Island, where motorized vehicles are prohibited and watching island residents running errands on horseback is as fun to watch as the world-renowned fudge is to eat.
With its rolling landscape and Midwest climate, Grand Rapids is also the place for golfers. There are 35 golf courses in the area, which is fortunate since Grand Rapids boasts the highest percentage of golfers per capita in the U.S.!
Cultural Institutions
If your idea of culture is more wine and cheese than water and sunburn, or more self-expression than sports, check out the area's cultural institutions.
- Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
- Grand Rapids Art Museum
- Grand Rapids Symphony
- Grand Rapids Opera Company
- Grand Rapids Ballet Company
- The Van Andel Museum
- The Frederik Meijer Botanical Gardens
- The John Ball Zoo and Aquarium
- Several theaters, including the Broadway Theatre Guild
Nightlife
The Grand Rapids nightlife is nothing less than exciting. There's a reason that people come from all over Michigan to hang out in Grand Rapids for an evening. The coolest pubs, chicest nightclubs and tastiest restaurants are at your disposal. For music, Grand Rapids has the best DJs, talented local bands from all genres and touring big-name artists performing each and every night.
For more information on Grand Rapids entertainment, check out: www.visitgrandrapids.org