Founded in 1845, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is among the oldest history museums in the United States.
The GRPM offers various resources accessible from home, including exploring the Museum’s Collection, activities and more!
Check out the Museum's Live Stream!
Permanent collections include:
Anishnabek: The People of This Place, exploring Native American contributions to West Michigan.
Collecting A-Z, presenting just some of the million or so objects the Museum has collected.
Furniture City, a history of the city's furniture manufacturing excellence.
Habitats, which transports visitors through the natural environments of Michigan.
Newcomers: The People of This Place, celebrating immigrant groups who helped make Grand Rapids what it is today.
Streets of Old Grand Rapids, a detailed recreation of an 1890s street scene.
Temporary exhibits have ranged from massive touring shows like "Bodies Revealed" to locally curated collections like "All Dressed Up - 1950s Style." One of the biggest shows in the Museum's history was here in 2013 - "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."
Check for current shows and events - just click the box next to "Grand Rapids Public Museum."
Spillman Carousel
One of the Museum's most enduring attractions, this 1928 carousel offers rides year-round to visitors old and young. Includes 44 hand-carved, elaborately jeweled wooden horses, two chariots, and a giraffe, lion, deer, goat, tiger and camel.
Chaffee Planetarium
A 145-seat theater under a fifty-foot dome, the planetarium is located on the second floor of the Museum. Open daily with a variety of shows.
In the midst of winter it’s hard not to wish for those long summer nights listening to music under a clear sky. Well you don’t have to wait for the summer solstice any longer! Starting on January 19,
This website uses cookies and other like technologies for measurement, ads and optimization. MORE INFO.
Our 2020 Visitor's Guide features 90 colorful pages of don't-leave-home-without-it information on attractions, activities, lodging and more. Flip through the online guide or request your FREE copy by mail.