Grand Rapids Children’s Museum

I love that they mix up the exhibits regularly so it’s never the same place twice! 2 things I would love to see here: a public WiFi and a set day where there are no field trips. I love that the museum was full of kids having fun, but there were four busses that pulled in shortly after we arrived. The kids were INSANE and the chaperones weren’t super attentive. We left after an hour because my toddler was getting run over.

Admission is now more expensive ($ 8 or 8.50 for most), but the GRCM still rocks. My nephew is now 6 and my niece is 3, and they both had a grand time. I love the Little Grand Rapids — with a huge store, a pizzeria, post office, bank, library and even car mechanic and gas pump, and the kids adore this area, too. Lots of other great stuff, too.

The GRCM does an awesome job of offering a variety of exhibits for all ages! My son is 2 ½ and had a great time in all of the areas of the museum, no just the «toddler» area.

Having been here numerous times over the past three years, with three and now four boys ages 9 down through 2 years, I modestly consider myself a minor expert on the GRCM. Hands down, the GRCM is a family win, with only a couple minor drawbacks. First, the bad news:
The first drawback is the lack of parking that can occasionally happen. I almost feel silly bringing this up, as I’m a Chicago transplant who either used public transit or paid a day’s salary for parking in the city for comparable attractions. BUT, having moved back to GR, I (perhaps somewhat unrealistically) expect to walk no more than 200 feet from vehicle to entrance at any given place in our small city. Street parking is generally easily available, except on some weekends when college students descend on the GR Public Library Main branch, or when Everyone is downtown for a festival of some sort, or when it’s cold or rainy (every time, I swear!). This is often the case in the winter, when it’s so cold the kids can’t play outdoors, and so now must bundle up for a trek to the entrance, which is invariably 2 miles uphill both ways in the dead of night. I kid you not. The nearby meters have a 2-​hour time limit, and so weekday parking is usually a cinch. The sun smiles when I snag a diagonal spot just north of the entrance.
The other drawback is also a plus, and will depend on your particular family as to whether it is a drawback or an asset. This is the open layout of the museum, which allows a lot of free movement. (See? Plus AND minus!) With four boys, this can get tricky because my 9 year old wants to play somewhere, so I turn to talk to him about where he will be, and by the time I turn around, the 2 year old has taken off, and I see the 5 year old disappearing around a corner. Do not count on any corralling here — there are no boundaries. As far as keeping track of kids, this can be challenging — but it also lets kids of different ages and interests find their groove so that they are not constantly tugging at your sleeve saying, «I’m bored here! Let’s go somewhere else!» (Watch out for this if you visit the Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier.) Strategizing on how you’ll handle this before arrival will serve you well on your visit. Oh, and the stairs are wide and open, and very hard and solid. Presumably not many kids have fallen down them, as they are still open for any 1 year old to attempt, but they scare me every time. Consider stationing yourself there if you have wee ones.
Besides those two concerns, the GRCM is a win. They rotate their exhibits often, so there is usually something new for the boys to explore. Yet there are a few standbys always available, even if their location in the museum has changed. My boys especially love the big blue foam blocks, with which they build forts, bunkers, and obstacle courses. Too big for our house, these are always a huge hit and engage large muscles, as do the construction zones, the bubble tables and the fort-​building or balance beams (on rotation). The spinning roundtable upstairs, various stacking blocks, dominoes and magnetic toys work the fine muscles. The grocery store has been a huge hit lately, especially with the addition of some Cozy Coupes, which my 2 year old insists are «Mine cars!» Look out for him — he’s territorial.
If at all possible, purchase a membership, or ask for one for your family as a birthday or Christmas gift. This is especially true if you: have more than two children; homeschool, or have your children home with you during the summer; and enjoy getting out of the house. The GRCM membership pays for itself within a few visits depending on family size, and it offers monthly reciprocal memberships at many West Michigan locations. My boys have visited the USS Silversides in Muskegon, and this month we are hitting up the Kroc Center in Grand Rapids as much as we can. This also allows you to plan short-​and-​sweet visits — about 90 minutes for my guys — that let them thoroughly explore one, two or three areas, leave them wanting more, and promise not to leave the accompanying adult totally wiped out by a multi-​hour marathon visit «just to get our money’s worth!!»
Enjoy your visit, and don’t smack your head on the child-​size door on the way out.

We stopped by the Children’s Museum with our 3 kids (all 5 and under), and they had a blast! Prices are very reasonable for the hours of entertainment you’ll get. We arrived at opening time on a summer Saturday and it was not busy at all. The kids had free reign over most of the first floor. There are tons of activities for kids of all ages, and they are all educational in some way. The little ones are definitely drawn to the construction/​rock area and the supermarket/​kitchen/​bank area on the 1^st floor. The upstairs seems better suited for older kids. The staff is very friendly, the whole facility is clean and organized, and again it’s a great value even with 3 kids. The location is within walking distance of parking and restaurants so you can make a day of it. We’ll swing in again next time we’re in GR.

Very fun place to take children to play. There’s all sorts of adventurous activities for children of all ages, even babies. The bubbles are my favorite. I can get the big on to go all the way to the top. My son is a fan of the sand table and the «construction zone.»
My only complaint is that I wish the employees would get off the piano and let the kids play on it more often.

This place is so much fun… Pretty sure I enjoy myself more than my children do! The price is great and the exhibits are continually changing.
My kids love the kitchen food and my personal favorite is the bubbles.
They recently took measures to make the entrance to the museum a little less accessible to prevent creepers.
My only complaint is that the parking is terrible and on a weekday can cost you anywhere from $ 5-​$ 9.

Coming from DC (where the children museum barely got 1 star) this place is awesome. My Kids loved it and they are 7, 5 and 11 months.
A lot to do, not very crowded and everything is put together nicely. Variety off its for the kids. Very interactive. We definitely will be coming back.

Visited the museum with my son and he had so much fun! The museum has 2 floors full of different exhibits from music, grocery shopping, animal hospital, bank, imagination blocks, fire «truck», etc. If we lived close to GR, this would be one that will be worth a membership.

I opted to get a membership for my family, knowing that GRCM is a fantastic indoor play option during the loooooonnnggg cold winters in GR. We’re so happy we did! From the incredibly diverse exhibits to the dedicated and friendly staff, the perfect downtown location to the wonderful special events, the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum provides an awesome educational play experience for kids.
I highly recommend visiting for their ArtPrize events and periodic outdoor celebrations on Sheldon Ave. Membership has its privileges, including reciprocal memberships at other museums and centers in and around town that change on a monthly basis. Members also get access to special member events and private play days.
The museum is probably best enjoyed by toddlers through early elementary-​aged children, but there are certainly some exhibits and experiences for older children as well.

I have been to many children’s museums in many cities, and I have never been to one this crazy. Visited on a Tuesday morning, and the staff presence is next to nothing. No one picking up, no one watching the crafts area, and it is completely chaotic and crazy. It makes it harder for the kids to play when nothing is where it is supposed to be. I realize parents should watch their kids, but it doesn’t always happen and that’s where the staff should be able to step in.
That being said, it’s a great space with a wide variety of exhibits and activities that will keep kids busy. I particularly like the fort area, where the kids use sheets to build forts on chairs and stands. Just wish it was better staffed.

This museum is huge. I loved it. My 1 and 3 year olds both loved it.
The only thing missing (in my mind, not the kids) was a climbing/​play area for my new walker/​climber to improve his climbing skills, something other than stairs.
The craft table was so messy it was hard to use. It would be nice if they had someone there to help and also precut shapes for the younger ones to create things with.

I came here for my friend’s child’s birthday party. Lots of fun, touchable objects for the little ones to choose from. If I had a kid, I’d bring it here.

Nice place

We were on a road trip and this museum was along the route of our childrens’ museums membership. They have your basic household essentials (play kitchen, plastic groceries, fake post office). There was also a dress-​up stage for plays. Overall, nothing too overwhelming and nothing that spectacular or memorable. Hey, as long as the kiddos are having fun, right?

Amazing time! We spent the weekend in GR for Mother’s Day and we had a blast at the GR Children’s Museum. It’s small enough where it’s not too overwhelming but big enough for plenty of activity. My 4 year old love it and we spent a good 2 hours there on Saturday. We’ve been to the Indy Children’s Museum (5 floors) which is tripple the size and slightly overwhelming for my son who was 3 at the time. However, GR was wonderful and I can’t wait to visit again. Great staff, friendly people, and nice city!

Two words: BUBBLE ROOM! I have been going to the Children’s Museum with my nephew (now 11) and my own kids for about 9 years. It has a pretty good selection of traveling exhibits that come through. Lots of things to keep kids interested. Did I mention the Bubble Room? A huge soap bubble table with a crazy glycerin bubble solution that works like a charm, also a chance to stand in a bubble when it is being made.
Fun times for families.

I love the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum!
This is a perfect place to bring your kids to keep them occupied and happy for hours.
Like the other reviewer said the weekends are busier and holidays can be hectic as well. But if you are able to go in the morning you almost have the place to itself. You can call them in advance to see if there will be large field trips that day. The building is very open and has two big floors. They have a gift shop with some snacks and drinks.
The regular exhibits are fun for the kids and there are new ones like, Bob the Builder, Clifford, etc., that come through every few months.
You do have to pay for parking so bring some coins. If you want you can park in the library lot, the first hour of parking there is free if you go validate the parking ticket in the library. You can also go to the museum on Thursday night when admission is cheaper and parking is free after 5pm, but this is a busy time as well.
This place is worth checking out!

As a mom of two young children living in the Grand Rapids area, there are two venues that our family purchases memberships to: Frederik Meijer Gardens & the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
The children’s museum can easily occupy my 2 & 4 year old for a couple of hours and with the exception of weekends and spring break week, it is usually not too crowded. New exhibits come to the museum every few months and my kids love some of the permanent exhibits, including the kitchen, post office & grocery store.
The only bummer about going to the museum is having to feed the parking meters – there is no free lot to park in.