Grand Rapids Delights Beer and Culture Vultures

In my life as a globetrotter, I have missed large swaths of my own country, including much of the upper Midwest. Grand Rapids, Michigan, gave me an opportunity to discover something new. And it was a pure delight.

“You’re going to be surprised by Grand Rapids,” my friend Greg, a longtime resident, declared. “We’re a friendly city filled with art, design, live music, underrated dining, and we’re one of the best craft beer cities in the country. There are murals all around the city, and we even have grand Victorian homes like San Francisco.”

Straddling the Grand River halfway between Detroit and Chicago, a drive of about 2½ hours from either mid-American megacity, Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan, with a population of just over 200,000. Its unhurried vibe, walkable neighborhoods, urban green spaces, and compact, vibrant downtown reminded me a lot of California’s state capital, Sacramento.

Beer City USA

Well known since the late 1800s as a center for furniture manufacturing. Today, Grand Rapids is also celebrated as “Beer City USA.” Said to serve more craft beer per square mile than any other city, Grand Rapids boasts nearly 50 breweries operating within a 15-mile radius of the city center. The Beer City Ale Trail is both a walking tour and a craft-beer pub crawl, featuring breweries and beer halls.

Founders Brewing Company occupies an entire city block. It was established in 1997 by craft beer enthusiasts Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, who credit Michigan’s fresh, clean water as a key ingredient in the success of their big-bodied ales. The downtown taproom adjoins the brewery in a repurposed former trucking depot, converted into a beer hall with an expansive beer garden.

History and Culture in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids offers many excellent museums, including the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. The 38th president, a native son, is buried on the grounds beside his wife, Betty.

The outstanding Grand Rapids Public Museum showcases exhibits on the region’s history, natural history, and cultural heritage. Its highlights include “Streets of Old Grand Rapids,” a reproduction of the city from the 1890s, and the classic 1928 Spillman Carousel, which features a Wurlitzer organ to match the elaborately carved and painted horses and menagerie animals.

The riverfront museum spans three floors of exhibits, a planetarium, a theater, and a gift shop. Since 2015, it has incorporated a public school with a unique educational program designed to teach critical thinking and problem-solving by placing artifacts directly in students’ hands. “A good museum visit is one where you leave asking the next best question for you. You take it to whatever level you wish,” said museum president Dale Robertson.

Grand Rapid’s Sculpture Gardens

No visit to Grand Rapids would be complete without spending at least half a day at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, considered one of the foremost sculpture parks in the United States. A premier destination for art and nature, it was ranked among the world’s top 100 museums by The Art Newspaper.

The 158-acre campus harbors Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory and one of the most extensive interactive children’s gardens in America, as well as a carnivorous plant house. Bronze works by Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin are features of a sculpture park that contains one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world. It represents a diverse range of styles, materials, and creative eras, from the 1880s to the present day.

The Meijer’s Japanese Garden is an enigmatic eight-acre space for reflection and connection with vital elements, including enormous boulders, lavishly and carefully pruned pines, and seasonal cherry blossoms. As described by communications director John Vanderhaagen: “The Zen landscape includes meadows, ponds, and lawns for reflection, highlighting the uniqueness of each piece.” One lawn features an outdoor amphitheater seating 1,900 guests. Its summer concerts have hosted world-renowned musicians such as Michael Franti and Bonnie Raitt.

Vibrant Arts are a Major Part of Grand Rapids

The art scene of Grand Rapids has been woven into the fabric of the city since 1969, when Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse (“great speed” or, more colloquially, “grand rapids”) was installed on Vandenberg Plaza facing the city hall. It was the first public art installation in the United States to be funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Today, “the Calder” is the hub of Grand Rapids’ annual Festival of the Arts each June. Noted for its late-20th-century collection, the Grand Rapids Art Museum displays paintings by Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Richard Diebenkorn, as well as a sculpture, Ecliptic, by Maya Lin.

Streets, parking lots, facades, and utility boxes display creative expression by local muralists. These surfaces have become canvases that boost vitality and create a sense of community. Across the city, more than 100 murals bring color and life to public spaces. Local organizations have commissioned many of them; others emerged purely from the passion and vision of individual artists. Several downtown murals originated as entries for the city’s ArtPrize, an internationally renowned competition. Downtown bridge underpasses also serve as an expansive canvas for muralists.

Architectural Masterwork in Grand Rapids

Clothier Meyer S. May and his wife, Sofie, sought something distinct from the other residences in their neighborhood. In 1908, they contracted famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design their home. The couple moved into the house in 1910 and lived there until May died in 1936. It remained a private residence until 1985.

Today, the Meyer May House is considered the masterpiece of Michigan’s Prairie School of Architecture. Wright designed the exterior, interior, and furnishings, including the office furniture. The house has been faithfully restored to its original condition, including its finishes and furnishings.

Grand Rapids’ Farmers’ Markets

In operation for 100 years, the organic interactive Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm began in 1925 as Ed Dunneback and Sons. But after the last son died fighting in the Vietnam War, mothers, daughters and aunts became involved. But not much else has changed on the farm since its humble beginnings.

“We have a little something for everyone,” Stephanie Ginsberg told me. “We grow asparagus, strawberries, sweet and tart cherries, pumpkins, and apples on our 170-acre farm. There are 14 varieties of apples for you to pick from our trees and sample. And we are very kid-friendly. We have farm chickens, pigs, ducks, and rabbits.”
Inside the general store, visitors can dine on homemade pizza or doughnuts, buy jams and other homemade preserves, and relax at Pink Barrel Cellars, a taproom that pours craft beer, wine, and hard fruit ciders. “We incorporate whatever is in season,” said Ginsberg.

Travelers looking for something more like San Francisco’s Ferry Building or Seattle’s Pike Place will feel right at home at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. This farmers’ market features local artisans and dining options, available both onsite and for takeout.

With such a variety of beer, food and cultural treasures, Grand Rapids proves to be a grand discovery amid the Great Lakes.

 

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