What to do on a Date in Grand Rapids – From A to Z

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Picking What to do on a Date is Easy with our A to Z Planner

Looking for fun date night ideas in Grand Rapids that go beyond the usual dinner and a movie? GR has way more up its sleeve—and as your local friend in the know, I’m here to spill the tea.

Grand Rapids is bursting with fun, creative date ideas—whether you’re in the mood for a little adventure, a cozy vibe, or something completely out of the box.

Not sure what to do on a date? Let this A-to-Z list of date night activities and restaurants be your guide. Pick a letter, roll with it, and see where the night takes you. Who knows? You might just discover your new favorite spot in our amazing city.

what to do on a date in grand rapids. Couple with boots on a bridge

4 Interesting Ways to Use this Mega A-Z Treasure Trove

Don’t let our date night list overwhelm you! Here’s some fun ways to use it:

  • Write the alphabet, A-Z, on popsicle sticks and place them in a jar upside down. Randomly select a stick to determine what activity and/or restaurant to check out.
  • Roll a Scattergories die to decide which letter to try. Let it determine what to do on a date night.
  • Take turns planning date nights for each other! If something sounds yummy or fun, go for it! Then cross that restaurant or activity off the list so that you are enticed to try new places the next time.
  • Schedule a letter to tackle every other week for a year’s worth of dates!

unique dates in grand rapids: couple skydiving in grand haven

A to Z list of What to do on a Date in GR

A


  1. Airport Viewing Area
  2. AJ’s Family Fun Center
  3. Allegan Event
  4. Amore Trattoria Italiana
  5. Amped Virtual Reality
  6. Amway Grand Plaza
  1. Apertivo
  2. Arcade
  3. Art Gallery
  4. Art Prize
  5. Atwater Brewery
  6. Axe Throwing
B


  1. GR Ballet
  2. BattleGR
  3. Back 40 Saloon dancing
  4. Beach sunset
  5. Berlin Raceway
  6. Bike ride
  7. Billy’s Lounge for live music
  1. Boat (or tube or kayak)
  2. Bobarino’s pizza & live music
  3. Bookstore
  4. Bowling
  5. Brewery tour
  6. Broadway Grand Rapids
C


  1. Candy shop (or cookies)
  2. Carolina Low Country Kitchen
  3. Carriage ride
  4. The Chop Hous
  5. Climbing Wall
  1. City Built Brewing Co.
  2. Civic Theatre
  3. Coffee shop
  4. Cooking class
  5. Craig’s Cruisers
D


  1. Dancing
  2. DeVos Performance Hall show
  3. Driving Range
  4. Drive-In Movie
  5. Dave and Buster’s
  1. Dr. Grin’s
  2. Disc Golf
  3. Donkey Taqueria
  4. Downtown Market
E


  1. East Grand Rapids Shopping
  2. Electric Cheetah
  3. Eastown Restaurants
  4. El Granjero Mexican Grill
  5. Escape Room
F


  1. FireRock Grill
  2. Fish Lads
  3. Flat River Grill
  4. Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
  1. Founders Brewing Co
  2. Fowling Warehouse
  3. Fulton Street Farmer’s Market
  4. Furniture City Creamery
G


  1. GLC Live Shows
  2. Go Karts
  3. Golf
  4. Game Night
  5. Grand Haven State Park
  1. Grand Lady Riverboat
  2. Griffins Game
  3. Gerald R. Ford Museum
  4. Grove
  5. Gravity Taphouse Grille
H


  1. Hiking
  2. Hammocking
  3. Herb & Fire 
  4. Holland
  5. Heritage Hill tour
  1. Horseback Riding
  2. House Rules Board Games & Bar
I


  1. Ice Skating
  2. IKEA (Canton or Chicago road trip!)
  3. Improv
  4. Irie Kitchen
J


  1. Jazz
  2. Junk Food Shopping
  3. Johnson Park
  4. JW Marriott
  5. Ju Sushi & Lounge
  1. Jersey Junction
K


  1. Kayaking
  2. Kent Trails
  3. Kruse Park
  4. Knickerbocker
  5. Kilwins
L


  1. Laser Tag
  2. Listening Room intimate concerts
  3. Lighthouse
  4. Lookout Park
  5. Live Music
  1. Leo’s
  2. Luna
  3. Lumber Baron Bar
  4. Love’s Ice Cream
  5. Little Bangkok Thai
  6. Long Road Distillers
M


  1. MDRD (pronounced Madrid)
  2. Millennium Park
  3. Meyer May House tour
  4. Mitten Brewing Co pizza flight
  5. Mini Golf
  6. Mall Shopping
  7. Massages
  8. Murder Mystery Dinner
  9. Meijer Gardens
  1. Movies
  2. Master Arts Theater
  3. Mountain Biking
  4. Mural Tour
  5. Maru
  6. Mill Creek Tavern
  7. Matchbox Diner and Drinks
  8. Madcap
  9. Martha’s Pizza
N


  1. Netflix
  2. Nelis’ Dutch Village
  3. Notos Old World Italian Dining
  4. New Holland Brewing Company
  5. NoCo Provisions
O


  1. Opera Grand Rapids
  2. Old Movie Marathon
  3. Outdoor Movie or Concert
  4. Osteria Rossa
  5. O’Toole’s Public House
  1. The Old Goat
  2. Olive’s
  3. Outside Coffee Co.
P


  1. Picnic
  2. Pickleball
  3. Pinball
  4. Planetarium
  5. Palmer Park
  1. Public Museum
  2. Paint Studio
  3. Pho 616
  4. Perrin Brewing Co.
Q


  1. Quadruple Date
  2. Quinn & Tuite’s Irish Pub
R


  1. Road Trip
  2. Recreate Your First Date
  3. River City Improv
  4. River North Republic House (formerly Citizen)
  5. Rodeo
  6. Read Books
  7. Reed’s Lake Trail
  8. Rockford
  1. Ride Bikes
  2. Rock Climbing
  3. Rose’s
  4. Reserve Wine and Food
  5. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
  6. Roam by Sanchez
  7. Rockwell Republic
S


  1. Sunset
  2. Stargaze
  3. Saugatuck Dunes Beach
  4. GR Symphony
  5. Sporting Event
  6. Speciation Artisan Ales Taproom
  7. Swimming
  8. Schuler’s Books
  9. Swing Dancing
  1. Stella’s Lounge
  2. San Chez
  3. Salvatore’s
  4. Slow’s BBQ
  5. Sovengard
  6. Shanghai Ichiban
  7. 7 Monks Taproom
  8. Social Kitchen and Bar
  9. Sushi
T


  1. The Great Escape Room
  2. Twisted Rooster
  3. Taqueria San Jose
  4. Tokyo Grill & Sushi
  5. Thai Chef
U


  1. Ucello’s
  2. UICA
  3. Ultimate Frisbee
V


  1. Van Andel Arena
  2. Van Buren Street Dunes
  3. Vander Mill
  4. Veen Observatory
  1. Vintage Prime & Seafood
  2. Vineyard
  3. Vitale’s
  4. Volunteer
W


  1. The Walker Roadhouse
  2. Walking Tour
  3. West Michigan Jazz Society
  4. Wine Tasting
  1. Wine and Canvas
  2. Whitecaps
  3. Workout
  4. Windmill Island Gardens walk
X


  1. Xbox Game Night
  2. eXercise
  3. MeXo
Y


  1. Yoga at Funky Buddha or Twisted Hot Yoga
  2. Yard Sale Shopping
  3. Yesterdog
Z


  1. Zoo
  2. Zipline
  3. Zoup!
  4. Zeeland Restaurants
  5. Z’s Restaurant

Date Night? Done Right.

Now you’re armed with plenty of ideas for what to do on a date in Grand Rapids, so there’s no excuse for sticking to the same old routine.

Whether you’re trying something new or revisiting a local favorite, the options here are endless—and totally worth exploring.

So go on, plan that date, and make it one to remember. Grand Rapids has all the inspiration you need!

what to do on a date in grand rapids

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