Playing at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is one of the best museums in Grand Rapids if you’ve got kids.
With its mosaic-mural façade and rainbow-colored street, the building is a beacon of fun, drawing kids and adults inside to play.
There are two floors of awesome just waiting to be discovered at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Once inside, will you do a craft or pretend to run a restaurant? Maybe you’ll head straight for the mega-sized bubbles station.
With national traveling exhibits and a variety of internal rotating exhibits, there’s always something new to discover.
Read on to find out how you can enter to WIN a birthday party at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum!
GRCM is located at 11 Sheldon Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
in this article
WIN! Have Your Next Birthday Party at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Don’t miss your chance to have an amazing birthday party!
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is giving one lucky reader a two hour birthday party full museum rental — a prize valued at $750!
Your party includes: Admission for 50 guests with full access to the entire museum, including the Wonder Workshop + Bigonzo! Rooms. At least 3 staff members to help with all your museum fun!
It’s the ultimate birthday experience with plenty of room for play, laughter, and memories! Parties must be scheduled 14 days in advance.
Enter Here
Fill out the form below to be entered the WIN this amazing prize!
Your birthday party must be scheduled within one year of giveaway with at least 14 days notice. Parties can be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. Includes at least three staff members to help with museum-related needs.
| FINE PRINT: This giveaway will close on December 1, 2024, at 11 PM and the winners will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email accepting the prize. Must be scheduled within one year of giveaway. Days available: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. Must be scheduled at least 14 days in advance. No purchase necessary to enter the contest. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to grkids.com and not to Facebook. Entrants will release Facebook from all liability. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and reside in Michigan. Only one entry per household or IP address. Grand Rapids Kids’ liability is limited to the value of the prize. |
National Traveling Exhibits
A couple times a year, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum hosts exhibits that travel around the country.
2025’s line-up includes Very Eric Carle and Alma’s Way.
Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit
Runs Sept 21, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025
Step inside Eric Carle’s vibrant and dream-like world at the Very Eric Carle exhibit.
The stories you’re familiar with, whether from your own childhood or your child’s, come to life as kids crawl through grass like a clumsy beetle or “eat” through a maze of the Hungry Caterpillar’s favorite snacks.
Each story is a testament to Eric Carle’s love of nature, his respect for the emotional lives of children, and his recurring themes of friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination.
Alma’s Way: Welcome to My Neighborhood
Run May 23 – Sept 5, 2025
Alma’s Way: Welcome to My Neighborhood!, is an immersive exhibit developed and fabricated by The Magic House in collaboration with Fred Rogers Productions and PBS Kids.
The exhibit is based on Alma’s Way, the popular animated series on PBS KIDS®. The series follows the neighborhood adventures of 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her family and a diverse group of friends and neighbors.
Favorite Exhibits at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
While the open staircase can make the museum feel like one large space, GRCM actually features two floors of fun.
GR Children’s Museum houses several permanent exhibits like Bubbles, Little GR, and several rotating exhibits. Past favorites have been Just Fort Fun, Boxes, and Kidstruction Zone.
Within each of these areas the museum and their facilitators are ready to play, from dressing up to building, and from experimenting to sensory play, there is sure to be something your child will find themselves totally engrossed in.
Weathering Emotions
permanent rotating exhibit
Explore Weathering Emotions, where weather meets feelings!
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum’s newest interactive exhibit helps kids and families “weather life’s storms.” Explore emotions like sunny happiness and stormy sadness through the wonders of nature! Learn how to manage your inner weather—whether you’re feeling like a calm breeze or a swirling tornado.
This thoughtful and dynamic exhibit is designed to help children and families explore mental wellness through the lens of weather.
Play House
permanent rotating exhibit
Play pretend in the Play House exhibit at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
This cozy house invites kids to explore the world of dramatic play! Inside the house, you will find baby dolls with a crib and changing table, a puppet theater, and a living room full of plush pets.
Kids can cook in the kitchen or play “outside” in the yard complete with an apple tree and lawn mowers.
Mitten Kids Dental
permanent rotating exhibit
Visit the dentist – or pretend to be one – at Mitten Kids Dental. This rotating exhibits returns to GRCM Winter 2024 – May 2025.
Little GR
permanent exhibit
One of GRCM’s flagship exhibits, Little GR features mini versions of Grand Rapids businesses where kids can pretend in their own little city for hours.
You may have to pry your kids away from Little Grand Rapids. There is so much to do in this exhibit!
Favorites include a mini Meijer, complete with lots of play food, shopping carts and even a checkout.
Kids can also bank, get pizza, repair cars, hit up the post office and more.
The Spin Zone
permanent exhibit
Pint-sized scientists will marvel at this three-tired, fully accessible exhibit.
And honestly, grown ups will, too, as you play around with centrifugal force.
Train Table
permanent exhibit
This is the train table to end all train tables for kids who love trains! Build, create, and imagine until your heart’s content.
You’ll find multiple levels on which to play, and hundreds of train tracks, cars, and train station pieces to put together.
The possibilities are nearly endless.
Bubbles
permanent exhibit
Possibly the most well-known part of GRCM is the giant bubbles exhibit!
Kids can try making their own massive bubbles at the giant bubble table or even stand inside a bubble at the bubble tower.
(Nothing is cooler than being enclosed by a giant bubble! It’s tricky for young kids to get the rope soaked in the soap and pull slowly enough for the bubble to form, but the giggles and grins as the bubble pops are contagious.)
Experiment with the different shaped bubble wands, too.
Pro tip: Save this exhibit for last because kids often want to play here forever!
The Live Hive
permanent exhibit
Watch a real, live beehive hard at work at GRCM’s second floor.
But don’t worry, you can’t get stung! Watch bees build their honeycomb in a fully-enclosed case – and then fly outside via a tube in the wall.
Special Events, Museum Rentals & Birthday Parties
Throughout the year GRCM hosts two to three events geared specifically to adults.
These events have ranged from murder mysteries to 90’s dance parties, and even a Carnival.
GRCM gives you space to engage with the theme as well with some of the typical exhibits they have (not going to lie, I love being able to build something and not have it immediately knocked down by an exuberant 2-year-old).
Rent the Museum
One of the most exciting ways to engage at GRCM is through a museum rental.
You get the whole museum to yourself on one of the days they’re closed to the public.
At least three staff members are present to help, and you also have access to a multi-purpose room for cake, presentations, and activities.
If you’ve never experienced a Children’s Museum party, you’re missing out. It’s so fun to watch kids AND grown-ups exploring every exhibit with huge smiles on their faces.
Memberships and Discounts
Your family will have so much fun at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum that you’ll want to come back again and again.
Good news – GRCM has discount opportunities!
Become a Member
The best way to get the biggest bang for your buck is to purchase a membership.
From family to grandparent, there is a membership level to suit your needs – and budget. GRCM offers a Pay What You Can membership level for families who qualify for EBT / WIC.
Members get free admission to the museum for one year plus other perks like gift shop and rental discounts, member-only play times and special events and ACM reciprocals to over 200 different museums across the U.S. The Cultural Exchange grants free admission to different family attractions around Michigan – a different place every month of the year.
Black Friday Membership Flash Sale
Mark your calendars for GRCM’s annual membership sale! Friday, November 29 – Monday, December 2, 2024.
$15 off ALL Membership levels for one weekend only
Code: GRCM15
Don’t miss your chance to snag this once a year deal!
Museums for All
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum participates in the Museums For All program.
Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to more than 1,300 museums throughout the United States by presenting their EBT card and a photo ID.
Those who qualify can visit GRCM for $1.75 per person, up to 12 people per card.
Why Does the GRCM Focus on Play?
Play springs up naturally in children and grows organically out of their imaginations.
How many times has your toddler shown more interest in the box a shiny new toy came in than in the toy itself?
Play cannot be forced or coerced. The best way to let kids enter into the “work of play” is to give them a few options and let them figure out what to do from there.
A place like Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is a wonderland of play.
The best part is that all this play is so much more than entertainment.
Play is learning.
As our kids pursue these delights, they are establishing strong foundations for the motor skills- balancing and climbing build gross motor skills, while deftly building with Legos, and painting help to refine fine motor skills.
Play enriches a child’s imagination. It develops language skills, fosters empathy, and helps kids become ace problem-solvers.
GRCM promotes play-based learning because it’s great for our kids.
Sensory Support
For children with sensory sensitivities, entering the Grand Rapid Children’s Museum may be a very overwhelming experience.
With all of the lights, noises, colors, and business of the other children–they may feel overstimulated and unable to focus.
For this reason, some parents of special needs kids would simply avoid a visit.
But Grand Rapids Children’s Museum wants ALL children to be able to enjoy their wonderland of learning fun, so they set out to create a safe experience for all kids.
GRCM has Sensory Resource Toolkits available for checkout at the front desk.
A LOOK INSIDE THE SENSORY RESOURCE TOOLKITS
| kid-size weighted compression vests | noise-reducing headphones |
| fidget tools | weighted suspenders |
| emotion recognition flash cards | GRCM’s Social Story. (A social story is a first person account of a visit to the museum to help visitors feel prepared for the different exhibits.) |
These toolkits help children with sensory sensitivities to feel more at home in the museum and allow parents the peace of mind that their children will have fun without the risk of sensory overload.
They were created specifically for these children in mind and the items were chosen with advice from therapists, Fun and Function, and the Autism Alliance of Michigan.
Tips for Visiting the Children’s Museum with Your Child That Needs Sensory Support
- Before you go, visit the museum’s website to check the schedule and verify hours and special programming. (Field trips and museum rentals are now scheduled on days when the museum is closed.)
- Review the Social Story at home. This explains all of the different exhibits to prepare your child and to know if there are some to avoid.
- Call ahead at 616-235-4726 to reserve a Sensory Resource Toolkit.
- Enjoy your time at the museum!
- Even if you can’t make it to the Children’s Museum downtown, you can browse their site for ideas for games and simple crafts and projects.
- Also, keep your eyes peeled for their museum-on-wheels that brings play to communities all over Michigan.
Play More When You Become a Volunteer
No matter your age, GRCM is a fun place to spend a few hours.
No young kids at home? Have a teen looking for service hours? Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is the perfect place to volunteer.
GRCM is always looking for passionate individuals who are friendly, energetic, dependable, and – most importantly – who love to play!
Anyone age 14 and over can be a volunteer. This is a great way to earn community service hours, develop new skills, and be part of a playful community.
Good to Know: Hours, Parking, Admission
No matter your age, play should be a part of your life.
Hours
Hours vary by season and are extended on school vacations. Before heading out, check their website or social media for current hours.
Typical hours are:
Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 9 AM – 4 PM
Thursday: 9 AM – 7 PM
Sunday: 12 PM – 4 PM
Closed Mondays and Wednesdays (members only hours on select Mondays)
Admission
| under 1 and members | free |
| ages 1-64 | $12 |
| seniors (65+) | $11 |
| healthcare workers and first responders family members | $10 |
| active military family members (with ID) | $10 |
| school faculty member families | $10 |
| museums for all (EBT or WIC card holders, up to 12 people per card) | $1.75 |
Location
11 Sheldon Ave, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Parking
There is street parking available in front of the museum or around the square.
Parking on Sheldon St in front of the museum has a three-hour limit and the other streets are two hours.
Now that the meters run on the MOTU app, it’s so easy to keep track of your remaining time.
What Do You Love Best?
Has your family been to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum? What do you like best? Let us know in the comments below!
The GRCM would be a great place to have a Birthday party!
My daughter has always wanted a party here!
My kiddos would love this to share with their friends!