These Unique Date in Grand Rapids Will Keep the Spark Alive
Dates in Grand Rapids with your cutie are always fun, but sometimes you can get stuck in the traditional “dinner & a movie” rut. (We don’t blame you – Grand Rapids has some fab date night restaurants!)
We’ve been there too, and wanted to know what else there is to do in Grand Rapids. Boy, did we find a lot!
Kiss the “same old-same old” good-bye with this list of unique dates in Grand Rapids.
From thrill seekers to chill seekers, creatives to puzzlers, sports fans to table gamers, Grand Rapids is challenging you to make your next date anything but ordinary!
Feature image courtesy of Skydive Grand Haven.
Thrill Seeker Dates in Grand Rapids
Nothing gets the blood flowing like a jolt of adrenaline. While jumping out of a plane is an option for the fantastically daring, you may not be ready for that big of a thrill.
You can still take to the skies with aerial obstacle courses at TreeRunner and then paddle off with a tandem kayak rental from Rogue River Rentals.
Climb to great heights when you’re rigged up at either Higher Ground or Inside Moves, or see how far you can go without a rope when you try bouldering at Terra Firma.
Find out just how graceful you can be when you drop in for an aerial silks or hoops class with the Grand Rapids Circus. In winter months, you can streak down the luge track or go for an ice-skating stroll on the ¼ mile skating trail at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex.
Detective Dates in Grand Rapids
Less extreme, but still sure to get you worked up, are the brain teasers, puzzles, and search for clues that go into escaping from a locked room in less than an hour.
With different themes and styles there is certainly a storyline to fit your fancy, whether you are preventing a missile launch, stopping a viral outbreak, or solving a crime, there are a whole host of options to choose from in the metro-Grand Rapids area.
If you want something to fill even more time, why not make a whole evening of it when you visit a murder mystery dinner. (To learn more about these mystery dinners, check out the Mystery Date that we sent Jaymen and Christina on!)
Creative Dates in Grand Rapids
For a calmer scene, nothing quite draws two people together than to work together or side by side to create something wonderful.
Cooking classes are a big hit for many dates. Indulge your sweet tooth with your sweetheart with the perfect paper thin crepe at Brown Butter Creperie.
Or build a charcuterie board together with Nibble+Nosh.
You can also shape your own pottery pieces with drop in sessions at Pottery Lane GR, painting a canvas under the tutelage of an instructor at Painting with a Twist or at Brush Studio. Paint pottery, fuse glass, or craft wood pallet signs at The Mud Room, you can unleash your creativity and imaginations together.
Beer and Board Games Dates
I think it’s safe to say that Geek-Chic is strong these days, but that’s a good thing, because embracing one’s geekiness (as well as your significant other’s geekiness) is something to be celebrated.
Game night is making a come back, but beyond staples like Sorry, Monopoly, and Uno, board and card games are adding new titles constantly. So why not pick out a new game, settle into a cozy place with a favorite drink in hand and get your game on?
House Rules Lounge near Downtown Market is the best place to board game + beer. They have 500+ games to play. Reserve a table, hit up their full bar for a cocktail, beer or wine before you choose the game you’d like to play.
A few other fun “drink & play” spots in GR include Cafe Boba with its comfy couches and coffee tables for your game playing. If you would like to sip on something more adult, check out Eastern Kille Distillery where you can bring your own board games to play.
On the Move Dates in Grand Rapids
Nourish your whole selves when you explore new ways to move together.
Get your feet moving as you waltz, samba, or tango into dance lessons at one of the three area Arthur Miller Dance Studios.
Shake up your workout by getting day passes to the Amway Grand Fitness Center that also feature pickleball courts, racquetball, and an indoor pool to swim in or lounge by. Book a private yoga session just for the two of you and learn poses and flows designed to be done together. These indoor date ideas may just be the ticket!
Check out a cruiser from a KDL branch and then peddle to the nearest trail for biking adventures.
Try one of the fastest growing sports in America, Pickleball. Ok stop laughing, I know it’s a funny name, but is honestly so much fun to play. Find a court here, schedule a pickleball lesson, or join The Grand Rapids Pickleball Club and play weekly on a league!
Chill Dates in Grand Rapids
In the words of Taylor Swift, “You need to calm down”, and these ideas might help let loose of everyday life stress.
While it seems like we are dissing the dinner + movie vibe, we actually love the movie idea – especially if it’s a movie night with the GR Symphony playing the soundtrack as you watch.
Finding a nearby spa is always a great choice to unwind, and men, don’t shy away! So many spas have products just for men these days. Beard facials and gentlemen pedicures are on almost everyone’s menus these days.
Book a private yoga session just for the two of you and learn poses and flows designed to be done together.
Feeling a little chilly and want to warm up? You can snuggle up together at a hot tub garden, or try flotation therapy. Floating in warm Epsom salt solution will help essentially a reboot your mind. Dissolve away stress stored in muscles, and put your body in an ultra deep state of rest and relaxation.
Let us know if you try out of these unique dates and how it went!
