With Kids! 
Grand Rapids, Michigan is the only place in the world where you can start your day enjoying the masterpieces of Rodin and Chihuly, get in playtime at an interactive children’s museum, roam the forest, and then watch the sunset from an accessible beach. It’s a city destination that offers all of the big city favorites with a side of small town, beach vibes, and forest hideaways. We found excellent wheelchair accessibility in each of the aspects of Grand Rapids. In fact, in addition to accessible city attractions and a paved path through the forest, we visited the most accessible beach we’ve ever experienced.
Experience Grand Rapids graciously hosted our stay, but all opinions are fully my own.
When to Go
Michigan has a reputation for getting quite cold over the winter, so most guides will recommend visiting between June and November. That said, their World of Winter festival is the largest winter festival in the Midwest – and one of the 10 Most Epic U.S. Winter Festivals Worth Braving the Cold For, according to The Travel.
There’s a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities, so no time of year is a bad time. We visited during the peak of summer travel, but we didn’t find the crowds, or the heat, to be overwhelming.
Getting There and Around
We took our minivan for the ten hour drive to the city.
If your time is focused in the heart of the city, Grand Rapids is one that could be done well with public transportation. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is an easy bus ride from downtown via The Rapid bus system, Route 27 (Monday through Friday). All buses and routes are wheelchair accessible for all mobility aids.
What to Do
Cheers to a diverse city with a little bit of something for everyone! From strolls through sculpture gardens, to getting lost in nature, to interactive play for the littles – Grand Rapids is an accessible destination for all. Here’s what we loved!
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a big draw for the area. As the best sculpture park in the United States and one of the world’s top 45 most-visited art museums, they feature a collection of over 200 stunning sculptures from a variety of impressive artists, across 158 acres of gardens, merging art and nature seamlessly.
There’s a fun children’s garden with water tables in the shape of the Great Lakes. Even if you’re not hungry, check out the accessible café for Dale Chihuly’s glass rainbow across the ceiling.
The tram is not only wheelchair accessible but it’s also the best way to learn about art across the gardens. Roll on board and let your guide show you what makes the sculpture park so special.
All main pathways are wheelchair accessible, as well as restrooms, the gift shop, and the indoor exhibits and facilities. There was nothing that we had to skip because of accessibility. There’s plenty of handicap parking conveniently located in front of the entrance.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a Museums for All member, which means admission is only $2 with your ACCESS card. Don’t miss the indoor art exhibits, including masterpieces created solely with bugs!
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is not only loads of fun, but it’s also one of the most barrier-free children’s museums we’ve experienced. We were able to roll up to and through all of the exhibits. You can even create a giant bubble right around your wheelchair!
In addition to the usual tiny town, play theaters, art room, trains, and interactive building and play areas, they feature rotating exhibits. We were able to experience Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out – an interactive exhibit that allows visitors to explore the role of emotions, memory, and imagination in everyday life through hands-on and digital activities based on the film’s 5 core emotions. The extra fun is running through September 8th – a big hit with my Inside Out fans!
There are three metered handicap spaces just past the museum entrance. If these are full, there is metered street parking available all along the street. All exhibits were easily accessible, restrooms were spacious, and there is a nursing area available. Admission is only $1.75 with your disability ACCESS card (for the card holder and up to three guests).
Blandford Nature Center
Bird watching in the woods isn’t usually an option for families with wheelchairs, but it is when there are thoughtfully built accessible trails! Blandford Nature Center is a forest escape minutes from the city. Check out a free nature bag from the gift shop and then head to the paved trail to make the most of your bag of binoculars, scavenger hunts, bird guides, big catching gear, compass, and more. Sensory bags are also available.
When you’re done, visit the rescue animals in the Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center, use the accessible facilities, and then drive to the working farm to check out the goats (there is a walking path, but the mulch made it extremely difficult with a wheelchair).
This was an incredible way to feel lost in nature, just outside the city! Admission is $5 per person and covers all parts of the experience.
Grand Haven Beach
I map our vacations around accessible beaches, but Grand Haven has just changed my definition of accessible. Forget needing a companion to push a bulky beach wheelchair down to the water. At Grand Haven you can use a track chair to roll around on your own! This was the first time my son was able to navigate a beach completely independently.
Chairs are free, but must be reserved in advance. Call (616)847-1309 to reserve, or book online here. When you arrive, drive to the far end of the parking lot for accessible restrooms, Mobi mat, and track chair pick up.
When you’re done at the beach, check out the accessible path to the light house or head into town for street games, dining, all the beach vibes, and even a water and lights show at night. We especially enjoyed our stop at The Pump House for frozen yogurt with all the toppings.
John Ball Zoo
Who doesn’t love a good zoo with accessible access to all the animals? All main paths at John Ball Zoo are accessible and there were automatic doors for each exhibit. The easiest way to navigate with wheels is to take the funicular to the top of the zoo, and then follow the path down to see all 2,000+ animals. I suggest you call in advance to make sure the funicular is running. 616.336.4300. It was closed the day we visited, but the zoo was still accessible. We just had a full morning of rolling up hill.
From animal programs throughout the day, to special zoo events, there’s always some extra fun happening. Check out the schedule before you go.
Waterfront Parks
Lake Michigan isn’t the only water near Grand Rapids. Grand River runs through the heart of the city, and there are several lake and river options for exploring.
Canal Park has a paved path running along the east side of the river. There are some neat bridge views at the 6th street crossing. This is a red-winged blackbird nesting area, typically from mid June to early July, so be aware of your surroundings if you’re visiting in the early summer.
John Collins Park, in East Grand Rapids, is a lake front park with accessible paths along the water and accessible restrooms available. It’s also right outside of Gaslight Village which gives off all the cute small town vibes with boutique shopping and endless food options. There’s also an accessible splash pad in the center of town.
All Abilities Playground
Courtland Township’s universally accessible playground is brand new and by far the most inclusive play space we found. There is a little bit of mulch, but there are paved, or poured rubber, surfaces leading to all of the accessible equipment. The main play structure is ramped and there’s a sway glider and roll-on carousel. Map to 7450 14 Mile Rd NE, Rockford, MI 49341.
What to Eat
If you’re like me and great food is a top reason for why you travel, Grand Rapids won’t disappoint.
Downtown Market
Downtown Market is more than a good meal, it’s an experience. Variety is the spice of life with their variety of international food vendors and merchants. Oh, and, actual spices. I took a local Michigan seafood blend home for my husband!
Don’t miss the flight of ice cream at Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate.
The market has handicap parking directly next to ramped access. The indoor paths are spacious enough to make it easy to navigate even on busy days. Accessible restrooms upstairs – accessed by elevator.
Morning Belle – East Beltline
Morning Belle is all the breakfast/brunch charm with both healthy and indulgent dishes for all ages for a feel-good start to your day.
Zero entry access, wide paths between tables, accessible restrooms, and handicap parking. This location is three minutes away from The Frederik Meijer Gardens. You can join the waitlist ahead of time here.
City Built Brewing
I’m not even a beer drinker, but local breweries like City Built are always my favorite for getting a taste of the community. Delicious brew pub favorites and a kids menu centered around tacos make it a delicious dining experience for everyone. They also have a nice stash of board games to keep everyone happy while you wait!
Zero entry access. Indoor and outdoor accessible seating options. Located directly across from Canal Park.
Sundance Grill
Sundance Grill serves the best French toast I’ve ever had. Diner style, they’ll let you order chicken tenders for breakfast or pancakes for lunch. The kids’ menus also came with pre-meal snacks, which may be the best idea a restaurant’s ever had.
Enter via the corner door for ramped access. Accessible restrooms available. An easy stroll from the Amway Grand Plaza.
Where to Stay
I’m always thinking ahead for our next annual our Accessible Travel Awards and Amway Grand Plaza is ranking high amongst all of the hotels we’ve ever visited. It was promising from the start when we saw a wheelchair accessible slow-down button for the rotating doors, adjacent to the standard automatic sliding doors. When you scan your key card at your room door, the door opens automatically, making it easy to roll in. There’s an automatic door button on the inside making it just as easy to exit as it is to enter.
Wide, double doors, open out from the bathroom, which had a roll under sink and grab bars beside and behind the toilet. The roll in shower had the perfect set up for us, with the chair and moveable handle on the same end of the shower. Low bed height made for easy transfers.
The chair lift at the pool rotated to reach the hot tub. The Kitchen Counter by Wolfgang Puck and the Starbucks on site made for an easy start to the day. Valet parking is only $4 more than using the garage across the street, but if you do opt for the parking garage there’s a skywalk so you don’t have to worry about crossing traffic.
What We Missed
Somehow we never have time to make it through to all of the things we want to. Next time we visit, I’d love to spend some time at Millennium Park to visit one of the nation’s top splash parks and enjoy the waterfront. We’d also spend more time exploring downtown. We passed a lot of murals and sculptures driving between destinations, and it looked like there would be a lot to take in throughout center city.
Let me know if you find any other accessible gems that we should add to the itinerary for next time!
For more information about Grand Rapids, visit ExperienceGR.com