This Midwest City Is Known As ‘Beer City, USA’—and It Has World-class Dining, River Views, and 35+ Breweries

Key Points

• In Grand Rapids, Michigan, visitors can marvel at works from world-famous artists and sip craft brews at more than 35 unique establishments.

• Spend an afternoon meandering the 158 acres of sculptures and plants at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

• Book a stay at CityFlatsHotel, an eco-friendly, 48-key property tucked into a historic building downtown.

Despite boasting a population of around 200,000 and an impressive array of public art, the West Michigan city of Grand Rapids continually falls under the radar when it comes to Midwest travel destinations. Detroit’s big-city culture, the Mitten State’s Upper Peninsula, and Mackinac Island tend to get all the love, but to me, Grand Rapids has a little bit of everything in one place.

As a long-time resident of the neighboring state of Wisconsin, I first visited Grand Rapids about 20 years ago and have returned many times since. It’s home to world-class architecture and design, gorgeous natural areas, and a diverse dining scene, to name a few of Grand Rapids’ best qualities. The many colleges here, like Kendall College of Art and Design and Davenport University, also infuse the city with a youthful energy.

Grand Rapids has long been a center for innovation. Founded on the banks of the Grand River in the first half of the 19th century, Grand Rapids was later dubbed “Furniture City” following an 1876 exhibition in Philadelphia. The Grand River powered factories and delivered wood to enable furniture production, a tradition that continues today at manufacturers like Steelcase. Grand Rapids has also gained some recognition on the beverage front, earning the nickname of “Beer City, USA” thanks to its flourishing craft beer scene—there are more than 35 breweries within city limits, and dozens more in the surrounding areas.

With that said, a trip to this city is about so much more than great furniture or beer. Here’s everything you need to know before planning a visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Best Things to Do

Grand Rapids is one of the Midwest’s best cities for the arts, attracting almost a million people to the 16-day international competition ArtPrize every fall. Even if you’re not in town during the festivities, though, you’ll have countless other opportunities to experience the local art scene. 

Wander through the permanent collection and temporary exhibits at the 125,000-square-foot Grand Rapids Art Museum, housed in a glossy building that debuted in 2007. The GRAM counts famous works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Andy Warhol, Mary Cassatt, and furniture-designer duo Charles and Ray Eames among its collection.

While downtown, you can also check out numerous public sculptures and murals, including monuments honoring Rosa Parks and Anna Sutherland Bissell (one of the country’s first female CEOs and a Grand Rapids community advocate), plus the iconic LOVE sculpture by pop artist Robert Indiana. The local tourism board, Experience Grand Rapids, has a full list of art stops, as well as a guide to 26 electrical boxes where female artists have painted portraits of influential women like Angela Davis, Rachel Carson, and Patti Smith. 

As you’ll likely discover during your time downtown, Grand Rapids is a city of neighborhoods. The Heritage Hill district is lined with impeccably preserved historic homes, such as the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Meyer May House, which you can see on a guided, 90-minute tour. Tours are completely free, unlike many other Wright sites around the country. 

For boutique shopping, you can easily spend an afternoon in Uptown, perusing Wealthy Street. Browse high-quality new and used outdoor goods at Feral and vintage clothing at IC Hair & Vintage, tucked into a hair salon just off the main drag, or make a custom candle at Sable. Then, grab a snack at Popnotch Goods, which specializes in popcorn in offbeat flavors like raspberry chocolate, Michigan blueberry, and dill pickle. 

To get in some more strolling, plan to spend at least two hours at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, open year-round. Sculptures from world-renowned artists like Auguste Rodin are thoughtfully arranged across the 158-acre landscape, and the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, designed by Hoichi Kurisu, has an authentic teahouse that often hosts tea ceremonies. Through Jan. 10, 2027, the Frederik Meijer Gardens will also display an indoor exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s stunning glassware.

Outside of the gardens and downtown, Grand Rapids also has more than 60 miles of multi-use trails, a mix of paved and natural surfaces that stay open year-round. In the winter, you could go cross-country skiing if there’s enough snowfall, and a warm summer or fall day is an ideal time for a hike. As for cyclists, rental bikes are available from Grand Rapids Bicycle Co.

Where to Eat and Drink

From big-name brands with national distribution (such as Founders Brewing Co.) to small-production spots in quirky settings (like Brewery Vivant) Grand Rapids’ 35-plus breweries have a pour for every kind of personality and palate. The Beer City Ale Trail map is your bible for creating a custom experience, whether you want to get into a flow state at Archival Brewing’s Yoga on Tap series or play indoor pickleball at Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits. If you’d rather browse from a bigger beer list, visit one of HopCat’s two Grand Rapids locations, which have 39 brews on tap and are famous for its Cosmik fries.

Several distilleries have also popped up throughout Grand Rapids in recent years, including Long Road Distillers. At Long Road’s tasting room, you can sample made-on-site gin, vodka, and more, plus classic comfort foods such as burgers and chicken sandwiches.

Dining in the rest of Grand Rapids spans a truly global flavor profile. Grab an order of taco de migas or concha French toast, topped with dulce de leche whipped cream, in a former 1920s service station at Donkey Taqueria. Another popular brunch spot is Social Misfits, where the all-day waffle menu includes savory hits like the yasuke waffles, accented with furikake, sriracha aioli, and a soft-boiled egg.

At Max’s South Seas Hideaway, you can take a mini trip to the tropics with mai tais and pu pu platters, loaded with pineapple barbecue steak fries, chicken wings, chicken satay, and vegetable spring rolls. And a short walk away on the edge of downtown, Littlebird serves a New American menu that honors multiple culinary traditions via dishes like the lobster spaghettini and wagyu flank steak.

Where to Stay

The two largest hotels in Grand Rapids are the 664-room Amway Grand Plaza and the 331-room JW Marriott Grand Rapids. Both properties have spas and multiple dining outlets, plus fun bars, like the speakeasy-style IDC at Amway Grand Plaza and JW Marriott’s Jdek at Margaux, perched on a patio overlooking the Grand River. 

For a more intimate stay, Grand Rapids has two charming micro-hotels: The Finnley and The BlueJay. Each has just a handful of rooms with exposed-brick walls, and both are close to Grand Rapids’ many restaurants and shops. Similar to an Airbnb, these properties are self-check-in and have no amenities like restaurants or pools on site, but you do get to enjoy an apartment-sized spread in a central location.

My personal favorite spot to check in for the weekend is CityFlatsHotel, a nice compromise between the smaller stays and resort-style hotels. Situated in an early 1900s building downtown, the 48 rooms have eco-friendly touches like bamboo linens and cork flooring. Rideshare services are readily available to get to destinations outside of downtown, though you can also stay and dine on farm-to-table cuisine at CitySēn Lounge.

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