Public Museum of Grand Rapids
Encyclopedia
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, is among the oldest history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
museums in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The museum includes a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, a gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
, and a 1928 Spillman Carousel, which is situated in a pavilion over the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
. The Museum building also houses the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium
The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, named for astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, was constructed in the early 1960s as part of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. The facility initially featured a plaster dome and a Goto Optics mechanical star projector. Among the planetarium's first shows was "Star of...
. The current Pearl Street N.W. location, built in 1994, replaced the former Art Deco location on Jefferson Avenue S.E. That building now serves as a community archive.
The museum also operates the Voigt House Victorian Museum, located at 115 College Ave. SE. The Voigt house (built in 1896 & last furnished in 1907) was the residence of the Carl Voigt family for over 76 years. Donated to the Grand Rapids Foundation upon the death of the youngest child Ralph Voigt in 1971, the property came into the eventual possession of the museum. The Voigt house is an amazing time capsule to the late Victorian era, with everything surprisingly intact having never been remodeled by the family over the decades.
Permanent exhibits
- Anishinabek: The People of This Place
- The story of the Native American culture of West Michigan
- The Furniture City
- An exploration of Grand Rapids' colorful heritage of the furniture manufacturing capital of the world.
- The Streets of Old Grand Rapids
- A 1904 nearly lifesize recreation of and allegorical Grand Rapids business district of a century ago.
- Habitats
- A look at both the eco-systems of Western Michigan along with the history of the museum as an interpreter of the natural world.
- Collecting A through Z
- This alphabet-linked exhibit provides a means to bring out artifacts from many of the museum's collections e.g. "D is for Dolls"
The "Newcomers" exhibition is the most recent permanent exhibition at the Public Museum. This exhibition showcases the variety of ethnic groups that have contributed their unique imprints to the greater Grand Rapids community.
Situated on the banks of the Grand River (Anishinaabe name: "Owashtanong") the Museum's colorful Spillman carousel provides rides, music, and delight to visitors young and old.
Located just across the street from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum the Public Museum provides a full-day destination for visitors to one of Michigan's most dynamic cities.