Some Cool Exhibits at the Grand Rapids Public Museum

Are you looking for something to do? Mask up and head to the Grand Rapids Public Museum! There are several cool exhibits currently on display that you might want to check out.

Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with Lego Bricks explores the relationships between humans, plants and animals through sculptures. These pieces of art are made with more than two million Lego bricks. As part of the exhibit, there is also a scavenger hunt to find animals in the exhibit. You can can begin your hunt by scanning any of the exhibit's QR codes.

Another exhibit with Legos is the Historic Lego Display featuring replicas of downtown Grand Rapids buildings as they looked in the 1920s. Some of these buildings include the McKay Tower and the City Hall building.

While going back in time in the City of Grand Rapids, check out the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train display. Many of us remember it as the "Santa's Rocket Express" in the old Herpolsheimer’s Department Store, which opened in 1949 at the corner of Fulton Street and Division Avenue. Many of us rode on the "Rocket Express" as kids. They have refurbished one of the old passenger cars from the monorail.

The "Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost" exhibit explores the subject of climate change through the lens of a thawing Arctic environment. The exhibit features a 30-foot-long Alaskan permafrost tunnel replica, fossil research stations and interactive games. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Experience the sights and smells of the nation’s only permafrost research tunnel. Permafrost is soil that has been frozen for at least two years, and it traps an enormous amount of carbon dioxide. As it thaws, carbon is released into the atmosphere. Explore real Ice Age fossils, ancient ice cores and engineering challenges posed by thawing permafrost.

Tickets must be purchased in advance to visit the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Tickets for general admission and the Wild Connections display can be purchased at grpm.org. There is an additional fee for the Wild Connections exhibit.

Masks are required during your museum visit.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located at 272 Pearl Street NW in downtown Grand Rapids. They are open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-5 pm.