"There are two kinds of education you
get in this world.
One you get from others, and another you give yourself."
Gerald R. Ford
38th President of the United States
Most people in West Michigan watched as our native son, Gerald R.
Ford, was brought home to be buried in Grand Rapids. Now is a good
time to take your children to visit the Gerald R. Ford Museum in
downtown Grand Rapids. They will have learned about his life and
legacy at school and will be interested in visiting the museum in
his honor and seeing his gravesite.
Children will be awed by the replica of the Oval Office and the
exhibit of life in the 1970s when Ford was president. There is an
authentic Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey helicopter, and the actual staircase
that sat on top of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon when the city fell
to the Communist Army. Parents will appreciate the exhibits about
Ford’s childhood in Grand Rapids and his leadership during
the dark days at the end of the Vietnam War and Nixon’s resignation.
The museum is hosting a special exhibit called, Slavery on Trial:
The Long Road to Freedom. The exhibit examines the institution of
slavery in the United States, from the colonial roots through the
Civil War. It will be open during spring break.
Getting to the Gerald R. Ford Museum is very easy –take Interstate
131 north to Grand Rapids and exit at the Pearl St. exit. The Museum
will be at the exit. It is open daily from 9-5.
Walk across the bridge on Pearl Street, and you will find several
places to eat lunch right on Pearl Street. Or, turn right on Monroe
and walk a couple of blocks to a warehouse called “The B.O.B.” at
20 Monroe Ave. Bobarino’s, on the second floor, serves a pizza
buffet at lunch for $4.99.
If you have more time: You might want to visit the VanAndel Museum
on Pearl St. across from the Ford Museum. It has many child-pleasing
exhibits including a huge indoor merry-go-round.
If you go: Cost for 4 people
Ford Museum: free
Van Andel Museum: $20
Lunch at Bobarino’s 4 pizza buffets: $25
Total cost: $45
Gerald R. Ford Museum 616-254-0400/www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov
VanAndel Museum 616-456-3977/www.grmuseum.org
Bobarino’s 616-356-2000/www.thegilmorecollection.com
Day Trip #2
Kingman Beach
at Kingman Museum in the Leila Arboretum,
Battle Creek
Visit a “beach” close to home at the Kingman Museum
in Battle Creek. Throughout the week of spring break, participants
will explore the ocean and the creatures that live there through
museum items, games, and other fun activities. Children 6 to 12 are
invited to come one time or all week. Pre registration is required.
The Kingman Museum is located in the Leila Arboretum on West Michigan
St. in Battle Creek. Among the many exhibits at the museum are a
full skeleton of a Sabre-toothed tiger, a dire wolf and a mounted
polar bear. The museum is currently expanding and will include
new geology exhibits as well as dinosaur exhibits. There are frequent
planetarium shows. Check the website for planetarium showtimes.
For lunch, try the Bici Bistro located in downtown Battle Creek.
This is a bicycle-themed bistro with a lot of bicycle memorabilia.
They serve sandwiches and hand-tossed pizza.
If you have more time: Take a walk through the Leila Arboretum and
the Children’s
Garden to see spring coming, or if it raining, spend the rest of
the day at Full Blast, the indoor water park, skating rink, and activity
center in downtown Battle Creek at 35 Hamblin Ave.
If you go: Cost for 4 people
Kingman Beach: $15/family or $5 per child for beach camp
Lunch at Bici Bistro(pizza and soda): $25
Full Blast: $15/person
Total Cost: $100
Kingman Museum 269-965-5117 /www.kingmanmuseum.org
Full Blast Battle Creek 269-966-3667/www.fullblast.org
Day Trip #3:
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum
Visit Moneyville
Money isn’t just about dollars and cents. The ancient Aztecs
used chocolate for money, and Yap Islanders used 500 pound stones!
So what is money and how does it work? At the Kalamazoo Valley Museum,
a highly interactive exhibit, Moneyville, allows visitors to explore
the history, science, math, and economics behind money. Embark on
an exciting hands-on tour through a money factory, anti-counterfeiting
lab, a bank, a shopping district, a stock market, and an international
shipping dock. Through activities and games learn strategies to help
in real-life decision making.
This outstanding special exhibit is only one part of a great day
that can be spent at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum located at 230 N.
Rose St. From 1-4 every afternoon (April 2-6) children can engage
in art activities that go with a favorite children’s book.
Here is the schedule:
April 2: Dream Weaver
April 3: The Blue Faience Hippopotamus
April 4: The Money Tree
April 5: Paper John
April 6: The Dream Stealer
Children will also enjoy “Show and Tell,” an exhibit
that highlights private collections from individuals in the community.
If you have never eaten at the Coney Island Hot Dogs on Michigan
Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo, this might be a good time. It has been
a Kalamazoo tradition since 1929. About a three block walk from the
museum, the Coney Island is located at 266 E. Michigan Ave.
If you have more time:
Try out the new Rave Motion Pictures Cityplace which is at 180 Portage
Rd. It has 14 screens and lots of video games; a great place to spend
a rainy spring afternoon.
If you go: Cost for 4 people
Kalamazoo Valley Museum: free
Coney Island Hot dogs: four Coney Dogs/four sodas: $14.42
Rave Cityplace: 4 admissions: $24
Total cost for the day $58.42
Kalamazoo Valley Museum 269-373-7990/www.kalamazoovalleymuseum.org
Coney Island Hot Dogs: 269-382-0377
Rave Motion Pictures Cityplace 14: 269-381-5732/www.fandango.com
Day Trip #4: Curious Kids Museum; St. Joseph
Spend a lovely afternoon and evening in St. Joseph, the home of
one of the best children’s museums in Michigan. Situated in an
old mansion at 415 Lake Boulevard in St. Joseph, Curious Kids Museum
is two floors of pure excitement and fun for children of all ages.
Every aspect of the museum is interactive and hands-on. Unlike
museums that focus on education, this museum focuses on play, but
this is “educational” play at its finest. There are
volcanoes that erupt, dinosaur bones to be dug, puppet shows to
be presented, a classroom from a foreign country to visit, apples
to be picked and space-age cars to be driven. One of the most remarkable
aspects of the museum is the home-grown, imaginative nature of
each exhibit. Children don’t notice the clever way the exhibit
is built or how much they are learning –they only notice
how much fun they are having.
Dining at Schu’s, 501 Pleasant St., is a St. Joseph tradition.
Overlooking the beach, the restaurant features traditional food and
includes a kids menu. Ice cream at Kilwins, 361 State St., and a
walk to the lighthouse at sunset will complete your St. Joseph adventure.
Have more time? Stop in the Box Factory for the Arts, which is operated
by the Krasl Art Center. The Box Factory,1101 Broad St., features
several working studios, galleries, and shops.
If you go: Cost for 4 people
Admission to Curious Kids Museum: $16
Supper at Schu’s (hamburgers and sodas): $30
Ice Cream Cones at Kilwins: 4@$3.50 $15
Sunset: FREE
Total Cost for the Day: $61
Curious Kids Museum 269-983-CKIDwww.curiouskidsmuseum.org
Schu’s
Grill and Bar 269-983-7248/www.schus.com
Kilwin’s 269-983-1330/www.kilwins.com/stores
Box Factory for the Arts 269-983-3688/www.boxfactoryforthearts.org
