Grand Rapids, Michigan, is renowned for its vibrant arts scene, craft breweries, and rich history. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest, it offers a perfect blend of urban charm and natural beauty. Downtown Grand Rapids boasts numerous unique event spaces and venues, making it an ideal location for corporate events, networking gatherings, and private celebrations.
Perched high atop the John Ball Zoo is the Bissell Tree House. It's nestled on one of the city's highest points, providing breathtaking views and gorgeous photo shoot opportunities. The city also features the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a stunning locale that hosts various cultural events and exhibitions. For smaller functions, many venues offer a semi-private back room, ensuring an intimate atmosphere.
Grand Rapids Children's Museum is another gem, often used for interactive and family-friendly events. An interesting fact about Grand Rapids is that it’s known as "Furniture City," reflecting its historical significance in furniture manufacturing. This dynamic city continues to attract visitors and residents with its diverse offerings and welcoming community.
Grand Rapids is a nice city just outside of Lake Michigan, and it offers countless fun attractions. Make sure to check out some of these exciting indoor and outdoor events to round out your stay.
Children’s Museum
Grand Rapids Children's Museum offers two floors of hands-on exhibits, fun activities, and family-friendly adventures. It's built specifically to entertain, teach, and satisfy your child’s curiosity in a super exciting way. The Children’s Museum has tons of skill-building activities and teaching exhibits that put your child right in the middle of all the action. What better way to learn than to be completely immersed in interactive experiences? Plus, it has an event space for baby showers, private events, and more.
Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery
For over 100 years, Robinette’s has entertained visitors and locals alike with their walking tours, apple picking, and winery. Take the family or go on a romantic excursion to Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery for a fun, unique experience. And maybe pick up a bottle of house-made wine at the gift shop. Located near the event venues and attractions of Grand Rapids and the excitement of the West Michigan Whitecaps, Robinette’s is a standout destination that provides a delightful experience for all visitors. If you want to do something different for your corporate event or social gathering, Robinette’s is the place to be.
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Who doesn’t love a good art museum? Grand Rapids Art Museum has a whole slew of exhibits, activities, and programs available to entertain, inform, and inspire its visitors every day. This is one of the city’s biggest attractions and is well worth the trip. With its stunning architecture and central location, this Art Museum is a sweet house of culture and elegance you can tour before or after your next event.
Finding the right production location for your next shoot requires a lot of factors. You must decide if it is indoors or outdoors, simple, or extravagant. All these different options can be found in Grand Rapids.
Green Screen Room
Can't find the perfect film shoot location for your music video or feature film? A green room is probably your best option. Some studios in Grand Rapids are equipped with a green screen room that's available in various sizes and shapes, which gives the producer plenty of freedom to create whatever type of setting their shoot requires. With the magic of editing software, you can turn any blank white room into any building, planet, or dreamscape you can imagine.
Lobby
When a photographer needs a photoshoot to take place in an office building, they may need to find a waiting area in which to film. These places vary significantly in size, style, and shape, but the general vibe is the same with all of them. If this is something your shoot might need, consider booking a lobby area with a bar for photoshoots in Grand Rapids.
Exotic Vehicles
Certain projects need a certain pizzazz that is hard to come by. An exotic car could be that extra bump your shoot needs to reach the next level. There are tons of great vehicles out there that can really be the centerpiece for production, Be they vintage trucks, exotic sports cars, giant vans, or school buses, the right car makes all the difference. Franchises like Gone in 60 Seconds and The Italian Job have made cars the focal point of their productions.
Empty House or Apartment
Sometimes a shoot needs a little slice of home in it. That is where an empty apartment or home can come into play. Instead of building a huge set, you can rent a house or apartment to shoot certain sequences or images that look realistic. Look for properties with wall hangings, furniture, carpets, and chandeliers to make them more homey, or design them based on the look and style you want to create. A Grand Rapids photoshoot could be pulled together nicely in the right home. You can also transform other parts of the house into meeting rooms for the cast and crew.
Event planning can be a tiresome process. Finding the right location is also a lot of work, but that can be where the fun starts. Think about what you need for the occasion, then search for an event center or a private party venue that satisfies those needs.
Rooftops
If you plan cocktail hours or networking events in a casual yet unique place in Grand Rapids, consider throwing your private event on a rooftop. These locations incorporate city life and the natural world into one venue. It promotes freedom, joy, and excitement as you party above the city with the endless sky as your ceiling and the stars and city lights at night as your decor.
Conference Rooms
No need to get too crazy with your options when the tried-and-true classics work best. For your next meeting in Grand Rapids, maybe check out what kinds of conference rooms (or boardrooms) are available in the area. They provide a private room for all your clients or associates, as well as all the proper equipment like tables, chairs, and outlets.
Gardens
With proper weather, a garden party could be the perfect location for your outdoor gathering. Often, gardens are walkable and are surrounded by beautiful budding roses, petunias, daffodils, and so much more. You are sure to also find statues, fountains, and roaming wildlife in a well-kept garden. Depending on the size, they can accommodate a good number of guests as well.
Restaurants
When hosting birthday parties in Grand Rapids, restaurants and bars are the likely venue. That's often because they're typically well-versed in hosting events and have systems in place to bring your vision into a successful reality. Some high-end restaurants even have beverage services, meeting spaces, private rooms, and rental halls you can book for any occasion. If this sounds like something that would fit well with your vision, consider booking an artistically decorated restaurant in Grand Rapids.
