Grand Rapids Public Museum
To inspire passionate curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
Mission
We exist to be a living monument of artifacts, ideas and stories told through exhibitions, events and educational programming designed to inspire, motivate and celebrate our human bond. We enrich the life of our community through experiences of the wider world in a uniquely Grand Rapids context.
Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Statement
The Grand Rapids Public Museum respects, values and honors the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. Diversity and Inclusion is gained from prioritizing both physical and cognitive accessibility to the broadest range of people in the communities we serve. We consider increased accessibility to be drivers of institutional excellence and knowledge for all, which will broaden the diversity of participation, thought and action. It is our aim, therefore, the expectation that our employees, users, partners, and key stakeholders embrace and reflect these core values to be inclusive of all.
GRPM Facts
▼ Oldest museum in Michigan founded in 1854.
▼ Collections contain more than 250,000 artifacts and specimens.
▼ The GRPM is deeply committed to creating an environment that is inclusive of all learning styles, ages, backgrounds, and physical and cognitive needs.
▼ The Chaffee Planetarium continues to impress audiences with scientific programming and state-of-the-art technology.
▼ Partnership Grand Rapids Public Museum School with GRPS, Kendall, GVSU, City of Grand Rapids and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. opened in the Fall of 2015.
▼ The Museum routinely brings in traveling exhibits throughout the year, combined with in-house exhibitions to satisfy a diverse range of interests and ages. Exhibit offerings are accompanied by innovative educational programming that visitors can expect to take part in on a routine basis.
▼ Offering a robust education program for schools that provide learners opportunities to explore culture, history and science through tours, hands-on activities, and guided exploration.
▼ Receives funding through a Kent County millage in partnership with John Ball Zoo to sustain operations; as part of the millage Kent County residents receive discounted general admission and free parking for their Museum visit.
Museum History
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is a place of never-ending inspiration and discovery, with a focus on science, history and culture.
The GRPM has a long history as an educational resource in the community. Founded in 1854 as the Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History, the Museum’s first collections were the “Cabinets of Curiosities” put together by important civic leaders such as John Ball.
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In 1868 the Lyceum merged with the Grand Rapids Scientific Club, a group of local high school students who contributed their youthful enthusiasm, and their growing collections of specimens, to the institution. This broader focus brought the Museum out of the parlors of the gentlemen, and into the schools.
During the last decades of the 19th century, the Kent Scientific Institute was administered by the Board of Education, and the collections were displayed at Central High School.
By the beginning of the 20th century, it was clear that the growing museum collections needed a home of their own. In 1903, the Board of Education purchased the Howlett house at the corner of Jefferson and Washington Streets, a location that would become the Museum’s home for almost a century.
The “new” Museum was built during the Great Depression with WPA funds from the Federal Government. The building itself was a radical departure from most contemporary museums, and was described by Museum Director Frank DuMond as “accessible as a dime store and friendly as your next door neighbor.”
The Grand Rapids Public Museum began experimenting with planetarium equipment in the early 1960s, and hired its first curator for the new technology in 1964. The planetarium was eventually named after Grand Rapids astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, who was killed in the Apollo I disaster on January 27, 1967.
The GRPM’s current facility opened in 1994 on the west bank of the Grand River in the heart of downtown. It contains three floors of exhibits, the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, the Cook Carousel Pavilion, Meijer Theater, cafe, and gift shop.
Museum Sites
The GRPM’s main facility is the Van Andel Museum Center located in downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to the Van Andel Museum Center, the GRPM also manages a series of additional sites in and around Grand Rapids:
COMMUNITY ARCHIVES AND RESEARCH CENTER
223 Washington Street SE. The Community Archives and Research Center is a collaborative support facility which houses the historical document and artifact collections of the Grand Rapids Public Museum as well as the Grand Rapids City Archives and Record Center, and many Kent County records. Access by appointment or reserved (paid) tour, please email.
54 JEFFERSON
54 Jefferson Street. Completed in 1940 as the headquarters of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, this historic Art-Moderne, WPA-era building is now the future home of the Grand Rapids Public Museum High School.
CALKINS LAW OFFICE
Corner of Washington and State Streets. The Calkins Law Office (1836) is the oldest frame building in the Grand River Valley. This small Greek Revival building is located at the corner of Washington and State Street in southeast Grand Rapids. It was moved to its current location in 1971 and restored in celebration of the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. Access limited to outside only at this time.
JAMES C. VEEN OBSERVATORY
3308 Kissing Rock Avenue SE, Lowell. The Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association’s James C. Veen Observatory is an astronomical education and research center housing several fully equipped telescopes and support facilities. The Grand Rapids Public Museum collaborates with the GRAAA in presenting Veen Observatory Public Nights, and provides ongoing financial and administrative support. Public viewing nights scheduled through the Spring, Summer and Fall, visit graaa.org for details.
VOIGT HOUSE
115 College Ave SE. The (1895). Voigt House, carriage house and grounds are situated in Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill Historic District, just east of downtown, and serve as a time capsule of the late Victorian period with intact original family furnishings. There is no public access at this time.
THE MOUNDS
The Mounds are a 55 acre national historical landmark and one of only a few surviving Hopewellian burial mound groups that were once present in the lower Grand River Valley and the only one of which the mounds themselves are still in existence. Originally consisting of 17 burial mounds, it is located on a flood plain of the Grand River a short distance south of the city limits of Grand Rapids. The historical significance of this site was recognized in 1957 when it was listed on the Michigan Register of Historic Sites, and then again in 1965 when it was designated as a national historic landmark, and then listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is currently working with community input to develop future plans for respectful preservation of and educational access to the site. Until this important work is completed, all scientific studies throughout the entire Mounds and its related cultural resources collections will be restricted.
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