We visited the museum on a very rainy day...and everyone else in town had the same idea…read more The museum is great - skewing younger (~18 months and up) but there are things for older kids to enjoy. There is a small ball pit, sand, castle and then as you work through the rooms there are all sorts of things to do and snippets of information all throughout. If I had any complaints it was that parking was small and you have to go all over the place to find parking. Great spot for small ones to get out of the rain and keep them occupied.

Excellent aviation museum. It's smaller than the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio, but…read morethat gives it a more intimate feel. There are fewer barriers, so visitors can get much closer to the aircraft. The enormous size of the F-14 is especially impressive when compared with the F-18 or older A-4. One volunteer shared some negative comments about museum leadership and mentioned that another volunteer had sprayed cleaning chemicals inside the F-117A bomb bay door, which reportedly smeared some of the signatures preserved there. This felt more like an internal museum matter than part of the visitor experience. The sci-fi and Alien exhibits also seemed somewhat separate from the museum's core aviation focus. Overall, the aircraft collection is excellent. Seeing the F-117A was a major highlight, and being able to walk right up to the very rare SR-71B made the visit especially worthwhile.

Once again, the courtesy at the air zoo can't be beat…read more We went with a medium sized homeschool group, and everyone was very kind and helpful and pleasant. I love how knowledgeable the staff was and how accommodating people were when we had a variety of ages of children. We always love coming to the zoo and I can rest easy that the staff is always very helpful and accommodating. My only criticism would be that we have some significant in anaphylactic allergens and the staff at Kitty Hawk Café didn't seem to be very knowledgeable about allergens and cross contamination, so we didn't feel safe at all getting any food there. I highly recommend bringing a cooler and leaving it in your car if you have allergies.

My toddler was in heaven at this place! It's $8 a person (12 months and older). They have a toddler…read morearea for 4 and under but every area has stuff for every age kid. The staff are nice and keep the areas clean. They do have a storytime but we opted out to get a little more time away from the other kids as it can get overwhelming. I would recommend this for younger age range as some of the older kids seemed to get bored at some of the areas

This place is perfect for kids! A well established gem in St. Joseph, Michigan. My 5 yr old son…read moreand husband go there when I need a need a "mom" break. Please keep this place open forever!!

This is such a great free museum! Nate and I were in town recently and wanted something to do, so…read morewe stopped in. We were greeted at the front desk and given the layout of the museum. I love that they have free lockers to store your coat and personal items. Really handy as we had our winter coats on. The museum has a few special exhibits as well as a permanent collection that includes a ton of information on the history of Kalamazoo, a mummy, and a planetarium. (The planetarium show is $3 per person.) We learned about the Kalamazoo State Hospital and explored the super cool traveling exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. I learned a lot about animals' skin and their adaptations, how skin has informed technology, and how skin has affected people historically in terms of racism and prejudice. There are a few interactive elements to the exhibit but I think it would be best for middle school kids and up. The museum overall was well kept and for the most part had working installations. I saw some kids playing and the history of Kalamazoo was really interesting. It took us about two hours to explore the museum. It's not a place I need to go every time I'm in Kalamazoo, but I would say if you're a local and have never been, you should check it out. Or if you're visiting and looking for an indoor activity!

It's been many, many years since I've been to the museum. I was very proud to show my friend and…read moreher little one. The building of wonders and artifacts. I was surprised to see so many cool new things like a small diner, a storyboard, sounds machines, wind tunnels. It was really cool! Some of the local favorites were still there. Including the mummy which we just had to check out. After looking at that we went and played a game of fact or opinion! We didn't even realize we'd played for hours and hours. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

We finally stopped in to check out the Children's Museum in Fennville and it was such a great time!…read moreMy kids would have stayed the entire day! We were there at least two hours and they didn't want to leave. This is a great place for kids to use their imaginations and creativity. So many cute exhibits for them to pretend play, learn about science, experiment, build, etc. My 5 year old loved the Vet station, he spent a ton of time there. The sensory play area is fun! My 8 yo loved the ping pong ball bike and the area with all the cushions to build. He also really loved the Snap Circuits they had. There is a ton to do! Really cute! It is nice that it wasn't too crowded, but they still had a decent group of kids. It looks like they have a party room too to host events. A great spot!

Community supported play space, which was spot on for my toddler and young kid on a rainy…read moreafternoon. Plenty of opportunity to play and use their imaginations. We spent two hours there and they were sad when we had to leave. Donation-level admission costs, I thought it was money well spent. It's one really giant room that packs the activity in - and I appreciated not having to worry about losing my kids in a sea of crowds with multiple levels and rooms. Friendly staff and well kept facilities.

I enjoyed the old replica of the streets exhibit. It was neat to see them. It would have been nice…read moreto go in some of the shops. The dinosaurs were neat to see.

My son's class went there last month for his field trip. It's a great museum and would've been 5…read morestars, but a pipe had burst and there was no old downtown Grand Rapids. That's my favorite exhibit, it was too bad the kids couldn't interact and learn from the volunteers dressed from that time period. The second floor was open and had a neat exhibit about sturgeon fish, dioramas of different habitats and an enlarged drop of water to see everything that lives in marshlands. It's a whole ecosystem! The carousel was also closed due to maintenance, another disappointment as the kids would've had fun riding this antique. The highlight for me was the planetarium. We were able to view a 15 minute show that was exciting and informative. I looked and found they have shows open to the public for $5 on their website. Worth checking out, though most shows may be geared for a younger population. GRPM is an educational haven full of curiosities and learning opportunities from whale bones, to fashion and all things that relate to Grand Rapids History. Definitely worth checking out. Enjoy a tasty lunch with their hand made sandwiches and soups of the day after a titillating planetarium show.

I attended the in-house flea market TRY NOT TO GET RAN OVER…read moreby golf carts small tractors and other home made vehicles They stink of exhaust fumes and they feel entitled to the walk ways between isles I'm not talking about persons with disability

This review is for the Antique Engine & Tractor Show held each September for $7.00 per adult, kids…read more12 and under are free for this you get access to some great "living" history and a large flea market, entertainment such as equipment parades, folk singers, sawmill demonstrations, magic show, and a consignment auction and plenty of food.There is camping available on the grounds, some sites with electricity. This is a great place to bring the kids or dad.

We found a place that offers kids a fun interactive hands on experience that includes some learning…read morealong the way. If your kiddos like to have fun and explore you need to visit the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. They have exhibits that change often that include local or even trending kids shows! The museum has two floors and has an elevator. They have an array of learning and interactive opportunities. You can find a list of days and times on their website! When we were there we got a chance to learn about music and the kids got to play some instruments. The museum is very inclusive and friendly! They offer sensory kits at the front desk if needed too! According to their website the "kits include noise reduction headphones, a weighted vest and suspenders, emotion recognition flashcards..." All the team members we have encountered have been kind and helpful! My only comment of suggestion would be for a little more adult seating in some of the "middle sections" of the museum. There are a few spots all along the walls but not much towards the middle. I understand it creates more opportunities for grownups to get involved with the kids too but for those of us with disabilities that need a minute to catch our breath it was difficult to find a spot close to where my kids were. Lots of interactive play and many memories made here! I highly suggest visiting. The rate to visit is $12 per person but they offer many types of discounted rates for different reasons. All rate information is available on their website. Parking can be a challenge as they do not have their own parking structure and the closest parking is side street meter parking that you can pay using the parking app. They do not validate parking.

What a cutie patootie children's museum! Grand Rapids Children's Museum is small, but it's…read moreeverything you need in a children's museum, and a great place for young children to play. I visited with a tween and teenager, so we were definitely a little older than the target age. That said, my children had a great time! I had to practically pull them away when it was time to leave. When we arrived, we were told to explore and "follow our hearts" around the museum. I loved that! This children's museum really encourages self-directed play, which is obvious by all of the fun, open-ended objects everywhere. You've got the giant blocks, magna-tiles, LEGO tables, pretend kitchen and house, and lots of other things. Both of my children gravitated to The Spin Zone, a three-tiered table that uses centrifugal force to power different objects. Upstairs, there's a bubble area, where you can create giant bubbles; a play house to pretend in; a train table to drive trains around; a makerspace to make stuff in; and an exhibit called Weathering Emotions, a walk-through spot where you can learn about and experience emotions. Some of these exhibits are permanent, and some are just visiting, so your visit might vary. I would say that the Grand Rapids Children's Museum is the perfect place for ages 2 to 10. Beyond that age, it's definitely fun, but it might not hold the attention of older kids. But that's OK! This children's museum is a space for the little kids, and that's perfect.