This Grand Rapids Museum Has a Live Beehive Behind Glass and a Treehouse You Can Roll Into

Visiting a museum is one of the best kid-friendly activities, especially during a family vacation. When my family needs a respite from the outdoors, we visit the Grand Rapids Children's Museum—the perfect place for kids to roam free and enjoy an afternoon just for them.

Five founders opened this marvelous museum in 1993 with two exhibits in the Woodland Mall. But after a successful capital campaign and building donations, the museum moved downtown to its permanent location on Sheldon Avenue. For more than 20 years, the museum has celebrated the annual "Grand Rapids Day of Play" on July 31, a time when several engaging, interactive exhibits are on display for kids and kids at heart. This includes the popular Spin Zone, Little Grand Rapids, LEGOs, Bubbles, Beehive, and Train Table.

My family has an annual membership to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, which means we get a discount when we visit. We always start on the first floor at the Spin Zone, where you can spin balls and round wooden disks on tiered circular tables. We also love Little Grand Rapids, an exhibit with an interactive store with food, a conveyor belt, a cash register, and more. It has everything you need for amazing pretend play.

Upstairs, we spend time watching the bees in the Beehive. Bees fly into the hive through a tube outside the building, and dozens of them work away at converting pollen into honey. The clear walls of the hive allow visitors to watch this natural phenomenon happen up close.

The Bubbles exhibit is also a huge hit. Wide vats of bubble mix hold metal bubble wands, and when you slowly pick up the wands from the mixture, long, tubular bubbles form. As you can imagine, this delights visitors of all ages. But one of the coolest exhibits, in my opinion, is a pretend play veterinarian office, complete with a wall of crates to house all kinds of adorable stuffed animals. Kids could take them out, examine them with pretend medical tools, and more.

Kids who love trains and all things transportation will love the Train Table exhibit, an expansive wooden table holding movable train tracks, bridges, buildings, and vehicles. We could honestly stay in this area of the museum all afternoon, but there are other fun attractions to enjoy, like a puppet theater, LEGO building station, and wooden block building area. There are also incredible toys at the museum store—many of which would make fantastic gifts. For more information, visit the Grand Rapids Children's Museum's website and Facebook page.

After a day well spent at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, you might be wondering where to find other indoor attractions in town. I love Craig's Cruisers, a wonderful family-operated indoor amusement park with plenty of fun activities. Big Mini Putt Club is another great pick; it's an indoor nine-hole mini golf course next to Luna, a delicious Mexican restaurant.

If you're interested in planning a getaway to Grand Rapids, consider the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Grand Rapids East. This hotel has an indoor swimming pool and fitness center, and serves a hot breakfast every morning.