John Ball Zoological Garden is an urban park located on the west side of the city of Grand Rapids, MI. The John Ball Zoo houses more than 2,400 individual animals representing over 220 different species and is a significant regional attraction. With the Zoo School and Wildlife Conservation Fund, the zoo gives something back to the community and world as a whole.

The zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and was the first zoo in Michigan to receive accreditation.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a 158-acre (64 ha) botanical garden, art museum, and outdoor sculpture park located in Grand Rapids Township, MI. Opened in 1995, Meijer Gardens quickly established itself in the Midwest as a major cultural attraction jointly focused on horticulture and sculpture. Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park includes a tropical conservatory, an 8-acre Japanese garden, major works of modern and contemporary sculpture on the grounds and indoors, along with a series of outdoor gardens and nature trails.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is the presidential museum and burial place of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States (1974–1977), and his wife Betty Ford. The main floor contains exhibits on President Ford's life and career as President of the United States. This floor includes a full-scale replica of the Oval Office furnished as it was during Ford's presidency. Special exhibits highlight the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976 and Betty Ford's role during her husband's term in office. Other exhibits, which are the core of the museum's program, enable visitors to travel by video with President Ford and Secretary Kissinger to various hot-spots around the globe; take a holographic tour of the Ford White House; and experience a day in the Oval Office through a sound and light show.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum, located on the bank of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, MI is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum includes a cafe, a gift shop, and a 1928 Spillman carousel, which is situated in a pavilion over the Grand River. A Wurlitzer #157 Band Organ that plays 165 rolls provides the carousel's music. The Museum building also houses the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium