Free day at the Public Museum set for March 10

By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum


The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that in partnership with Kent County Farm Bureau, they will be offering a Museum Free Day for the second year in a row! On March 10, the GRPM will open their doors free of charge for visitors to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits.

“We’re thrilled to offer a free day at the Museum to the community again this year,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “Thanks to Kent County Farm Bureau, everyone has the chance to explore the Museum free of charge and explore hands-on science, history and cultural artifacts.”

“Kent County Farm Bureau looks forward to once again partnering with the GRPM to welcome friends into the Museum free of charge,” said Jim May, Kent County Farm Bureau President. “On behalf of the more than 1,200 Kent County farmers, we invite you to the Museum to see agriculture in action!”

The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.

The current GRPM original exhibit TOYS! will be included free of charge for visitors on the Museum’s Free Day! TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.

On March 10 only, Kent County Farm Bureau will also have additional agriculture themed hands-on activities available a part of the Free Day. For additional information, please visit grpm.org

Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Expedition: Dinosaur, planetarium shows, and the Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel – that are available for an additional charge.

The free day will be held during the Museum’s normal hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. For more information on the event, visit grpm.org.

Two happy children are having fun pretending to be in the dinosaur jaw. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)

Expedition: Dinosaur

A special traveling exhibition now open at the GRPM, Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations, visitors become paleontologists. The exhibit taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures and includes a number of hands- on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. For more information and tickets, visit grpm.org/Dinos.

Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions. 

Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)

TOYS! 

Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.

TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while taking going on a journey of toys through generations.

Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish, and will also include Braille.

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