If you need a break in your routine and a place for winter fun take a day trip to Grand Rapids for a family adventure this winter. The World of Winter Festival is an outdoor illuminated art installation that is fun for everyone. 

The World of Winter is a FREE, outdoor winter festival in downtown Grand Rapids that runs January 7th to March 6th. There are special events hosted throughout with permanent exhibits you can enjoy any time. Best enjoyed at night, make the most of the day trip by visiting one of these three great spots during the day:

• Grand Rapids Public Museum: From A (Automobiles) to Z (Zoology) the three story museum is packed with engaging and interactive activities for kids. Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for kids ages 3 to 17. The museum is open daily and tickets can be purchased same day.
• Grand Rapids Children’s Museum: The hands-on museum for kids is especially fun for littles who love to play – from music and Legos to bubbles and balls -there’s plenty to keep kids busy. Capacity is limited and it’s advisable to reserve your tickets in advance. Admission is $9 per person.
• Cannonsburg: Located just outside Grand Rapids, Cannonsburg offers skiing, snowboarding and SNOWTUBING! Reservations for snow tubing are required and cost $18 per person on weekdays and $23 per person on weekends.

The best part of early evening is that by 5:30pm or 6pm you can truly enjoy the World of Winter Festival. The best place to start is by parking at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. From their you’ll spot the singing tree and Crank Zappa Jellyfish and be ready to start your winter walk.

Continue down the Riverwalk and you’ll spot massive Bunnies of Intrude in front of the Gerald Ford Museum. Make sure your kids wear snow pants so they can slide down the ice hill, bring a saucer with you for snowy days and enjoy late night sledding. You’ll also spot Trumpet Flowers for the kids to run through and make sing.

Get your cameras ready for selfies in Submergence located along the Gillette Pedestrian Bridge. From there you’ll head to Monroe Avenue for the Light Maze and You, Me and a Butterfly selfies.

These exhibits offer more than enough fun but if you visit between February 11th and 18th you can also view the Valent-ICE sculpture gallery.

Grand Rapids is approximately 2 hours from metro Detroit, a reasonable day trip drive for families looking for a little extra fun.

Photo credit: Facebook

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