Grand Access to the Grand River at the Grand Rapids Public Museum
A Project Grounded in Historical, Scientific, and Cultural Interpretation
When you ask Dale Robertson, President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, about the museum’s expansion project, he will tell you it is much more than a typical update or addition of square footage. Robertson’s vision is more significant than that. He envisions the GRPM as a center of inspiration along the river central to the city's identity and accessibility.
An Accessible Hub
@downtowngrinc The Rivers Edge along the GRPM is estimated to be completed next Summer! 🦺 GRPM Partners ⬇️ GRPM, City of GR, Kent County, Michigan DNR, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, VIRIDIS Design Group, Tower Pinkster and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co Greenway Partners ⬇️🌳 City of GR, Kent County, Ottawa County, Grand Rapids Whitewater and LGROW. @Grand Rapids Public Museum ♬ original sound - Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.
The GRPM takes its prominent location along the river seriously. As a hub for history, science, and culture, it has long been a destination for education and entertainment. Grounded as a public-owned community resource, the museum’s expansion project will amplify both by focusing on improved access to the Grand River.
The museum’s new riverfront, which aims to be completed in 2025, will feature a series of ramps and pathways that connect the museum directly to the river, allowing for improved educational access and accessibility that exceeds ADA standards. The space will be set up beautifully for learning, whether in the new outdoor classroom or along the new pathway that will seamlessly connect a 7.5-mile urban trail to prominent regional trails, such as the White Pine Trail, Kent Trail, and Grand River Greenway.
Education & Community
The vision for this community hub along the Grand River is to become a place where the whole community is welcome to enjoy and, most notably for Robertson, learn something new.
As Robertson reflects on the museum's history and its commitment to inclusivity, he holds himself accountable,
"It is all grounded in our responsibilities as a public institution, in that it's everybody's museum, right? We want to be as public, if not more public than ever."
Building for Future Learners
Further enhancements are planned for the museum's north lawn, incorporating aesthetic elements like a living roof and symbols of cultural significance. Nestled on the southeastern corner of the riverfront space will lie a retaining wall that will not only anchor the foundation for outdoor learning but tell Michigan’s geologic story through layers of locally sourced rock veneer, such as Ionia Red Beds, Grand River Formation, Saginaw Formation, Bayport Limestone, Michigan Formation, Marshall Formation, and Coldwater Shale.
The riverfront will soon echo Grand Rapids' past, present, and future stories, told through accessible design and educational programs. In this way, the Grand Rapids Public Museum will reflect the city’s rich heritage and shape its cultural landscape for generations to come.
