15 Places to Visit in Grand Haven Michigan

Steve Jennifer
Updated: April 24th 2023

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Located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the town of Grand Haven is known for its stunning beaches, picturesque lighthouses, clear water and breathtaking landscape.

Every year, I love to swarm this beach town to not only enjoy a laid back holiday under the sun but also to take up activities like mountain biking, trekking, paddle boarding, kiteboarding, scuba diving, canoeing and other adventure sports.

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Also popularly known as ‘The Boardwalk’, the Lighthouse Connector Park spreads from Chinook Pier to the South Pier and is over 1.5 miles long. It is a beautiful park that was built in 1984 and connects Grand haven to the Michigan Pier.

It is a great place to just sit back, relax and take in the scenes around you, whether it is the beautiful clear water, the boats riding in it or the people around you. The park is also near several stores where you can enjoy shopping.

The Grand Harbor Trolley is a trolley service that lets you enjoy the area by riding the trolley. It has the seating capacity of 22 individuals and an open air balcony and takes you to beaches, parks, churches and have fun with whole family while exploring the various sites around town.

A very unique place with over 10,000 sq ft, Imagination Station is a playground specifically designed for children to have fun, and built in such a way that it can be accessed by handicapped children as well. Its swings are designed accordingly as well.

It also has slides, tree houses, and a great collection of playing equipment and it remains open all year round and has free entry.

The park is leased to the city of Grand Haven by the Army Corps of Engineers and it is a memorial park which commemorates the loss of the Escanaba, one of the commissioned vessels used in the Second World War and its 101 crewmen.

Every year, the United States Coast Guard is honored during the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival. This is a very interesting place to familiarize yourself and your kids with the history of Coast guard. You can also have a picnic in the park and enjoy lunch and ice creams.

Gallery Uptown is located in downtown Grand Haven and is the oldest gallery to be operated by an artist in Michigan. It is a must visit place for art enthusiasts where you can not only see works of art by artists from all over the world as well as works of local artists.

It also hosts a show every month where the artworks of new and upcoming artists are exhibited for everyone and the guests can interact with artists.

The Pere Marquette #1223 is a very interesting steam locomotive that was built in the year 1941, and is one of the two surviving engines. It is now on a permanent display in the town.

She served the PM during the war and hence, it makes for a very unique experience to witness an object that played such important role in history. This is also a great place to visit to learn other interesting facts about war trains.

Just as the name says, the Tri-cities historical museum is a local museum that aims to showcase the relationship between the three cities of Grand Haven, Ferrysburg and Spring Lake and exhibit their local history for the visitors to learn and interpret.

Here, you can get to know more about the history of the state, the heritage of the people, and learn more about the community that values its past and present. The exhibits include rocks, canons, cabins and other things that let you connect to the past.

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, this area spreads over 164 acres and is a beautiful place surrounded by dunes, pines, walkways, including a 7 mile long hiking trail that includes climbing over a thousand feet of stairs and then down the dunes as well as stunning views of Lake Michigan and access to the beaches.

This is the perfect place to spend time in the lap of nature and admire scenic views by yourself or friends and family.

Also known as the Downtown, Grand Haven Main Street is the place to go to explore the culture and heritage of this city. Here you will find extravagant restaurants, over 60 shops, galleries and markets and so much more.

It is a waterfront downtown and you can simply explore it on foot while enjoying the vibrant stores and trying various cuisines from the restaurants in the area.

One of the five Great Lakes of North America, Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes and spreads over 22300 sq miles and connects with four states- Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

You can enjoy activities like swimming, biking, hiking, fishing and boating near the lake as well as enjoying the picturesque view all year round.

With an area that spreads over 9000 acres, the Grand River Greenway lies between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven and is a haven for nature enthusiasts.

It makes for a great escape from the hustle bustle of the city and enjoy some peace and quiet while surrounded by natural beauty. It also has a 36-mile trail that is great for hiking. You can also go kayaking in the river near the trail.

Michigan is an all beach town and visiting the Grand Haven City Beach is a must. This sandy beach is a beautiful spot for swimming, sunbathing, playing volleyball and clicking beautiful pictures for the gram.

It is also near The Noto’s- At The Bilmar, a beachfront restaurant and bar where you can enjoy delicious food and drinks after spending time on the beach.

Spread over 48 acres, this park is located on the shores of Lake Michigan with a recreation area for swimming, camping, fishing, playing sports.

It is also a great spot to enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Michigan, the Grand Haven lighthouse and pier. You can also spend a great day sunbathing on the beach, while reading a book.

If you are craving for a different kind of adventure, this is the place for you. The escape room is exactly what it sounds like.

It is filled with challenges that include puzzles, riddles, locks and other obstacles that you have to solve in order to get out of the room and you are given one hour to escape out of the room. This is a great place to indulge in some fun and creativity as you and your group tries hard to solve the puzzles.

Established in 1839 and located on the south pier of Grand Haven, it is a very picturesque lighthouse that has been used to navigate ships since years. The lighthouse is a beautiful sight to look at and has been one of the most photographed lighthouses in the midwest.

Hence it makes for a great spot for clicking aesthetic pictures for your social media. You can also enjoy the sunrise and sunset with the view of Lake Michigan