Every once in a while, during the course of visiting a city's "must-see" tourist attractions so I can check things off my list, a place catches me by surprise.  Such was the case with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  This unexpectedly vast and dazzling facility threw a wrench in my carefully organized schedule, inviting me to linger, explore, and relax - which was exactly what I needed.

Know Before You Go
Located a ten minute drive from downtown Grand Rapids, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.  While I recommend visiting early in the day to avoid the heat, crowds will rarely be a problem due to the immense size of this facility.  On that subject, plan to allow at least three to four hours to complete a bare bones tour the gardens.  To see absolutely everything there is to see, you will probably need more than one visit. 

Adult admission to the gardens costs $12.00.  Children are priced by age, with kids under two free.  Free parking is available on site, although I'm not sure what happens when/if the lot fills.  Park hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily except Sunday when the gardens open and noon and Tuesday when they stay open until nine. 
 
Do wear comfy walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather on the day you visit Frederik Meijer Gardens.  You will be doing a lot of walking and spending tons of time outside. 
 
Outdoors
The vast majority of Frederik Meijer Gardens' acreage is, not surprisingly, outdoors.  We were provided with a relatively vague map, which we quickly gave up on, and then just sort of wandered until we had seen pretty much everything.  The following are the main garden highlights.
 
Children's Garden - This five acre space the biggest and best-organized kid-friendly space I've seen at any botanical garden.  The Children's Garden features child friendly art and topiaries, a small maze, a play ground, and a boat pond with plenty of floating vessels.  A "sense" garden allows opportunities to see, smell, touch, and hear various types of plants.  My personal favorite spot was the storybook garden with topiaries and props inspired by Alice in Wonderland.  Overall, this is a perfect place to introduce a child to art while having fun at the same time.

Sculpture Garden - The bulk of the outdoor acreage at Frederick Meijer Gardens is occupied by a meandering series of trails leading to and around a couple dozen medium to giant-sized modern art sculptures.  It's a pretty long (and in our case, hot) walk to see all of them, but kid and adult oriented shuttle tours are available.  We did walk, and it took us about an hour and a half.

There are a more than a couple not-to-be-missed pieces of art on this route.  The dramatic highlight of the Sculpture Garden is Alexander Liberman's "Aria", a gigantic red work which makes an excellent playground for photographers of the amateur and professional varieties.  Mark di Suvero's "Scarlatti" is dramatic thanks to the juxtaposition of its rusty metal finish with a field of bright yellow flowers.  I also enjoyed Keith Haring's playful yellow "Julia" which inexplicably reminded me of childhood and Sesame Street. 

The American Horse - Large and impressive enough to merit its own section of the park, this twenty-four foot tall bronze sculpture towers over a field as a monument to Leonardo da Vinci.  Guests can pose for a picture looking like ants under the horse's mammoth front hoove.  Whatever else you skip, don't leave the gardens without taking the long, winding path to view this impressively shiny horse up close and personal.  While you're headed in that direction, you can stop and pay your requests to the sculpture versions Mr. and Mrs. Frederik Meijer, which lounge leisurely on a park bench nearby.

English Perennial Garden - Some of Frederik Meijer's most elaborately composed and brightly colored flower beds are located in this garden, situated between the parking lot and the greenhouse.  Plus, if you haven't gotten your fill of art, there's a sculpture or two to admire.    
 
Indoors
In addition to its many outdoor wonders, Frederik Meijer Gardens boasts a vast and impressively decorated indoor space containing greenhouses, galleries, and oodles of event space.  We were a little exhausted after touring the outside gardens and were a little relieved to learn that only fraction of these rooms are open to the public.

Tropical Conservatory - The largest interior space by far, this five-story greenhouse houses palm trees, tropical flowers, and a waterfall.  This waterfall was being used for wedding photographs during our visit but the facility's clever design allowed us to tour the whole space while bypassing the festivities.  If you can plan your visit for March or April, apparently hordes of butterflies are released into the conservatory to flit and flutter amongst the plants.    

Alexander Calder Gallery - While visiting the gardens, we learned that American artist Alexander Calder had a special relationship with the city of Grand Rapids.  In the 1960's, he was contracted to create the outdoor sculpture La Vitesse, which has now become the downtown's most photographed site.  Apparently early reviews on this work were mixed, and the gallery contains a fascinating collection of news articles and photographs about the history of this particular sculpture along with several of Calder's smaller works.  Plus, it's air-conditioned!
 
Arid Garden - Featuring small works of art playfully integrated among desert plants, the Arid Garden is worth a walk-through although I've seen the same concept executed better other places. 

Carnivorous Garden - From the name I expected, I don't know, Little Shop of Horrors.  In fact, the plants in the Carnivorous Garden are rather docile and just look like, well, plants.  I did appreciate viewing several rare breeds all in one place, including African pitcher plants which I'd never seen in person.
 
Eat/Shop
A spacious, art-adorned cafeteria called "Taste of the Gardens Café" serves full meals and small snacks.  We grabbed some drinks and chips there while enjoying a break from the heat.  Food service is also available for special events.  There seemed to be no fewer than five (!) weddings happening during our visit, at least three with on-site receptions.  And this was before noon!

The gift shop at Frederik Mejier gardens is brightly colored but ultimately disappointing.  It contains a smattering of garden supplies, some expensive art work, and a collection of upscale bath and body products.  What I would have liked to see would be merchandise more specific to the beautiful gardens - art prints of sculptures, calendars, magnets, printed tote bags, etc.  Perhaps copyright problems prohibit this?  In any event, we didn't find much to buy.
 
Overall . . .
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is an amazing and inspiring place.  Its combination of thought-provoking art and natural beauty makes for a relaxing and educational experience for guests of all ages.  Best of all, I expect a return trip would be just as good, thanks to the constantly changing colors of its "exhibits" and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families