Things to do with Teens in Grand Rapids (original) (raw)

Traveling to Grand Rapids with a teenager? The city and region offer plenty of possibilities to satisfy even the hardest-to-please adolescents. Whether your teen prefers outdoor adventure or indoor entertainment, sporting events or shopping sprees, quests for knowledge or kickin’ it on the beach, Grand Rapids will give them forever memories of a fun family vacation.

Rainy day? Outdoor-adverse teen? Just move the excitement inside. Check out 13 area bowling (and fowling) alleys. Get in on the duckpin bowling craze. Play laser tag or archery tag in an indoor arena. Tee up for a round of miniature golf under the glow of black light. Roller skate at Tarry Hall or GR Skate. Work together to make your way out of an escape room.

Enjoy some “vertical entertainment” at Higher Ground Rock Climbing Center and Terra Firma Bouldering Co. Visit Dave & Buster’s for arcade, tabletop and air hockey games. Venture into other realities at the Amped Virtual Reality virtual arcade.

Race indoor go-karts at Craig’s Cruisers. Bounce around at Altitude, Sky Zone, Launch and Rebounderz trampoline parks. Get a game on at House Rules Board Game Lounge.

Treat your teen to a wide range of experiences under one roof at Main Event, which offers bowling, laser tag, billiards, arcade games, escape rooms, mini golf, virtual reality adventures, a gravity ropes course and more.

For a different kind of adventure, try Skelletones, an all-ages (no alcohol) music venue. Take in a blockbuster movie at Celebration Cinema or an immersive sound & video experience at Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium. See a show at Broadway Grand Rapids or Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. Make your own candles at Wax Poetic Candle Bar or create all sorts of art at one of Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Drop-In Studio Saturday sessions.

Couples enjoying a summer concert at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, 2023

Family at the John Ball ZooPlay Their Way 2023

Teens tend to be a beach-loving bunch. They’re in the right place here. The Millennium Park beach, five minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, is the perfect place to soak up some sun or cool down on a hot summer day. It encompasses six acres of the 1,400-acre park, and includes a swimming lake, boat rental facilities and concession stand.

For a day trip, consider a drive to Lake Michigan. It’s the largest lake entirely within U.S. borders – think of it as an ocean without salt or sharks – and the shoreline includes 22 beaches within 30-50 minutes of Grand Rapids. All of them feature clean, sugary sands and crystal-clear water. They’re close to the lakeshore communities of Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon and Saugatuck/Douglas, each of which offers lots of shopping and dining options.

Flights of Flavor at Love's Ice Cream