What to do on a Rainy Day in the Grand Haven Area

Shopping

The Grand Haven Area is known for its bright summer days on the beaches, cool hikes on an autumn day, or special nights out on the town in the winter. While on your trip, you may experience rainy days, winds, and gray skies. While that isn’t the typical type of weather we experience, you can rejoice in knowing there are still plenty of activities and things to see and do during a potential gloomy day. To save time on your search, let’s highlight ten to consider: 

1. Stay Dry While Shopping

Sunny or dreary, the inside of the local shops in downtown will have the same energy and aura of a visitors paradise. There are lots of options from gift shops, to snack shacks, and to restaurants to choose from, and breweries to make any guest happy. No matter what you or your family may like, there are plenty of options to choose from.

2. Visit Centertown & East End

Centertown, just a little down the road from downtown, you can expect to find unique things at Vintage Green Antiques or your new favorite book at The Bookman or The Book Cellar. Along with those are other local niche stores that may fit your liking. Subjects like cycling, guitar, sports gear, and premium clothing are hidden gems in Centertown. Consider checking these stores out, especially on a rainy day in the Grand Haven Area.  

Diving into East End, you’ll find many hidden bars, parks, and cafes. Enjoy hand crafted beers and live music at BurZurk Brewing Company or watch dogs run around at the Grand Haven Dog Park. East End’s long streets of historic homes can also be something to do while going for a run on a gray day. So don’t forget about this side of Grand Haven!

3. Learn About the Past at Historic Locations

The Grand Haven Area is filled with opportunistic locations to learn more about the past!

• Checkout, regardless of weather, the Tri-Cities Historical Museum, a large, free-admission museum in downtown Grand Haven with three floors that rotate exhibitions. 

• Another museum is the Midwest Miniatures Museum, where displays of miniature figures and documents fill the historic mansion near downtown Grand Haven. 

• The Dewitt Schoolhouse in Spring Lake can give visitors a taste of what school was like in 1891, as the school was originally built then, and has since been restored for viewing purposes. 

• Coopersville Historical Museum is a free-admission museum that can transport you to the past, with well preserved exhibits and equipment from early settlement in Coopersville. 

• Coopersville Farm Museum is a fun place to learn about the rural/farming lifestyle and attend events. Their exhibits of farming equipment, art, and jam sessions attract thousands of visitors to Coopersville every year!

• One last suggestion is Engine House No. 5 in Allendale, which is a historical fire department museum!

4. Challenge Your Family at Grand Fun!

A great addition to Grand Haven is Grand Fun!, an arcade with all sorts of games, mini bowling, and prizes to win. They also serve fun foods like giant pretzels, delicious hot dogs and curly fries, or try pizza nights on Fridays. It’s also a perfect place to host a birthday party. Not only would this be a good way to spend a few hours on a rainy day, but also a sunny day since you can escape the heat and enjoy some air conditioning for a while. If you find yourself in the Grand Haven Area on a rainy day, challenge yourself or your family and friends to a world of Fun.

5. Work Together on an Escape Room

Head inside to Grand Haven Escape Room to see if you can complete one of their many challenging rooms. Your adrenaline will pump and most importantly, fun with the family will be had. You’ll need to find, and use clues to solve puzzles, all while working against the ticking clock. Come inside for an hour and have a blast while uncovering the mystery within these rooms! 

6. Try a Local Brewery

The Grand Haven Area offers several options for breweries. Sipping a beer, watching sports, and snacking on tasty food is a good way to combat inclement weather. We already have a blog highlighting the many unique breweries in the area, as well as some wineries if that’s more your style. Check out that blog here!

7. Eat Ice Cream

Rainy days in the Grand Haven Area doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a good scoop of colorful, and flavorful ice cream. All around the Grand Haven Area lies ice cream spots, from the boardwalk all the way to Allendale. It doesn’t matter where you find yourself, ice cream is always something someone should try while on a vacation! Click here to view all of our ice cream spots.

8. Watch a Movie or Play

The Grand Haven Area offers a movie theater where you can enjoy new releases or a community theater that produces live musicals and plays! Depending on the time of your vacation this could be the perfect solution to weather conflictions. The Grand Haven 9 delivers quality time with the family along with snacks, a clean theater, and customer care. If you’d like to see a play, then the Central Park Players is the community theater for you with their seasonal shows and great performances at Central Park Place.

9. Refresh Indoors

If it’s too rough to do anything outside, the Grand Haven Area has many places where you can refresh yourself indoors. The Wildflower Yoga Studio in downtown Grand Haven is an easy place to book a class and center yourself. If you enjoy thrifting, not far away from downtown are several small and large thrift and antique stores. We even have an antique trail you can pick up from our Visitors Bureau! Aldea Coffee downtown is an awesome cafe where you can hangout to enjoy a freshly brewed cup, read a book, or play a board game. Good luck on deciding on what to do! 

10. Partake in a Craft

You don’t need good weather to be creative, so try your hand at some of the many crafting opportunities in the area! Pour your own scented candle at Garsnett Beacon Candle Co. You could also spend a couple hours trying new forms of painting or drawing at Armory 2 Art Studio. You could also even design jewelry for yourself or as a gift at JSD Gallery. Be sure to view their websites beforehand for any events that may peak your interest. Happy crafting!

Try these suggestions for what to do on a rainy day in the Grand Haven Area. It may not happen often, but when it does, we still have some options to make your trip a memorable one!