Take the City in Stride

9/18/23 – 6:00 p.m.  Meet in the front lobby of the JW Marriott, 235 Louis St. NW, Grand Rapids.

ART PRIZE Walking Tour

What a glorious feast for the senses!  See the intriguing artwork, smell the crisp fall air, and hear the pop-up musical presentations, as we weave through a bustling downtown. You’ll get a glimpse of the nearly 1,000 works of art that line the streets, parks and buildings as part of the world’s richest art competition.  Learn all about the back stories…who and why and how…the artists, the muses, and the creations that never fail to push the boundaries of public art in Grand Rapids.

9/26/23 – 6:00 p.m. Meet at the cemetery office building in the Greenwood Cemetery, 1373 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids.

Greenwood Cemetery Walking Tour

Visit the west side of Grand Rapids’ first cemetery!  Located on Leonard Street N.W. at Walker Avenue, the beautiful park-like setting will transport you in time, when the city population was growing in the second half of the 1800’s.  Truly, this cemetery is a green oasis, on wooded property, high above the city.  We’ll stroll up and over the slopes and wind our way through the charming knolls and glens; all the while surrounded by a multitude of interesting monuments…each representing stories of earlier, mostly middle class, Grand Rapidians.

10/11/23 – 6:00 p.m. Meet in front of the Masonic Center, 233 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids.

Heritage Hill Hauntings Walking Tour

Are you surprised that there are ghosts on Heritage Hill?  Don’t be.  The stately homes of Heritage Hills may reflect the grace, dignity and formality of another era, but because most of these Victorian dwellings were built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, ghost stories abound. Tenacious and playful spirits are still hanging around.  Some of the accounts are scary, some silly, some believable, some not.  Some are legends from long ago, some are recent.  We will explore this beautiful neighborhood, day or night (if you dare), while your guide tells spooky tales that have been passed on to us by either present or once-occupants of the houses.

10/16/23 – 6:00 p.m. Meet at the front entrance of Aquinas College at the statue, 1700 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids.

Saints & Spirits Walking Tour

The bucolic grounds of Aquinas College abound with not only beauty, but historically intriguing stories of earlier lives who traversed the woods, gardens and streams. Learn about the property that was once a dairy farm,  a proper estate, a business college and now a renowned Catholic academic institution. The tour will visit today’s campus buildings that date from the original Lowe family era:  the mansion, carriage house, stables, winery, and gatehouse.  We will also investigate various landmarks on campus which foster superstitious traditions.  And maybe, just maybe, we witness a spirit of haunted Holmdene before we peek at Brookby, a “related” mansion just around the corner.

10/26/23 – 6:00 p.m. Meet in the lobby of the JW Marriott,  235 Louis St. NW, Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids Most Haunted Walking Tour

Do you believe in ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists, apparitions, phantoms, spooks, psychic phenomena or things that go “bump” in the night? If one person sees a ghost, even if several times, you may blame it on an active imagination; but if two or more people see the same spirit in the same place several years apart, you may just reconsider.  This tour takes you by iconic locations where there have been waaaaay MORE than just two sightings or unusual activity.   There are two questions that we attempt to answer on each stop of this spooky journey…Did someone suffer a tragic death here?  Is this story LEGEND or REAL? 

11/13/23 -6:00 p.m. Meet in the lobby of the JW Marriott,  235 Louis St. NW, Grand Rapids.

Time, Talent, Treasures… Then (Part One) 

This is the history of philanthropy in Grand Rapids.  We are a success story of ordinary citizens and courageous leaders who never stop believing in our community and our future.  From our earliest settlers in the nineteenth century until present time, our city has been blessed with a spirit of generosity in vision and action.  Criss-cross downtown to visit those places and spaces which were gifted to us to enjoy.  For better.  For good.  For all.  

OR, you may arrange for ANY guided tour or presentation by appointment, by contacting Caroline.  Learn year-round, on any of the 80+, fascinating moving tours and 40+ virtual tours around Grand Rapids, Michigan. Your guide, Caroline, is the owner and sole employee…she is a wildly enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour ambassador who is as passionate about local lore as she is about fitness.