Another Grand Rapids [1] benefactor—Fred Meijer, owner and founder of the Meijer grocery/discount stores—has given back to his hometown with the spectacular Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE, 616/957-1580, www.meijergardens.org [2], 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon. and Wed.–Sat., 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Tues., noon–5 p.m. Sun., $12 adults, $9 seniors and students, $6 children 5–13, $4 children 3–4), which opened its doors in 1995.
The Meijer Gardens’ 125 acres encompass a 15,000-square-foot tropical conservatory (the state’s largest), an outdoor area of colorful flower gardens complemented by ponds, woods, and wetlands, and an extensive collection of sculpture—including works by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Claes Oldenburg, and Coosje van Bruggen.
Quotations throughout the gardens by Michigan poets, such as Theodore Roethke and Jim Harrison, connect people to the plants.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/michigan/michigan-s-heartland/grand-rapids
[2] http://www.meijergardens.org