Recently we travelled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to see a winter event. It was a nighttime event, so we had time to fill in the day. Since we both love museums, we would visit Grand Rapids Public Museum.
As with all museums, it features things that are important to the local community and things that are important to the greater society. From local history to whales from an ocean a thousand miles away. A very satisfactory range of interests was portrayed here at this well-put-together museum.
The first display of note was the dolls. It is hidden away, and it was only because a small child mentioned it that we found it. Located by the main floor bathroom, it would have been overlooked entirely by me, even though there was a sign saying “Dolls,” but it was right beside the bathroom, so I assumed that it meant the girl’s washroom. I was thankful I overheard the kid and the doting father that allowed her to play in the doll room for some time.
There was a large range of types of dolls from around the world. Interesting dolls, including a Hitler doll and many dolls that would have given me nightmares as a child. I never understood the need for creepy dolls in a child’s life. Fortunately, times have changed, and dolls of today have such a smaller creep factor to them.
As with many museums, there are permanent displays and rotating displays. We came at a time that featured “Poison” and “Fashion.” Poison was a well-thought-out and informative section that featured how some people had been poisoned in history. It was scary just how simple and common some things can be that will make someone’s final moments a very unpleasant experience. Fashion was clothing items that came from animals. I found this to be one of the more insightful displays I had seen in a while. Beside the clothes were an animal that it came from – obvious fur coats, but then the not-so-obvious things like buttons.
A vintage carousel was a popular add-on for youngsters, and there was even a brief educational movie that would be purchased. We both skipped these since we were on the “little old” side for these features. But we were not too old to see their toy display. We recognized toys we even played with and toys we wished we had as a kid.
From animals to dolls to toys to a replica of a old lathe shop to clothing, Grand Rapids Public Museum was a stop that was well worth the few hours we spent there. Admission was on the higher side, but that was paid back in the informative displays and the variety of what we saw. It is a place to visit if you are ever in the area.
