Bluebell Island Park

At the east end of the business block, rest on a bench and listen to the river as it flows over the rapids.   Begin your scenic hike of the Old Gilead Side Cut towpath here by crossing the footbridge over the canal spillway.  Turn left for an easy half-mile hike to the dam at Mary Jane Thurston State Park.

Click HERE for a form to reserve the Bluebell Island Shelter! 

Boat Docks

There are 10 short-term courtesy docks for boaters to dock their boats and enjoy the attractions that the Village of Grand Rapids has to offer.  The docks are adjacent to the West Street Boat Launch and are ADA accessible.  

Click here for more information!

The Flood Marker sign on Front Street displays water depths for the years of more remarkable floods.  Flood levels are also clearly marked on the entrance wall to the Isaac Ludwig Mill across the river.

The Howard Family Cemetery stands at the corner of Front Street and Wapakoneta Road.  The cemetery features an ornate iron fence and the grave of the last Ottawa Indian in the area, Tee-na-beek.   It is also the site the veterans monument and World War 11 artillery gun.  The historical marker there speaks to the Howard family's 1820 presence at the head of the rapids.  

Click here to visit the Howard Cemetery in our Village Walk.

The Jerry Wright Pavilion was completed on the  north side of the canal in the summer of 2000.  

It is available for  rental (free of charge) by calling the Village Offices or click HERE.

One step over the threshold and you've entered a new world where tension and stress are released, good times and laughter abound and where you improve your mind and body through exercise, nutrition, body treatments, attitude and stress management.  Learn to feel your best and enjoy life to the fullest.  Gift certificates are available for the week, weekend, day and individual treatments.   Located at 17777 Beaver Street in Grand Rapids.  
(419) 832-1733   

 Click here for more information!

Labino Park is a complex for recreation in our village.  Dominic Labino was an internationally known local inventor and glass blower.  Click here to go to our Village Walk and learn about "Nick" and the historical marker placed in our village in his honor.

The Lincoln Street Rest Area downtown between LaRoe's Restaurant and Dandy's Lane on Front Street is a quaint bricked rest area with benches, public restrooms and a drinking water fountain.  Access to the canal towpath is made easy via a footbridge.

The Log Cabin Information Booth at the east end of business district is a great location for photographers or artists to capture the Maumee River below.  Step into the restored cabin to pick up tourist literature.  Nearby is a perennial garden carefully tended by volunteers for continuing seasonal color.

At the west end of the Village on State Route 65 is Mary Jane Thurston State Park and Marina.  Featuring a working canal gate, overlook of the state dam, fishing site below the dam, shelter house, picnic facilities, playground equipment, and a sledding hill, Mary Jane is a great place for a family retreat or that very first date!   The marina includes a public boat launch.  The camping facilities are also quite popular during the warm weather months.

Recently remodeled, this rustic stone shelter house about 4 miles east of Grand Rapids on State Route 65 boasts a glassed-in room from which to observe wildlife and the Maumee River.  Hiking trails, canoeing, picnic facilities, playground, and a fishing access are available.

Step back in time to the 1870s at Providence Metropark in Grand Rapids, Ohio.  Board The Volunteer, an authentic 1800s, mule-drawn canal boat, for a trip along a restored stretch of the original Miami and Erie Canal.  Glide along in an authentic canal boat drawn by mule power.  The ride represents life on the canal as it was experienced 150 years ago.  The boat passes through one of the original canal locks in front of the historic Isaac Ludwig Mill and Interpretive Center, a restored and working canal-era sawmill and grist mill. 

Providence Metropark is located on US 24 at SR 578 across the Maumee River from Grand Rapids.  One of the Toledo Metroparks, it offers a shelter house, picnic facilities, playground, and hiking trails.  This park is also the western terminus of a 10 mile hiking trail to Waterville along the old canal towpath.

Click HERE for schedule and contact information!

The Seven Eagles Historical Education Center is one mile south of Grand Rapids on Wapakoneta Road.  Here one finds seasonal educational events and programs for all ages related to American Indian and early American life.  There is some hands-on participation.  

Call for information (419) 509-0095.

At the West end of the business district on Front Street, the Town Hall was built in 1898.  The Town Hall is still the location for Village Council meetings and is a sheriff substation.   It boasts a restored theater complete with stage, where annual summer musicals are held.  It is being renovated so that it can be used for other uses.  Contact the Controlling Board if you would like to rent it for your next meeting or project.  

This small community park with picnic tables and playground equipment at the west end of the business block is next to the Town Hall.  Access to canal towpath is granted here via an old fashioned footbridge.

The park is a favorite place for village families to play in the warm weather months and is the focal point during the annual Applebutter Fest.