Reports, news, and stories on quirky roadside attractions! Not all tips verified -- call ahead! Submit your own tip.
Results 1 to 5 of 35... Page of 7 [Next 5 items]
- East Grand Rapids, Michigan - Tiny President Ford
A diminutive version of America's post-Watergate President, Gerald R. Ford, stands in front of the East Grand Rapids Community Center.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 746 Lakeside Drive SE, East Grand Rapids, MI
- Directions:
- In front of the East Grand Rapids Community Center. On the east side of Lakeside Drive SE, just south of Wealthy St. SE.
- Admission:
- Free
Exhibits the pen he used to pardon Nixon, and the .45 Colt pistol used by "Squeaky" Fromme to try to kill him. On the grounds are the side-by-side graves of Gerald and First Lady Betty Ford, and outdoor statues including Jerry, Betty, and a full-color space-suited astronaut.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI
- Directions:
- I-196 to exit 77A/US Hwy 131. South on US Hwy 131 to exit 85B (Pearl St.). East on Pearl, then a quick turn north into the Museum parking lot.
- Hours:
- M-Sa 9-5, Su 12-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 616-254-0400
- Admission:
- Adults $8.
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
Museum expansion to accommodate the growing legacy of Gerald Ford
With a Republican in the White House and thriftiness apparently not a concern, the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, MI, has embarked on a $6.35 million expansion. By April 2004 the museum will have a bigger store, an interactive replica of the White House's Cabinet Room, and 8,000 more square feet of exhibit space to display important Gerald Ford stuff. The Museum will remain open throughout its expansion. Gerald Ford, for those who don't know or don't remember, became President after Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, and was the last unelected Republican in the White House before its current occupant.
[05/19/2002]The 13 Weather Ball. Sparkly and shiny whether or not there's weather.
[Kayla, 07/07/2017]The 13 Weather Ball:- Address:
- 645 3 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI
- Directions:
- Intersection of I-96 and Highway 131.
- Hours:
- Drive-by only. Visible from I-96 Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan - The 13 Weather Ball
We have a local weather ball that the news station uses as a gimmick to forecast the weather. I've included the Weather Ball poem:
13 Weatherball red, warmer ahead. 13 Weatherball blue, cooler in view. 13 Weatherball green, no change foreseen. Colors blinking bright, rain or snow in sight.
The Weatherball sat on top of the Michigan National Bank building in downtown Grand Rapids for 20 years before it came down due to destructive wind effects in 1987. The "Original" Weatherball WZZM 13 station purchased the original Weatherball in 1999, after investigating and finding it "collecting dust in a steel scrap yard in Kalamazoo."
The 16-foot diameter stainless steel ball features 288 neon lights atop a 100-ft. pole. The color of the lights forecast the next day's weather.
[Amy Cobler, 02/14/2004]
Page of 7 [Next 5 items]