Parks & Leisure
Find out about community resources, services, activities and programs available to Kent County citizens from kids to seniors. Look here for everything you need to know about visiting and living in Kent County.
| Parks Reservation System | The Kent County Parks Department offers online reservations up to a year in advance. Available dates can be searched by Park Name, Parks with Open Shelters, or by Parks with Enclosed Shelters; a calendar is displayed within the search results detailing the current availability of the park. |
| John Ball Zoo Park Reservation System | John Ball Park allows online reservations for areas of the park; the available reservations are displayed on the calendar with each of the different park location search pages. Some locations are available all year long, whereas others are only available May through October. |
| Community Involvement | The Kent County Board of Commissioners annually seeks Citizens interested in serving the community through appointment to its boards, commissions and committees. |
| Gerald R. Ford International Airport | The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is served by eight passenger airlines; the airport serves nearly 5,500 travelers each day. |
| Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum | The museum pays tribute to East Grand Rapids native President Gerald R. Ford; the museum offers both permanent and traveling exhibits. |
| John Ball Zoological Garden | The John Ball Zoological Garden is open year-round and offers a variety of exhibits; the Zoo provides detailed hours, admission fees and exhibition listings. |
| Kent County Convention / Arena Authority | The DeVos Place and VanAndel Arena offer venues for conventions, concerts and sporting events. |
| Kent County Visitors Bureau | The Visitors Bureau offers information on visiting Grand Rapids, and other areas of Kent County. Information provided includes an events calendar, top 10 list of things to do when visiting, where to stay, dining and nightlife information. |
| Kent/MSU Extension | The Michigan State University Extension provides information relating to locally-identified issues. The Kent/MSU Extension provides Agriculture, Horticulture, and Natural Resource programs, as well as education programs including waste management, financial planning and farm management information. |
| Kid's Corner | Kid's Corner provides links for information regarding the D.A.R.E. program, recreational safety programs, court appearance information, and how to become a junior zoo keeper, among others. |
| Library Services | The Kent District Library provides 18 libraries for Kent County resident use, services offered include free WiFi access and computer training classes. |
| Parks | The Parks Department manages and maintains the 37 county parks; the department provides detailed park information, including shelter types and availability, park operation hours, admission and reservation fees. |
| Recreational Safety Programs - Sheriff's Department | The Kent County Sheriff's Department offers Boaters, Snowmobile, Hunters and ORV Safety Classes throughout the year. The classes offered are recognized by the State of Michigan. |
| Senior Center | The Senior Center provides information and links to County Health, Recreation, Safety and Volunteer Services; these include Meals on Wheels, Veteran’s Affairs Office, and Emergency Management, among others. |
| The Rapid | The Rapid provides low-cost transportation for the metro-Grand Rapids Area. |
| Weather | Local weather conditions for the Grand Rapids Area, provided by The Weather Channel.® |
