Inside President Gerald Ford’s Presidential Museum

Gerald Ford Presidential Museum

On a recent trip, the kids and I visited the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum.  President Ford’s museum is located in his hometown of Grands Rapids Michigan.  You can find the Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor.

The museum is located at  303 Pearl St NW in Grand Rapids. This is across the street from the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.  

There is a fee to tour the exhibits in the museum.  You can view the gardens where President Ford and Mrs. Ford are buried at no charge.

Important things to know know

• This is a self-guided walking tour.
• There is a souvenir shop located on the first floor as you enter.
• The exhibits are located on the second floor.
• They can be accessed via stairs or elevator.
• There are bathrooms located on the second floor.
• Only presidential museum in Michigan.

Where did Gerald Ford go to college?  The answer is simple, the University of Michigan. That is also where Ford’s presidential library is located.  There are exhibits in the museum that show President Ford’s time at the University of Michigan where he played football.

President Ford is the only United States President to not have been elected.  He was Vice President when then President Richard Nixon resigned. President Ford was then sworn in as president.

There are photos of him during his presidency and a helicopter that carried the last refugees out of South Vietnam. It was humbling to walk through and view the life of a president that was president when I was young.  I had learned about some of these events in school, but seeing them up close, resonated deeply and made it real.

Must see stops

• get a picture of the astronaut outside
• get a photo of the metal football player outside (he’s maze and blue)
• visit the final resting place of President and First Lady Ford (to the right of the building, past the gardens)
• find the statue of young Jerry Ford as an eagle scout
• check out the football helmet and football from when President Ford played for U of M
• see part of the Berlin Wall
• check out the ATM – President Ford signed legislation to allow us to get money from a machine

This is definitely a place to visit when in Michigan. There is also a section that has letters from children after he died and photos as well.

Related: Visit President Rutheford B. Haye’s Home & President William McKinley’s Museum

President Museums

How many presidential libraries/museums have you visited? Which has been your favorite?