Lansing: Recreation
Sightseeing
Completed in 1879, Lansing's Capitol was one of the first state edifices built to emulate the nation's Capitol, and this National Historic Landmark is the center of attraction in Lansing's downtown sector. Two blocks southwest of the Capitol is the Michigan Library and Historical Center, a modern facility with an outdoor courtyard. The museum traces the history of Michigan from its remote past to the twenty-first century, including the evolution of the state's economy in agriculture, timber, mining, and manufacturing to the rise and dominance of the automobile. Impression 5 Science Museum stimulates the senses with interactive displays including a "Bubble Room" that was remodeled in 2005. Next to Impression 5 is the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum, a major transportation museum recognizing the contribution of Ransom E. Olds to the automotive industry and the evolution of transportation in Lansing.
Michigan State University (MSU) in neighboring East Lansing provides many sightseeing opportunities beginning with the W.J. Beal Botanical Gardens, the oldest, continuously operated garden of its type in the country, with 5,000 different types of plants. The university's horticultural demonstration gardens cover seven-and-a-half acres. Abrams Planetarium presents programs on space science topics in the 150-seat Digistar sky theater along with an exhibition area and the astronomy-related paintings at the "Blacklight Gallery." The MSU Museum houses displays on cultural and scientific development, and the MSU Dairy Plant and Dairy Store offers daily tours at milking time.
Potter Park Zoo places its 100 species of animals in natural settings, with a special display on Michigan animals. The zoo has been actively expanding to include an Education Center, an Animal Clinic with the zoo's first full-time veterinarian, and the planned construction of a new pool for the otter exhibit in 2005.
At the Rose Lake Wildlife Research Station, 3,000 acres of woods and marsh are accessible via hiking trails; Woldumar Nature Center stresses environmental education and its five miles of trails are open to the public for hiking or cross country skiing. Fenner Arboretum maintains self-guided trails leading to a prairie scene with live bison. Nature trails Red Cedar, Sanford Natural Area, and Baker Woodlot are islands of wilderness on the Michigan State University campus. The Ledges in Grand Ledge, 10 miles west of Lansing, is named for its rock formations, which rise along the Grand River and are over 300 million years old.
Arts and Culture
Many of Lansing's cultural events take place at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts' two theaters on the campus of Michigan State University. Cobb Great Hall seats 2,500 guests and hosts Broadway and variety shows, while the Pasant Theatre has 600 seats for family presentations. Founded in 1929, the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra presents a season of classical and pops concerts with an annual attendance of 15,000 for about one dozen performances. Stage and concert operas are put on by the Lansing Lyric Opera. Volunteer singers selected via auditions make up the Greater Lansing Arts Chorale, which presents three concerts per year.
Lansing is particularly strong in theater. The nationally known BoarsHead Theater, a residential professional company based at the Wharton Center, presents a season of modern and classical drama and comedy. Community theater companies are: the Lansing Civic Players Guild, the oldest group in the area, dating back to 1929; Lansing Community College's LCC Theater Program at Dart Auditorium; MSU's Department of Theatre, which features student productions; Riverwalk Theatre, the home to the Community Circle Players; and Spotlight Theatre in nearby Grand Ledge, with several American dramas running from May through early September.
The Greater Lansing Ballet Company is a semi-professional organization that presents classical and contemporary ballets and offers two international exchange programs with companies in Poland and Russia. The Children's Ballet Theatre of Michigan at the Wharton Center puts on holiday and spring shows.
The Lansing Arts Gallery, established in 1964, has two exhibition spaces with different exhibitions every month. At
Arts and Culture Information: Arts Council of Greater Lansing, 425 S. Grand Ave., Lansing, MI 48933; telephone (517)372-4636; fax (517)484-2564; email info@lansingarts.org
Festivals and Holidays
Greater Lansing hosts dozens of festivals and special events year-round. In late winter and early spring, the East Lansing Film Festival previews over 30 independently-made films worldwide but also challenges local talent (Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin) to a competition. The East Lansing Art Fair is held the third weekend in May, followed by the Lansing Festival of Art in the Park the last weekend in June at Ferris Park. Also in May, the Fiesta celebrates the Hispanic community with music, folklore performances, and a "Mexican Marketplace." The Lansing Concert Band gives a performance in Riverfront Park for the Fourth of July holiday with fireworks at dusk. Early August brings the Lansing Jazz Fest for two days of live jazz and music clinics; later in the month, the Great Lakes Folk Festival is three days of various activities including music, dance, and storytelling along with ethnic foods. The holiday season is celebrated in three major events: the MSU (Michigan State University) Holiday Arts & Crafts Show, held at the MSU Union for two days to present the works of about 200 regional artisans and crafters; Silver Bells in the City, which draws 80,000 to its parade and fireworks celebrating the lighting of Michigan's official holiday tree; and Wonderland of Lights at Potter Park, with thousands of lights adorning holiday displays along with carolers and other musical performances.
Sports for the Spectator
The Michigan State Spartans compete in the Big Ten athletic conference and field nationally competitive teams. The football team plays its home games in the 76,000-seat Spartan Stadium that was expanded in 2005 to accommodate 24 new suites and 862 club seats with access to an 18,500-square-foot club. Munn Ice Arena seats 6,470 fans and is the home of the Spartan hockey team. The Jack Breslin Student Events Center has been the home of the MSU basketball program since 1989; it seats 15,085 people.
Lansing's professional minor-league baseball team, the Lugnuts, play an April through September season at Oldsmobile Park. Playing in the western division of the Midwest League, the Lugnuts were previously affiliated with major league's Chicago Cubs but the 2005 season brought a switch to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Spartan Speedway attracts super and hobby stock car racing on Friday nights from midMay through mid-September. Jackson Harness Raceway features seasonal parimutuel racing at night in nearby Jackson.
Sports for the Participant
Golf is particularly popular at about three dozen public and private courses of varying difficulty in the area, and many golf tournaments are held in the summer. East Lansing's Timber Ridge was rated one of the top 50 courses in America by Golf Digest magazine.
Nearly 200 city, county, and state parks, campgrounds, and recreation areas offer several thousand acres of green space and leisure opportunities in the Lansing region. River Trail features a canoeing route that follows the banks of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers through urban and natural environments and the campus of Michigan State University. The Brenke Fish Ladder is stocked with salmon and steelhead for urban fishing. Well supplied with bowling centers and ball fields, the Lansing area also has riding stables, about 300 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and seven public access sites for boating.
The Summit at The Capital Centre is a modern, 180,000-square-foot facility that offers a wide array of sporting activities including ice hockey, soccer, dodge ball, and lacrosse. It also hosts one of the region's top gymnastics clubs, Geddert's Twisters. Other public ice skating facilities are available at Washington Park and Munn Arena at Michigan State University.
The region is noted for the variety of fish in rivers and lakes full of largemouth bass, northern pike, muskie, bluegill, crappie, and perch. Streams contain smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and panfish. In addition, there are spawning runs of steelhead and Chinook salmon in several locations. Throughout the vicinity, state game lands and wooded areas offer rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, deer, and other game.
Shopping and Dining
The largest shopping center in the region is the Lansing Mall, with over 125 stores and restaurants. An antiques and collectibles store called Pennyless in Paradise opened in 2004. However, one of the state's biggest antiques shops is The Mega Mall with over 300 booths on 40,000 square feet of space. In East Lansing, near the Michigan State University campus, specialty shops that cater to students are clustered among small restaurants, bookstores, and record shops.
The Lansing City Market, at the corner of Cedar Street and Shiawassee since 1909, offers a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Nokomis Learning Center, next door to Meridian Historic Village, sells beaded jewelry and other items handcrafted by local Native American Artists. Several upscale restaurants are located near the university.
Visitor Information: Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1223 Turner St., Ste. 100, Lansing, MI 48906; telephone (517)487-6800 or (800)252-6746