Grand Rapids Public Museum details expansion, accessibility improvements funded by county millage

Dale Robertson, president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, updated the Kent County Community Health and Safety Committee on Sept. 23 about construction and program changes funded by the county millage.

Robertson said the millage — passed by county voters in 2016 — allowed the museum to hire certified teachers, expand education curricula and restore scientific expertise such as a science curator and paleontologist who led a recent mastodon extraction. Robertson said the museum now serves nearly 40,000 students annually and that demand has required an expansion of facilities and program space.

"If we aren't putting them in people's hands, then we are not fulfilling the implied promise from which they were given," Robertson said, explaining the museum's hands-on approach to artifacts and specimens and its education rationale.

Robertson described the museum's riverfront expansion and related site changes. The project includes terraces designed to pull back river banks to help mitigate localized flooding, ramps that exceed ADA standards within the constraints of property lines, and a reconfigured carousel pavilion so the carousel can operate independently of museum hours. He said construction on the South Lawn elevator is expected to begin while other trades are on site and that the West Side school assembly work could begin in spring 2026; the North Lawn work is targeted for late 2026.

The museum is also redesigning its Anishinaabek (Native American) exhibit in consultation with representation from federally recognized tribes and local Grand River bands. Robertson said the new exhibit, created with a committee called Estijic, will emphasize that "we are still here" and present seasonal traditional teachings. He said the interior streets exhibit and archive improvements should open about this time next year.

Robertson noted archival work that will expand classroom and lab space to allow students and researchers to examine objects such as quilts and design artifacts on site. He described an education program in which students curate an artifact across a marking period to develop deeper subject knowledge and communication skills.

Committee members praised the presentation. Commissioner Bujette called Robertson "an enthusiastic presenter," and Commissioner Morales thanked him for combining big-picture vision with attention to detail.

Robertson also announced he plans to step down in 2027 after nearly 20 years as the museum's leader, saying he wanted the board and community to know in advance "so everyone knows gonna be somebody else in this job in 2027." He said he intends to remain through the expansion campaign to achieve the project goals before leaving.