Our Stories

Have an extra minute downtown Grand Rapids? Step into the historic Pantlind Lobby in Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. It's a jaw drop moment.

Pantlind Hotel lobby, opened in 1913, was once the city’s most elegant hotel, including being named one of the Top 10 Finest Hotels in the nation. Amway Corporation bought the neglected Pantlind Hotel in the late 1970s & spent $24 million restoring it to its gorgeous historic glory! Original chandeliers of Czech crystal, one of the largest golf-leaf ceilings in the world, and so much more.

We talk about the historic Pantlind on #ToursAroundMichigan #CityTour #HistoryTour #GhostTour #RiverfrontTour & #ArtTour. It's also an amazing stop during the holidays when it's all dressed up.

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St. Mary Catholic Church feels like stepping back 150 years. The intimate, Gothic-style parish built by German immigrants is much like it was when its doors first opened. Colored light streams through windows designed by the oldest stained-glass workshop in Germany, and a restored organ brings music lovers from around the state to hear it. St. Mary’s history in the community is also its own story, with records of pastoral visits to people with conditions like consumption and dropsy, culturally based tension as those it served expanded, and its unique diversity today to help all feel welcome.

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While the 1848 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is the oldest public building in the city, it’s also one of the few physical representations left of the limestone rapids that gave Grand Rapids its name. As oxen dragged river boulders up a muddy hill, woodcarvers crated art that’s still inside the building today. This iconic building is where city founders gathered, a top ranked U.S. hospital was conceived, and an infant President Ford was baptized. The families in this church not only lived history, they created it.

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Sacred heart of Jesus Church is the story of poor immigrant gypsum miners so devoted, they sacrificed everything to build a home worthy of their faith. Following the original plan, this church was built in stages over nearly 100 years, as parishioners could afford the next step. With the first service in the basement as the chapel rose above it, the plan for Sacred Heart was not complete until a few years ago, when frames hanging empty for decades were finally filled with paintings of angels. Parishioners’ devotion even took them to World War I to defend their homeland as the first soldiers to fight under the colors of Poland since 1813. Sacred Heart’s story is proof of how people working to survive can still do big things together.

#ChurchTour #VirtualTour #PrivateTour #GuidedTour #CityTour #Religion #ArtTour #PolishImmigrants #ItailianImmigrants #RebellionOf1863 #CatholicChurch #BlueArmy #WWI #Immigration #HistoryTour #ToursAroundMichigan #ToursAround #ExperienceLife

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What began as a Native American chapel in 1833 led to St. Andrew Church’s designation as the seat of the diocese. It grew into the current cathedral, built in 1879, bringing memories of its previous “old stone church” to merge into its home today. In sharing its story we’ll gaze at the constellations painted on its vaulted ceilings, hiding charred beams from a destructive lightening strike. St. Andrew has overcome many challenges, including clashes with city founders, fires, and murder. We’ll explore the inside and outside of Cathedral of St. Andrew, including the famous “Snowshoe Priest” who founded it.

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Visit the first Basilica in Michigan in person or virtually! The roots of Saint Adalbert Church began in the 1870s, helping Polish immigrants settle on Grand Rapids’ westside. Named after the patron saint of Poland, they built a wooden church in 1881. The current St. Adalbert was modeled after a medieval church in Trezmeszno, Poland where many local Poles left in the 1800s. We’ll also see its campus, including arched stone walkways, and a statue by sculptor, Mic Carlson, who was asked personally to travel to the Vatican to give his work to the Pope directly. Basilica translates into “House Fit For A King.” Under its domed ceiling and gothic stained glass, see why this building has remained a recognizable Grand Rapids icon.

#ChurchTour #VirtualTour #PrivateTour #GuidedTour #CityTour #Religion #ArtTour #PolishImmigrants #RebellionOf1863 #CatholicChurch #StanleyKetchel #Sports #Boxing #SpanishAmericanWar #WWI #Immigration #HistoryTour #ToursAroundMichigan #ToursAround #ExperienceLife

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