Top Things to Do in Midland
With natural wonder and downtown cityscapes, relaxed comforts and upscale splurges, you'll find your vacation in Midland to be a beautiful blend of it all.
Whether you'll spend your time in the treetops on the nation's longest canopy walk within Dow Gardens, peruse the Midland Area Farmers Market, or venture out amidst the 1,200-acre haven of woodlands and wetlands that is Chippewa Nature Center — enjoy this sampling of the top things to do in Midland, Michigan.
Dow Gardens | @nrupalikulkarni
Dow Gardens | @karthikeyan_petchi
See Boundless
Beauty That
Knows No Season
Knows No Season
With its abundant blooms, tranquil water features, and interesting architectural bridges, there's no limit to the beauty you'll discover within Dow Gardens.
Stroll Through the Blooms
Streamside walks along winding pathways, architectural bridges, jaw-dropping florals and greenery. Be sure to enjoy the gorgeous 110-acre Dow Gardens any time of year! Consider Butterflies in Bloom (spring), outdoor movies in the gardens (summer), Christmas Walks (winter) and touring The Pines home in any season.
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Explore the Canopy
Within Dow Gardens, you'll find its reimagined Whiting Forest — and the longest canopy walk in the nation, suspended four stories above the ground. Don't pass on discovering this incredible $20 million project, complete with an orchard, playground, and endless other spots for exploring.
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Find Your Bliss
Immerse yourself from April - November in Dahlia Hill and experience eight terraces bursting with more than 3,000 Dahlia blooms of more than 300 varieties, garden sculptures, and artist Charles Breed's working studio and museum.
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Sink Your Teeth into This City
From slow-smoked barbecue at Molasses to inspired American tavern fare at ONe Eighteen, you'll find no shortage of flavor while in Midland. Taste your way through the regions of Italy at Gratzi or enjoy the city's newest farm-to-table concept, Aster.
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Alden B. Dow Home & Studio
See A
Mid-Century Masterpiece
Tour the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio (including its one-of-a-kind, sunken-in Submarine Room), or witness more than 400 other mid-century modern structures using the Mid-Century Modern Midland mobile app.
Take This Trail
Plan time to get out and breathe in the fresh air! Bike, hike, inline skate (or cross-country ski) the 30-mile Pere Marquette Rail Trail.
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Venture Out
Spend time in nature hitting up nearly 19 miles of trails at Chippewa Nature Center (and check out the two-story observation deck for bird's-eye viewing at its best).
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Dip Your Paddles
Put Ike's Mobile Kayak Rentals on your radar if you're looking to add waterfront memories to your Midland getaway (and be sure to include a pass beneath Midland's iconic, three-legged bridge).
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Say "Cheers!"
Stop by Midland Brewing Company to enjoy "historically great beers" that honor lumberjacks and brewers of the 1800s. And make sure to sip inside WhichCraft Taproom, which serves up more than 80 varieties (40 on tap) of beer, wine, cider, and mead exclusively from Michigan artisans. Late-May through September, Larkin Beer Garden's outdoor shipping container bar serves up cold summer suds and life-sized board games, too!
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Midland Center for the Arts
Museum & A Show
With two museums (and wall-sized, show-stopper fish tanks), two performance venues and art studios, Midland Center for the Arts is the Great Lakes Bay Region's one-stop destination for art, science, history, music, theatre, dance, films, and professional world-class entertainers. Check their schedule of events before visiting, because there's always something worth experiencing here.
Get All Hands In
Walk into the Pottery Studio and Glaze Bar at Space Studios to try your hand at painting and creating from a wide selection of ready-to-be-glazed, handcrafted pottery. And stop into Creative 360 for all kinds of creative endeavors to explore while enjoying art exhibits by area artists.
Shop Your Heart Out
Check out all the shopping available in Midland, and be sure to stop into favorites like Elodie Boutique for trendy and timeless wearables or Serendipity Road for goods made by Michigan artisans.
Play Ball
Or at least experience a Great Lakes Loons Minor League Baseball game at Dow Diamond! With seating for 5,200 fans (and 24 concession facilities, two indoor fireplaces, two outdoor fire pits, a group picnic area, and the Northern Lights Pavilion), enjoy a day at the ball game and say hi to official mascot, Lou E. Loon!
Go Wine Tasting
Dine and unwind at Whine — a "wine bar, with attitude" — offering an ample wine list with regional selections by the bottle or glass. And be sure to visit Downtown's boutique winery, Grape Beginnings, to enjoy wine tasting alongside hot plates like Crab Puffs and Gorgonzola Honey Bruschetta.
Read More +Ahh, Midland. Home to The Tridge (a three-legged bridge and a must-experience), and the kind of city that'll leave you feeling you've found the best of both worlds. Enjoy our top things to do in Midland found here, and far beyond! Learn More
Author
Jen W. O'Deay
Jen is a Saginaw native and owner of Feel These Words, an independent copywriting studio & home to the free "5 Day Website MiniBoost". Jen specializes in writing that connects, delivered through website copy, branded content articles, and WingWoman writing services. You'll find Jen camping with her family, laughing, and at feelthesewords.com
