Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Michigan Grand Rapids The Abandoned Dioramas of the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Abandoned Dioramas of the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

The Abandoned Dioramas of the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum

The museum moved on, but the diorama remain.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Added By
Luke Spencer
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Abandoned Diorama   Luke J Spencer / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned display on Moles and Shrews   Luke J Spencer / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned Diorama   Luke J Spencer / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned Diorama   Luke J Spencer / Atlas Obscura User
The original dioramas and suspended whale   54jeff.org
Exterior of the old Public Museum   Luke J Spencer / Atlas Obscura User
The museum in its heyday   54jeff.org
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Today the Public Museum of Grand Rapids can be found in a modern state of the art facility on the banks of the Grand River, but some of its former inhabitants weren't invited to come along.

Its current home built in 1994, the first museum opened in 1854, making it one of America's oldest history museums still operating, despite relocation. Between 1940 and 1994, the museum was located in a lovely art deco building on Jefferson Avenue. 

Designed by local architect Roger Allen, it was one of the last buildings to be built as part of the WPA program. An art deco masterpiece more similar in style to a movie theatre of the period than a traditional museum, it was designed to be "As Accessible as a Dime Store, as Friendly as a Next-Door Neighbor."

The main attraction of the museum used to be its habitat dioramas—designed similar in style to Carl Akeley's grand dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Visiting Michiganders could marvel at polar bears, deer, and otters in their natural habitat, all under the auspices of a giant whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling.

So popular was the museum that with over 120 years of collecting,  it soon outgrew its art deco surroundings and the museum moved to its new location on the river, leaving the old building empty and abandoned.

Today the diorama lies in disrepair. The glass which once separated the animals from their human observers has gone and peeling paint litters the floor. The crowds may have long gone but the animals remain frozen in time.

The museum has recently been open to the public for brief periods of time when hosting art displays by the art cooperative Sitelab, as part of the Grand Rapids Art Prize competition. It was last used for an art exhibit in 2013. The dioramas are now gone, and the building is being renovated.

Update: The dioramas have been moved to the Grand Rapids Public Museum's third floor. 

Related Tags

Dioramas Museums And Collections Abandoned Ruins

Know Before You Go

Nobody in Michigan uses Michiganites. It’s always Michiganders. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Luke J Spencer

Edited By

Rachel, carlsont, handmademercury, wetherbubble...

  • Rachel
  • carlsont
  • handmademercury
  • wetherbubble
  • jesseraymcdowell

Published

June 1, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.artprize.org/sitelab-54-jefferson
The Abandoned Dioramas of the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum
54 Jefferson Avenue SE
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503
United States
42.961579, -85.664154
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Grwostlaven'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

'Erailen Gwome'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

'Waiting for the Grwost'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids

Michigan

Places 10

Nearby Places

'Grwostlaven'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

'Erailen Gwome'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

'Waiting for the Grwost'

Grand Rapids, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids

Michigan

Places 10

Related Places

  • One of the corridors.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Rafael Coronel Museum

    Mexico's largest collection of masks is found in the ruins of an abandoned convent.

  • Tamaqzah, Tunisia

    Tamaghza El Gdima (Abandoned Village of Tamerza)

    The ruins of a village destroyed by a 22-day flood.

  • The Poltalloch House has a long history behind it.

    Kilmartin, Scotland

    Poltalloch House

    The ruins of this 19th-century Scottish Baronial mansion reflect the architectural heritage and history of Scotland's aristocracy.

  • The Maribel Caves Hotel is located next to a park that shares its name.

    Maribel, Wisconsin

    Maribel Caves Hotel

    These rural ruins are of a Midwestern hotel that was once an elegant spa for the wealthy, then a gangster’s hideaway, and finally a haunted retreat.

  • Argyll and Bute Hospital

    Lochgilphead, Scotland

    Argyll and Bute Hospital

    This ruins of an abandoned Victorian-era mental health facility.

  • Pune, India

    Taljai Mansion

    The crumbling ruins of an old stone mansion sit atop a hill in the middle of Pune.

  • Cabin made of old railroad ties.

    Carlin, Nevada

    Palisade

    Little is left of this formerly bustling railroad junction on the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • These concrete footings tower over you.

    Lux, Nevada

    Thompson Smelter

    These massive concrete foundations and smelter chimney bricks still smell like smoke after a century.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.