Location: East Lansing
Top Things to do in East Lansing
Countries
Top 7 Budget-friendly Things to do in East Lansing, Michigan (MI)
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan directly east of Lansing, the state capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, with the rest in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the 2010 census, an increase from 46,420 in 2000. It is best known as the home of Michigan State University.
Restaurants in East Lansing
1. 4-H Children's Garden
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 83 reviews
Children are the focus of this garden - they even helped in the planning of the 60 small, themed gardens.
Reviewed By MarmeladeGypsy - Lansing, United States
The MSU Children's Garden is number one on my list of places to take visitors to the Lansing area -- and to just go for a lovely time in a beautiful and clever garden. Note the pizza garden (with peppers and tomatoes); the Peter Rabbit garden (with all kinds of salad items); the Alice in Wonderland maze; the Monet bridge; a xylophone you play with your feet and many other lovely spots. There are benches for sitting and it's a delightful spot for a picnic. It's adjacent to the horticulture gardens for a lovely walk.
2. Michigan State University
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 325 reviews
MSU's huge country-like campus offers a lovely setting for running, biking or just hanging out, and also has places to visit, like the Beal Botanical Gardens, Sanford Natural Area, the 70,000-capacity Spartan football stadium, an art center, planetarium and, of course, the MSU Dairy Store for ice cream.
Reviewed By brade288
Amazing Experience!! Visited the MSU campus for a college visit and absolutely everything was positive. We have been corresponding with the school for about three months as my son is an accepted student. Our first experience was with LARRY ALTERMAN. He is the recruiter in our area. From his accepted students orientation to following up to see how our visit went, Larry is a wealth of MSU knowledge. Straight forward, informative, answered every question and spoke to the students as a parent would. He is truly amazing. The day of the tour we all met at Brody Square for lunch complements of MSU. This was accompanied by a presentation an Q&A on everything MSU. After this we took the walking tour of campus with KRISTIN. She gave a well informed tour from the students perspective. Very informative and knowledgeable. Her phrases "Cool, cool" and "Let's rock and roll" will stay in our heads. She was full of energy and a terrific guide. MEGAN in the advisors office at the business school and MADDIE, a student from the advisors office were both consistent with all information from their perspectives. I kept waiting for someone to trip up and change my opinion of this whole experience but it never happened. It was an A+++ all the way through. The campus is large but manageable for a Big10 school. Almost had a small school feel. We visited academic buidlings, dorms, wellness facilities, Spartan Stadium, etc. Wear comfortable shoes and definitely dress warm in the winter. As we have been through the college experience prior with our other kids, the MSU experience was by far the most informative and stress free from all the schools we have ever dealt with. Amazing follow up from everyone which is rare these days. Definitely the best college experience ever!!
3. Michigan State University Horticultural Gardens
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By TravelingTitus - East Lansing, United States
This is a fun place to take children or a date. Obviously, this is a warmer weather place to go. Easiest to see after students are gone.
4. Michigan Flyer
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 155 reviews
Luxury Motorcoach Service Between East Lansing Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan And Detroit Metro Airport (dtw)
Reviewed By 110mayap
I live in New York City but am from Michigan originally so I go home often but can't drive. I am so glad that the Michigan flyer exists now. Before, my poor mother had to make two two-hour trips to pick me up and drop me off at the DTW airport (and risk her life driving in the Michigan snow!). Now, all my mom has to do is drive up to the Meijer 15 minutes from our house. I've had bad experiences with coach buses such as Greyhound in the past. However, the Michigan Flyer is clean, gives you a free water bottle, has free decent wifi, and professional and lovely drivers. I was so pleasantly surprised and relieved! Plus - it's much safer to be a passenger in a big bus in the wintertime than my mother's Honda Accord (thanks again mom for braving the elements for your daughter). I hope more folks use the Michigan Flyer more and it leads to more great public transportation Michigan so desperately needs. Oh and now as a bonus I can make trips to Ann Arbor and East Lansing without spending $80.00 on a cab or begging my friends to make a two-hour roundtrip to come get me. Thanks a million Michigan Flyer!
5. Ellison Brewery + Spirits
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By f0rtin17 - Owosso, United States
The best brewery in Michigan!! Beers for all tastes, some of the best IPAs you will find anywhere. Plus the addition of spirits makes this brewery a can’t miss for all. Bring your own food or a ton of delivery options available
6. Abrams Planetarium
7. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 154 reviews
The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum is an engaged public institution that reflects through art the longstanding global focus of Michigan State University. Expressly dedicated to exploring contemporary culture and ideas through the probing gaze of international artists, the MSU Broad is a place where artists’ ideas, words, and actions create a vibrant center for questioning and understanding the world. Committed to education, experimentation, and study, the MSU Broad is a laboratory for the new, grounded in a deep appreciation for the historical. The MSU Broad is committed to expanding, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting its collection of artwork from ancient cultures to the present day.
Reviewed By MidwestKathM - Detroit, United States
One of my favorite places to visit! I have been enamored with this Zaha Hadid-designed building since it opened! Both inside and out! The awesome exterior looks different depending on the time of day, time of year, and the weather conditions (saw it in snow for the first time yesterday and loved it!). The interior architecture from the ceiling lines to the slanted windows, the gallery atrium, the stairways, right down to the benches is stunning. Any fan of Zaha Hadid (RIP 2016) or other modern architects will love the building for what it is! MSU is lucky to have it! As for the art, the Broad does not have a display of MSU-owned art, although they do being out individual pieces from The Vault to share (they have works from some of the world's best!). Rather they have curated exhibits from contemporary artists and other exhibitions that tie into MSU through its students in the art program or elsewhere. Some include artworks on loan from other institutions. We were drawn to see the Interstates of Mind exhibit since it explores automobiles and road travel through art and artifacts. We found it thoroughly interesting!! As was the Seeds of Resistance exhibition that highlights seeds and the history of plant and human interdependence (ties in with MSU's agricultural college roots) and related works of art. Since they opened, we've visited once a year and have seen many exhibitions and works of art that we likely would not have sought out but were glad to see and experience. We love that they exhibit a lot of MSU student art too!!
