Things to do in Coopersville
Located just 15 minutes west of Grand Rapids, Coopersville which was founded in 1845 by Benjamin Cooper, gives visitors that quaint small-town feel. With a rich agricultural heritage, the city of Coopersville has much to offer. From historic train rides to lively downtown concerts, this city is full of life and friendly faces. Plus, this small town has lots of fun events throughout the year, such as the Annual Car Show and the Santa Parade. Discover all that Coopersville has to offer below!
Keep up with all the fun things going on in Coopersville, Michigan with Discover Coopersville!
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Explore Downtown Coopersville
Downtown Coopersville has that great small town feel and is filled with shopping and restaurants! Located right on Main Street, you will find a splash pad and park area perfect for the little ones. Plus, down the street are cute boutiques for shopping!
Eating and Drinking
Coopersville has a good variety of dining options downtown and in the greater Coopersville area. Everything from a great pizza to donuts to Mexican food! Right downtown you’ll find several options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. See these below:
Just outside of downtown:
Shopping
Downtown Coopersville is quaint and Main Street is easily walkable from end to end. In addition to the dining options, there are also several different stores and boutiques to visit as well. Everything from a small-town grocery store to a high-end boutique — it can all be found in Coopersville!
Shopping in Coopersville:
- New to You Coopersville
- Coopersville Hardware
- Tasker’s Drug Store
- Eastown Frame Gallery
- Spring Lake Bridal
- Gallery 293
- The Green Brick Boutique
- Phillips Jewelers
- Harmony Floral
- Off The Tracks Food & Grocery Outlet
You can even stay downtown at The Loft!
Visit the Coopersville Farm Museum
Located right on Main Street, Coopersville Farm Museum celebrates the area’s agricultural history. They have a great exhibit of antique trackers, traditional handmade quilts, and so much more! The museum also has rotating art exhibits and live entertainment. They have a great Jam Night with live music that takes place each month. In addition, the museum has a monthly kids’ event called Kids Crafts and Critters. See a full list of their events here!
Looking for a place to hold a large event? Coopersville Farm Museum can help with that! They have a large event center space that can be rented out for any gathering. Check out the details here!
Hours and Admission
Open, year round, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
General Admission
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (65+), and $3 for kids (ages 4 to 16). Admission for members and children (3 and under) are free. Fees may vary for events.
Annual Memberships:
Individual Membership are $40 and Family Memberships are $60.
- Members receive complimentary admission to Jam Night, Quilting Circle, and general museum entry.
- Members may also receive discounts on facility use and special events.
- Member newsletters are mailed and available online.
- Members receive half-price booth fees for all craft and vendor shows.
Explore the Coopersville Historical Museum
The Coopersville Historical Museum, also located in downtown Coopersville, has historical exhibits such as a century-old sawmill, 19th-century drugstore replica, interurban train, household exhibits, and memorabilia from early rock-n-roll star, Del Shannon (a Coopersville native).
The museum’s main building was once a depot for the Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, and Muskegon Railways. The eclectic rail served the area in the early 20th century. Added to the museum’s buildings are a rustically designed sawmill and an early settlers building, which was completed in the early 2000s. It is a Michigan Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the main exhibits in the museum is the Tasker Drug Store display. This recreation of an early local store includes nine-foot-high exterior doors, an original counter, apothecary jars, shelves, medicine packages, and lots of other pharmaceutical items. The museum’s steam railway and interurban train exhibits are also other major exhibits.
Hours and Admission:
Tuesday: 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Friday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
*Open other times for group tours and special visits.
No admission fee during regular hours. Donations are welcome!
Read a Book at the Coopersville Area District Library
Located within walking distance of the main downtown area, the Coopersville Library has a vast array of books, computer access, a children’s book area, and an adjacent playground area! The library began serving citizens in the area in 1913 and became a district library in 1994. The building was renovated through a 1.65 million dollar bond millage in 2016 and reopened at its new location on Ottawa Street in May of 2017. The library is one of 42 member libraries belonging to the Lakeland Library Cooperative, which covers eight counties in West Michigan.
The Library’s Mission:
Preserving the past. Providing technology and education for a lifetime of learning. Promoting culture and community through literature and the arts.
The Coopersville District Library also has a large event space that is available to certain groups to rent. Find all the information here! The library also hosts a number of events throughout the year for adults and children alike. See the full events calendar here.
Grab a Pint at Coopersville Brewing Company
Brand new to town is the Coopersville Brewing Company (CBC)! No visit to Coopersville is complete without enjoying a pint of the good stuff at the unique bar at this awesome brewery. They have a variety of unique brews on tap, including It Was All A C.R.E.A.M. which is a light-bodied cream ale and Another Man’s Treasure which is a midwest IPA. Check out their entire tap list here! They also offer some hard ciders, seltzers, and juice boxes for the kiddos.
Hours and Admission:
Tuesday to Thursday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
CBC also regularly have live music and food trucks. See the full schedule of events here!
Take a Train Ride
One of the most popular attractions in town is the Coopersville and Marne Railway train. The railway is an all-volunteer historic railway operating vintage train rides for visitors with 1920s themed train cars. The train ride takes you from Coopersville to Marne and back, which is about a seven mile track. The city has a rich steam railroad history that played a significant role in the emergence of the town. The town emerged after a contract with its founder Benjamin Cooper brought the railroad through the area in 1858.
Train Events
Today the train has many fun events throughout the year in which visitors can book a ticket and enjoy the ride. Some of the train events are:
- Beat the Train” 5K Race
- Coopersville Car Show Shuttle
- The Bunny Train
- Murder Mystery Train
- Veteran’s Free Troop Train
- The Famous Pumpkin Train
- The Great Train Robbery
- The Santa Train
- EnterTRAINment Excursions
You can event book private events on the train, such as birthday parties and even weddings! Check it out here!
Ready to ride the Coopersville Train? Book your tickets here! Make sure to book well in advance. The more popular train experiences, such as the Santa Train and the Bunny Train, fill up quickly.
Taste the Farm Freshness
Located near Coopersville are several farms offering local produce, fresh flowers, cheeses, and so much more! Make sure to visit Gavin Orchards, a family-owned farm offering sweet cherries, apples, peaches, squash, pumpkins, and sweet apple cider in the fall. Another great stop is Grassfields Cheeses, a fifth-generation family farm that makes and sells fresh cheese as well as grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, and more.
There are also several wonderful Blueberry Farms near Coopersville that are worth a visit. Venroy Blueberries and Lindberg Blueberries are both located southwest of the city and offer you an option to pick your own blueberries each season.
Don’t forget a stop at Rasch Cherries to pick fresh Michigan Cherries!
Attend an Event
Coopersville has a number of events that take place weekly, monthly, and on an annual basis—so there’s always something fun to do! Check some of them out below:
Coopersville Summerfest and Car Show: This annual summer event offers three days of fun, festival activities including live music, car cruise, kids activities, an entertainment tent, and more! The festival normally takes place on the second weekend of August, each year. There’s also a special kids night to kick off the festival full of carnival games, live animals, craft booths, and so much more!
Music On Main: This annual summer concert series brings free entertainment every other week to downtown Coopersville. They offer lively bands, food, and craft vendors plus a new social beverage zone on Main Street. Check out the full entertainment line-up here!
Santa Parade: This annual parade has been running since 1980 and takes place the first Friday in December. The parade, filled with professional and amateur floats, plus firetrucks and sponsored vehicles, runs from the corner of Eastmanville down to Main Street. They also have free refreshments, visits with Santa, and live Reindeer! Make sure to get here early to get a good spot—this event is extremely popular.
Visit the Farmers Market
Coopersville Farmers Market: The market takes place every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. located in the parking lot of Naturally Nourished and Ireland Chiropractic Clinic.
The Coopersville Farmers Market Mission:
The Coopersville Farmers Market Mission: Coopersville Farmers Market is a place where locally grown and locally made foods can be bought in one location to make it easy for our community to find and buy. Small family farms are essential to our economy and to our community. We believe making connections between consumers and farmers is key to a thriving community.
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Sara Moore
Sara is a mom, wife, and Grad student living in Coopersville Michigan! She is a lifelong lover of all things West Michigan. She loves writing and sharing all the wonderful things to do in the West Michigan area especially Grand Rapids and the lakeshore!
Wonderful blog! I appreciate what you wrote about the Coopersville Farm Museum too! My dream is for more people to discover it. We have a huge Quilt Show during the months of August and September with over 100 quilts in the museum and dozens more located in businesses Downtown! Please introduce yourself next time you’re at the Farm Museum.
Of course! We love the Farm Museum and supporting local businesses and organizations! I will make sure to say hi next time I’m visiting 🥰
[…] stop on your way to the beach or to the city for a night out. Or even better, spend your day in the town of Coopersville exploring the downtown area and having a few drinks at the Coopersville Brewing […]