Grand Fish, Grand River

With LIVE Lake Sturgeon!

Grand River, Grand Fish explores how the Great Lakes region’s largest and oldest fish, the Lake Sturgeon, once found in great abundance, is now a threatened species in our watersheds. The exhibit takes visitors through the connections to Native Americans, fishing history in the region and current science. Using artifacts from the GRPM Collections, along with the two live sturgeon, it will tie together the cultural, historical and scientific connections and explore rehabilitation efforts for this species in the Grand River and throughout the Great Lakes region.

Lake Sturgeon live along the rocky bottoms of our lakes and rivers, and are an important environmental indicator for the health of our ecosystem. These fish have fossil ancestors that from the Early Jurassic Period – the age of the dinosaurs. Lake Sturgeon have affected the region historically and culturally and still do today.

Grand River, Grand Fish is free with general admission to the Museum. 

This exhibit was made possible by partnership with:

Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, Tribal Coordination Unit
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, Oden State Fish Hatchery
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Sponsored by:

Aqua Blue Aquarium Solutions
Blue Fish Aquarium
Grand Rapids Steelheaders Foundation,
Great Lakes Fishery Trust
Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited

Strugeon Excursion

Animated adult Lake Sturgeon as part of the Sturgeon Excursion digital game

New! Museum visitors can now interact with the Sturgeon Excursion digital game by scanning any of the QR codes inside the Museum’s core exhibits located on its 3rd floor: Anishinabek: The People of this Place, West Michigan Habitats and Grand Fish, Grand River

Sturgeon Excursion is the first digital gaming interaction available on the new platform, and is an experience users can access within the GRPM exhibits, allowing users to explore and interact with the history, culture and science of their environment. Within this game, users meet the mighty Lake Sturgeon, learn the indigenous history of the region and discover ways to care for the quality of the Grand River watershed. By answering questions and gathering food for their virtual Lake Sturgeon, users allow it to grow and travel down the Grand River on its journey to Lake Michigan. 

Additionally, you can also play the game from home! Meet the mighty Lake Sturgeon, understand the cultural history of this area and find out a few ways to care for the quality of our Grand River watershed. Sturgeon Excursion is a web-based experience that can be played asynchronously in any browser.

This educational game was made possible In partnership with YETi CGI and supported by the Wege Foundation.