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LaughFest: Night at the Museum

wed16mar6:00 pm8:30 pmLaughFest: Night at the Museum

Event Details

The GRPM and Gilda’s LaughFest to host a seriously funny evening at the Museum in coordination with this year’s LaughFest festival. LaughFest: Night at the Museum will take place on Wednesday, March 16 featuring comedians Dave Dyer and Allen Trieu with a Museum twist. 

David Dyer has been performing stand-up at comedy clubs and corporate events for over twenty-five years. He’s worked with some of the best comics in the industry including Mike Birbiglia, Jim Breuer, and Lewis Black. He’s been a contributing writer to NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “ABC’s Politically Incorrect.” He’s a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom Show” and often appears on the roster for their “Friends of The Bob and Tom Show” comedy tour. He’s the host of a new web series called “Sidecar Sessions” where he interviews guests who are sitting in the sidecar of his motorcycle as David pilots the bike around town. David also created and stars in another web series called “Pillars” with co-star, Kevin Yon, that can be viewed on his website at www.daviddyercomedy.com. At the age of 49, David became an On Call Firefighter with Grand Rapids Township and he’s a full-time Firefighter with the City of Muskegon….his wife is nervous.

Allen Trieu began his comedy career by winning Grand Valley State’s Last Laker Standing Competition. Since then his comedy career has brought him from coast to coast. He has been on the Bob and Tom Show and performed at the World Famous Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory. His debut album A Cry for Help reached No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts. During the day, he is a college football recruiting analyst for 247Sports and appears on the Big Ten Network.

LaughFest: Night at the Museum will begin at 6 p.m. with the comedy show beginning at 7 p.m. Prior to the show, attendees can explore the Museum’s core exhibits including visitor favorites like the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit and West Michigan Habitats exhibit, as well as visit the two live Lake Sturgeon in the Grand Fish, Grand River exhibit and try out the Sturgeon Excursion digital game using their smartphones. Learn more at grpm.org/exhibits.

The event is family-friendly and open to all ages. Per LaughFest festival guidelines, attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. Masks are recommended, but not required. 

Cash bars will be available. Tickets are $25 each, with a reduced price of $20 each for Museum members, and can be purchased at grpm.org.  

LaughFest
Gilda’s LaughFest, the nation’s first-ever community-wide festival of laughter, has quickly earned a reputation for being one of the nation’s marquee events for both participants and artists. This major 10- day Midwest festival is based in Grand Rapids and includes events throughout West Michigan. Created by Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids and launched in March 2011 to celebrate laughter for the health of it, the festival features stand-up, improv, showcases and a variety of seriously funny stuff. Proceeds from LaughFest benefit the FREE cancer and grief emotional health support program offered through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Learn more about the festival, including events and ticketing information at laughfestgr.org.

The Carousel will be temporarily closed.

During routine mechanical checks, staff noticed an issue with the Spillman Carousel’s 98-year-old custom gearbox. Our team is hopeful for a timely fix and is actively working to locate this unique part. We anticipate it to remain closed into next week, and will reopen the Carousel as soon as possible.

We understand that our guests have been looking forward to riding the Carousel again, and are also sad to share this news. Our top priorities are guest safety and preservation of this nearly 100-year-old artifact. We will keep you updated as we work to repair this community treasure.

The Museum will be open for regular hours.

The Carousel is Closed Today, March 20

Due to a mechanical issue, the 1928 Spillman Carousel is closed today Friday, March, 20. 

We apologize for any inconvenience, and are hard at work making a repair to this century-old artifact. We will let you know when the Carousel is back up and spinning again!

The GRPM is CLOSED today.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is closed today, January 27, due to weather conditions. 

This evening’s invite-only event by the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital will be taking place as scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Drive safe, and stay warm! We’ll see you soon!

GRPM is Closed January 23

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is closed on Friday, January 23, 2026, due to weather. 

Early Closure on Friday, Jan. 16

The Grand Rapids Public Museum will be closing early at
1 p.m. on Friday, January 16, for the 2026 Grand Rapids Wedding Affair
 
We will resume normal hours on Saturday, January 17.

The GRPM is NOW OPEN

⚡ Electricity is back in the building! ⚡
 

The GRPM is open for guests today, July 28. While the Museum is open, the cafe will be closed.

We hope to see you here. Stay cool in the heat today, Grand Rapids!

An exhibit with the label ELECTRICITY in pink lights

Museum Parking Ramp Closed Saturday, July 26

The Museum Parking Ramp will be unavailable for use this Saturday due to the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival taking place on Front Avenue. They will be painting 21 new beautiful murals to brighten up Downtown Grand Rapids.

Alternative FREE parking will still be available in the GVSU Mt. Vernon lot at 50 Front Ave SW. See the map below for directions on how to access the Mt. Vernon lot.

U.S. Service Members and Families Free This Weekend!

This weekend, the GRPM extends free admission to all U.S. service membersactive or retired—and their families.
 
See our new Veterans display, in partnership with the Michigan Heroes Museum, honoring West Michiganders who served the United States during World War II.
 

This offer includes those serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Corps, along with up to five family members.

Ask our front desk upon arrival to redeem.

Early Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closing early at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14th, for Cabinet of Curiosities: Grand Slam!

This elevated spring fundraiser explores America’s favorite pastime through Grand Rapids history and celebrates the GRPM’s new exhibit, Play Ball! The World’s Largest Collection of Detroit Tigers Autographed Baseballs.

Planetarium & Cafe Closure Notice

The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium and the Museum Cafe will be closed from September 2nd – 5th.

Upcoming
Planetarium Closure Notice

The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium will be closed June 8 through June 15 for the most significant systems upgrade made to our Planetarium in 10 years!

Come back after June 15 to see crisper, cleaner, and more vibrant visuals, and a system capable of showcasing parts of the universe we weren’t able to display before!

Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closed for Easter on Sunday, April 20. We will reopen on Monday, April 21 for normal hours. 

Extended! Become A GRPM Member, Earn $20 in Museum Promo Cash

Get $20 in Museum Promo Cash with the purchase of any membership now through Friday, December 6!

This promo cash can be used towards admission to the Museum, Planetarium tickets, unique local gifts at the Curiosity Shop, and food and beverages at the Museum Cafe.

Museum Promo Cash expires June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Any unused balance will be forfeited after this date. This card is for promotional purposes only and is not redeemable for cash or Museum credit.

Become A GRPM Member, Earn $20 in Museum Promo Cash!

Get $20 in Museum Promo Cash with the purchase of any membership now through Tuesday, December 3! 

This promo cash can be used towards admission to the Museum, Planetarium tickets, unique local gifts at the Curiosity Shop, and food and beverages at the Museum Cafe.

Museum Promo Cash expires June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Any unused balance will be forfeited after this date. This card is for promotional purposes only and is not redeemable for cash or Museum credit.

Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closed on Thursday, September 12, 2024 for an event. We will re-open on Friday, September 13, 2024 at 9 a.m. 

Late Opening Notice.

On Saturday, May 11, the Museum will open at 12 p.m. due to road closures for the Amway River Bank Run.

Early Closure Notice.

The Museum will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1 for Museum Adventure After Dark. Tickets are still available!