Past Exhibits

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum participates as a venue in ArtPrize, an international art competition and cultural festival held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Museum visitors can enjoy sculptures, paintings, photography, and interactive pieces from over 50 artists in a display that spreads from the museum's outdoor plaza to the lobby to the temporary gallery. During ArtPrize, Museum admission is free and hours are extended, Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.

A special display will feature the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, on loan from the National Archives and Records Administration. Visitors will be able to view the historic document and learn about its significance. Drafted by the Confederation Congress at the same time as the Constitution, the Ordinance outlined a framework for government in the northwest territory, defining the rights guaranteed in that territory, and creating a process for admitting new states to the United States. The display offers a rare opportunity to view a document that helped shape the ideals and values of the young nation. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, celebrates the 50th anniversary of Gerald Ford’s historic presidency with a new temporary exhibit, Ford at 50: Decisions that Defined a Presidency.

In this small exhibit, visitors will learn about Betty Ford’s breast cancer diagnosis just six weeks into her husband’s presidency. In an era when breast cancer was a private disease, Betty’s decision to go public with her diagnosis and to give the media access to her recovery transformed breast cancer awareness in the United States.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, visitors to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum can enjoy a pop-up exhibit in the lobby. In honor of the Greatest Generation, original artifacts and narrative text will highlight military service, life on the home front, and presidents who served, including Gerald R. Ford. Artifacts include a mess table made by Steelecase like the one used to sign the Instrument of Surrender in 1945, and much more! The Museum lobby will be free for visitors.