Since opening in 1994, the Grand Rapids Public Museum has taught generations of visitors about the river that shaped the city. Phase 1 of the museum’s expansion turned toward the Grand River, and the Riverfront Outdoor Classroom sits at its heart: a terraced space where students and visitors can sit, learn, and connect with the water.

Designed by Viridis Design Group, the classroom rises in three tiers so every seat has a clear view of the speaker and the river beyond. Black locust benches turn and step across the slope, with built-in seat backs, rounded corners, and recessed LED lighting that keeps the space welcoming into the evening.

Building on the riverbank brought its own challenges. With up to 20 feet of urban fill below the site, the retaining walls needed aggregate piers to guard against settlement. Below the seating, an accessible path leads to the water, while fieldstone riprap and native plantings stabilize the shoreline.

The outdoor classroom is one piece of a larger effort to reconnect Grand Rapids with its river. Our teams have also been at work at Canal Park and East Riverfront, two more riverfront projects with Viridis Design Group.

The project scope included:

• Three-tier black locust terraced seating with built-in seat backs
• Recessed LED lighting integrated into the bench risers
• Pressure-treated framing over a concrete base
• Cast-in-place retaining walls supported on aggregate piers
• Accessible concrete path to the river with stepped seatwalls
• Leaning rail at the upper overlook
• Fieldstone boulder riprap with native plantings for bank stabilization