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Your regular Meijer Gardens ticket gets you into the outdoor exhibit, which is the main event for many people.
See Chihuly’s Giant Glass Sculptures Take Over Meijer Gardens This Summer!
Blown Away: Chihuly Lights Up Frederik Meijer Gardens
Oh yeah, CHIHULY is taking over Meijer Gardens this summer and fall!
From May 2 through November 1, 2026, Dale Chihuly’s mind-blowing glass installations will spread across the gardens, with pieces tucked near water, rising out of planting beds, and popping up in spots that make even a familiar Meijer Gardens loop feel totally different.
This is Meijer Gardens’ third time hosting Chihuly, and they’re going big: 12 outdoor installation sites across the property, a separate indoor gallery experience, guided tours, and special evening hours. If you’ve seen Chihuly here before, this one is bigger, brighter, and designed for repeat visits.
Dale Chihuly is one of the biggest names in glass art, with work shown everywhere from Venice and Jerusalem to Singapore, London, and Australia. His work is in more than 200 museums around the world, so having his show in West Michigan is a big deal.
What You'll See at Chihuly in Grand Rapids
Find the Outdoor Exhibits
Even from inside the parking lot, you’ll spot hints of what’s coming.
You can’t miss the huge, color-packed glass installation growing out of the garden as you drive up. And that’s just the start.
Once you’re really in the garden the full scavenger hunt begins. Track down pieces in ponds, tucked into planting beds, and in spots that make you stop mid-step and go, wait…what is that?
That’s part of the fun here. You’re wandering like normal, then suddenly you turn a corner and run into another massive burst of glass and light.
All told, there are 12 outdoor exhibit locations scattered throughout the 158-acre campus, each made up of countless pieces of handblown glass.
Indoor Exhibit Gallery
If you want to go deeper, there’s also a separate indoor exhibit inside the Sculpture Galleries called CHIHULY: Radiant Forms.
This timed, ticketed add-on opens up more than four decades of Chihuly’s work so you’ll be able to:
- Get closer to the glass, see the finer details, and get a better sense of how his style has evolved over time.
- Highlights some of his best‑known series, like Baskets, Macchia, Seaforms, Ikebana, Persians, Venetians, Cylinders, and Rotolo, plus related drawings and original drawings
Inside the gallery the exhibition shifts. The outdoor pieces are big and wow-worthy, but the indoor gallery is captivating.
It really dials it in with controlled light, tighter spaces, and pieces that show how Chihuly masterfully catches and plays with color.
*This indoor gallery ticket is in addition to general admission and it books by time slot, so it’s smart to grab that in advance.
Add-On Special Experiences
Chihuly Insider Tours
If you’re the kind of person who likes knowing the backstory behind what you’re looking at, take a look at the the Chihuly Insider Tours.
These daily guided tours are a deep dive into the outdoor exhibit and last about 45 minutes.
In it, you’ll cover roughly a half-mile of walking, starting at the rooftop sculpture garden.
Along the way, guides will share how pieces are made, why certain works were placed where they were, and details you’d might not spot on your own.
Open Late Nights
On many evenings (more than 60!) Meijer Gardens will stay open late so you can see the installations as daylight shifts toward sunset and evening.
It’s a great opportunity to see the glass in a completely different mood.
| Month | Closing time | Open Late Dates (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| May | 9 PM | 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 |
| June | 9 PM | 2, 9, 11, 18, 23, 30 |
| July | 9 PM | 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 17, 19, 24, 28, 29, 31 |
| August | 9 PM | 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30 |
| September | 8 PM | 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 25, 26, 29 |
| October | 7 PM | 6, 13, 14, 20, 22, 29 |
If You Go
Tickets & Admission
General admission tickets include access to all outdoor Chihuly installations.
The add-on (indoor) gallery show is titled CHIHULY: Radiant Forms
- The gallery show requires a separate timed-entry ticket. (Because time slots are limited, especially on weekends and Open Late nights, it’s smart to reserve your indoor time when you pick your visit date.)
- You can buy tickets online in advance or at the ticketing center on site.
- Gallery Show Tickets: $9 adults, $5 children (ages 3–13); members receive a 10% discount.
- Website
How long to plan for
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Quick visit: 1.5–2 hours. Enough time to walk several outdoor installations and hit the indoor exhibit if your timed ticket lines up.
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Making a day of it: 3–4 hours. That gives you time for the outdoor exhibit, indoor galleries, grab something at the café, and the rest of Meijer Gardens.
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Going with kids? Build in extra for the Children’s Garden, Farm Garden and Ice Cream Shop.
Other things to see while you’re at FMG
Even without Chihuly, Meijer Gardens is already a half-day destination:
- Farm Garden
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Ever-changing seasonal gardens
Leaving You Glowing
By the time you’ve looped through Chihuly you’ll get why people keep talking about it. It’s not just “pretty glass” – it’s the way it sneaks up around a corner, reflects off the water, or suddenly looks different as the light changes. You don’t have to be “artsy” to enjoy it.
This exhibit will leaving a lasting memory. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that slows you down. Plan a date night, a solo reset, or a family outing, and revel in the “worth it.”
We are lucky enough to have Chihuly here at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, so make time to visit, and you’ll be glad you didn’t miss it.
