The city of Flint, Michigan is the largest city in Genesee County and the seventh largest city in the state with a population of more than 100,000, but that’s not the main reason Flint is one of the highlighted cities on any Michigan map.
After becoming one of the lead cities manufacturing carriages and automobiles, due to the presence of General Motors, Flint was dubbed as the “Vehicle City”. The strong historical and cultural presence from decades past is resurfacing in the resiliency of the Flint community today which is, personally, my favorite part about living here.
Flint is filled with fun and interactive learning experiences for yourself and your children, unique dining and food that will excite your taste buds, along with the bustling vibe of happening events all year long. Whether you stop into town for a date night or a day trip adventure or if you’re a regular seasoned-visitor, we appreciate your support as it contributes to the betterment of Flint’s growth. Welcome!
Things To Do
Downtown Flint
Saginaw St, Flint MI
Walk the historical, red-brick road on the Saginaw stretch in downtown Flint where you can see and read about historical buildings and statues of prominent, historical members of the Flint community. Experience some of the city’s gems that are in walking distance like the many shops and restaurants, the Flint Farmer’s Market, Capitol Theatre, Factory One, the Carriage Town Historic District, and Buckham Gallery.
Capitol Theatre
140 E 2nd St. Flint, MI
With the beautiful Capitol Theatre newly restored and renovated, keep an eye out for the latest comedy shows, musical performances, and other entertainment attractions being held there.
Durant-Dort Factory One
303 W. Water St. Flint, MI
Visit Factory One to learn the story behind the birthplace of General Motors and its innovative visionaries. Explore the archive of “about 100,000 documents, photographs, and other artifacts, and traces the early history of the automobile industry and manufacturing in Flint”. Free to the public and open for tours, reservation required.
Carriage Town Historic District
W. 5th Ave and Saginaw St. Flint, MI
Stroll through a preserved neighborhood with ornate homes that are reminiscent of another time and rich in Flint history. Carriage Town is where early Native Americans camped and Flint’s first settler, Jacob Smith set up residence in 1819. During July, you can hang out in Civic Park Neighborhood where there’s a three-day music, marketplace, and resource festival called Heritage Harmony Festival.
Buckham Gallery
134 W 2nd St. Flint, MI.
Buckham Gallery is an artist-run gallery bringing culture to the community with innovative and contemporary art that is both visual and performance-based. The gallery is one of the stops along ARTWALK that occurs the second Friday of every month from 6p-9p. The gallery also hosts open mic nights the first Friday of every month.
Factory Two
129 N Grand Traverse St. Flint, MI
Flint’s very own makerspace, Factory Two, allows you to get creative on your own using equipment and supplies that may not be easily available to you. Sign up for a membership or attend a class to get some learning experience to do some hands-on crafting, whether that’s learning how to use a 3D printer or edit photos using Photoshop.
Whaley Historic House Museum
624 E Kearsley St. Flint, MI
Step into time with a visit to the Whaley Historic House Museum that presents life during Flint’s Gilded Age. Learn about the history of Flint and the Whaley family who were prominent Flint community members who loved their city and supported it. Tours by appointment.
Flint Children’s Museum
1602 University Ave. Flint, MI
Located right across the street from Kettering University is the Flint Children’s Museum, one of the most well-known field trip excursions located in the city for experiential fun and learning for children ages 2-10. Children get to play and explore various exhibits that allow them to be imaginative while learning. Stay tuned for Commit to Fit’s Cooking with Kids classes at the Flint Children’s Museum where families are “taught to make healthy food choices while learning to cook fresh, affordable recipes from diverse cultural traditions”.
Sloan Museum & Longway Planetarium
1221 E. Kearsley St. Flint, MI
Discover and learn about regional history, historic automobiles, astronomy and hands-on science as you explore the Sloan Museum & Longway Planetarium. You can even check out the changing Sloan Museum exhibit in the Courtland Center mall in Burton, MI. Additionally, Sloan offers summer camps and activities for children.
Flint Institute of Arts
1120 E Kearsley St. Flint, MI
With revolving and changing displays, the FIA is both an intriguing and engaging cultural display of a vast form of artistic expressions that is a must-see for anyone who has an appreciation for art. You can currently visit for free on Saturdays.
The Whiting
1241 E Kearsley St. Flint, MI
Catch your favorite musical or theatrical performance at The Whiting. Home to the Flint Symphony Orchestra.
Applewood Estate
1400 East Kearsley St. Flint, MI
Visit the beautiful Applewood Estate, home of CS Mott and Ruth Mott, two prominent and contributing members within the Flint community, and also to the world of engineering. Tours available.
Parks
Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad
6140 Bray Rd. Flint, MI
With restored 19th century buildings, amusement rides, and authentic narrow-gauge railroad, you’ll have fun traveling back in time at the beloved Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad.
Stepping Stone Falls
5161 Branch Rd. Flint, MI
Take a relaxing venture to Stepping Stone Falls where you can kick back at a scenic recreation area with trails, picnic sites, an accessible dam, and lake stocked with fish.
Kearsley Park
1700 Kearsley Park Blvd. Flint, MI
Kearsley Park is a beautiful piece of land with a pavilion that offers theatre, music, and festival Spring through Fall. Perfect spot for picnicking, letting the kids run around and get some energy out, or sledding during the winter.
Bluebell Beach
5500 Bray Rd. Flint, MI
Plan your beach-day at Bluebell Beach where you can soak up the sun, wiggle your toes in the sand, and be a fish in the water. Day complete with a Splash Pad for the kiddos or a ride down the Flint River Bike path. Fly a kite, host a party under a pavilion, and take a hike down one of the Walking Trails. All in a perfect summer’s day recipe.
Shopping
Flint Farmer’s Market
300 East First St. Flint, MI
Whether you want to shop, eat, or drink, Flint Farmer’s Market has it all! With locally grown and sourced foods and products, you’ll feel good spending your money there. Grab a bite to eat at one of the delicious food vendors and have a seat in the court while you enjoy a community event going on. Attend the annual, summer Downtown Throwdown at the market for live music, local food, and artist vendors.
Totem Books
620 West Court St. Flint, MI
Grab a made-to-order sandwich from their cafe and stroll around Totem Books browsing their vinyl collections, books, and media products. Stay posted for live performances and other workshops being held there. Every Saturday at 11am is children’s story time!
The Local Grocer
601 Martin Luther King Ave. Flint, MI
With a stand also located in the Flint Farmer’s Market, the Local Grocer offers fresh, local, and healthy alternatives to fill your fridge and cupboards with.
SHIFT
140 E 2nd St. Suite 100 Flint, MI
Long awaited and brand new to downtown is SHIFT, a fashion boutique and exciting, new retail experience in downtown.
The Valley
3341 S Linden Rd. Flint, MI
For all of your commercial shopping needs, visit the Valley where you will find the Genesee Valley Mall as well as stores in the surrounding area that can meet every shopping need you could possibly have (or grumble in your tummy for that matter).
Education
Kettering University
1700 University Ave. Flint, MI
Most known for the co-op experience and its engineering programs, you can also pursue degrees in a vast range of STEM disciplines as well as business management. Kettering hosts pre-college programs during summer for ages ranging anywhere from 1st-12th grade. Programs encompass STEM subjects like personal finance, “doctor for a day”, and robotics. Kettering also owns Atwood Stadium where you can catch a varsity football game or attend their epic 4th of July fireworks display with an accompaniment by the Flint Symphony Orchestra.
Small Business Development Center
1700 University Ave. Flint, MI
Housed at Kettering University is SBDC. If you’re thinking about starting a small business, you can receive free business consultation and advising.
U of M Flint
303 E Kearsley St. Flint, MI
Even if you’re not going there to study, U of M Flint holds a lot of different community events and has a beautiful campus if you’re interested in some nature and beauty on your downtown walk.
Flint is also a home to Mott Community College and Baker College.
Restaurants
You can view a family-friendly restaurant guide to Flint city HERE.
There are so many wonderful things going on in the city and Flint has so much to offer. Thank you for letting me share some of my favorite hot spots with you! I look forward to seeing you as you’re out and about on your next Flint adventure. What do you think you will include in your next trip to Flint?
I’d love to hear what your favorite city hotspots are!
