Looking to shake up date night? We put together a huge list of romantic restaurants, outdoor adventures, creative experiences, and Michigan-wide weekend getaways—so you can plan something fun no matter the season.
Nature & Outdoors
Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens (Midland)
Walk the woods + canopy walk.
Chippewa Nature Center (Midland)
Trails, nature center, peaceful vibes.
For-Mar Nature Preserve (Burton)
Boardwalks, wildlife, easy strolls.
Seven Ponds Nature Center (Dryden)
Quiet trails + scenic overlooks.
Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
Hike, picnic, lakeside reset.
Tobico Marsh (Kawkawlin)
Marsh trails + birdwatching.
Ted Putz Nature Area (Bay City)
Easy walk + river views.
DeVries Nature Preserve (Owosso)
Short trails and fresh air.
Adventure Dates
Ziplining & Ropes Courses
- Frankenmuth Aerial Park (Frankenmuth)
- Base Camp Challenge Center (Flint)
Sky-High Thrills
- Sky Balloons (Oxford)
- Wild Wind Skydivers (Midland & Buena Vista)
On-the-Water Dates
- Lake Fenton Sailing Club (Fenton)
- Saginaw Bay Community Sailing (Bay City)
- Delta College Sailing School (Bay City)
- Kayak or paddleboard your local lake (sunset is undefeated)
Food & Drink Experiences
Cooking, Baking & Chocolate
- Food For All Seasons (Ann Arbor)
- Zingerman’s Bakehouse (Ann Arbor)
- Fustini’s School of Cooking (Ann Arbor)
- Feast Gourmet Kitchen Shop (Fenton)
- Sur La Table Cooking Classes (Ann Arbor)
- Artisanne Chocolatier classes (Bay City)
Breweries (Mid-Michigan favorites)
- Tenacity Brewing (Flint)
- Cranker’s Brewery (Mt. Pleasant)
- Midland Brewing Company (Midland)
- Mountain Town Brewing Company (Midland)
- Tri-City Brewing (Bay City)
- Lumber Barons Brewery (Bay City)
- Oracle Brewing (Saginaw)
- Frankenmuth Brewery (Frankenmuth)
- Lynchpin Beer Company at The Laundry (Fenton)
- Northern Oak Brewery (Holly)
- Tilted Axis Brewing (Lapeer)
- Alma Brewing Company (Alma)
Wineries & Cideries
- Spicer Orchards (Fenton)
- Seven Lakes Vineyard & Winery (Holly)
- Howell’s Mainstreet Winery (Howell)
- Wills Winery (Lapeer)
- Grape Beginnings Winery (Midland)
Romantic Restaurants (quick picks)
- Da Edoardo’s (Grand Blanc)
- Fenton Hotel (Fenton)
- The Holly Hotel (Holly)
- Cork on Saginaw (Flint)
- The Public House (Bay City)
- Gratzi / The Table (Midland)
- Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie (Frankenmuth)
Tip: Turn dinner into a “progressive date”—apps one place, entrée another, dessert somewhere cozy.
Creative Dates
- Creative 360 (Midland)
- Studio 23 (Bay City)
- U Me Paint (Saginaw)
- Primed to Paint (Frankenmuth)
- Painting with a Twist (Fenton)
- Painterly Pottery (Bay City & Saginaw)
- Craftworks (Midland)
Make it extra: do a “swap challenge”—you paint theirs, they paint yours, and you can’t fix it.
Entertainment & Games
Cinema
- NCG Cinemas (Lapeer, Grand Blanc/Trillium, Burton/Courtland, Midland, Alma, Owosso)
- Emagine Birch Run
- The New US 23 Drive-In (Flint)
- AMC Fashion Square (Saginaw)
Live Shows & Performing Arts
- The Whiting (Flint)
- Capitol Theatre (Flint)
- Temple Theatre (Saginaw)
- State Theatre (Bay City)
- Pit & Balcony (Saginaw)
Playful Dates
- Escape rooms (Midland, Brighton, Frankenmuth, Saginaw, Davison)
- Bowling (Fenton Lanes, Galaxy Lanes, Stardust, Northern Lanes + more)
- VR arcades (Flint, Owosso)
- Mini golf & go-karts (Bay City, Birch Run, Lapeer, Harrison)
- Axe throwing (check your nearest city)
Weekend Getaways (Michigan-Wide)
Traverse City & Northern Michigan
- Old Mission Peninsula wine trail
- Sleeping Bear Dunes
- Kayak or paddleboard Crystal Lake
- Downtown TC dessert crawl
Detroit
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Detroit Riverwalk + coffee/ice cream
- The Belt alley photo walk
- Catch a show at the Fox Theatre
- Eastern Market Saturday morning
Grand Rapids
- Frederik Meijer Gardens
- Food hall hopping
- Live music + late-night dessert
Mackinac Island
- Bike the island
- Carriage tour
- Sunset at Arch Rock
- Fudge crawl (yes, it counts)
Holland & Saugatuck
- Holland State Park beach walk
- Windmill Island Gardens
- Saugatuck Dune Rides
Seasonal & Budget-Friendly
Romantic
- Sunset picnic (bring a thermos of something cozy)
- Wine tasting + charcuterie
- Couples cooking class
- Downtown dessert crawl
Budget-Friendly
- Farmers market stroll
- Hiking trails + coffee after
- Library/bookstore + café date
- Drive-in movie
Rainy Day
- Escape room
- Pottery painting
- Museum day (Detroit/GR are perfect for this)
- Bowling + appetizers
Summer
- Kayaking/paddleboarding
- Berry picking
- Outdoor concerts
- Beach picnic
Winter
- Ice skating
- Mt. Holly ski day
- Curling night (Midland)
- Cozy café hopping
Give Back Together
One of the most meaningful dates? Do something kind together.
- Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
- Habitat for Humanity
- Humane Society of Genesee County
- Shiawassee Humane Society
- Foster Closet of Michigan
- Carriage Town Ministries
- Odyssey House (Flint)
Did we miss a favorite? Email us at info@midmichiganmomsblog.com and we’ll add it!
