East Lansing, Michigan holds a special place in my heart. Both my parents went to Michigan State University and loved it so much they took my sister and I there for weekend trips growing up. We would visit the city to do some shopping, sightseeing, and dining and we would roam the campus looking at all the beautiful flowers, gardens, and architecture and feed the ducks (one of my favorite memories!).
In college I spent a semester at MSU. I stayed very busy and, being older, gained even more of an appreciation of all there is to do on campus and around town. The area is ever evolving and there are always new shops, stores, restaurants, and attractions that I look forward to trying out the next time we are there.
That’s why, I’m excited to share this sponsored post as a Travelocity Gnational Gnomad. Here’s a look at my favorite Hidden Gems in East Lansing Michigan.
Le Bon Macaron
Fairly new to the area, opening in 2014, Le Bon Macaron, is the place to be for macaroons of all colors and flavors. Known for their delectable macaroons in flavors such as Chocolate Salted Caramel, Coffee, Nutella, Jasmine, Honey Lavender, Margarita, as well as the classics like Chocolate, Vanilla, and Hazelnut, there is something for everyone. If you like their Facebook page you’ll see they’ve brought back cream puffs too!
Curious Book Shop
If you love browsing for books, the Curious Book Shop, is a treasure trove of over 50,000 books, magazines, and more. The shop specializes in used and rare books and you can spend hours in here discovering out-of-print titles, sports memorabilia, vintage comic books, signed limited editions, film scripts, and so much more. With three floors to wander, respectable prices, and even a collection of new books, this bookstore is a true hidden gem that’s not to be missed on your visit to East Lansing.
Pinball Pete’s
If you love pinball and arcade games than this slice of history is for you. Pinball Pete’s is one of the last remaining arcades in East Lansing and you can even play some vintage games for $0.25! With over 4,000 square feet of arcade and pinball (along with air hockey and skeeball) games this is the perfect place to relive your childhood or introduce your kids to the classics.
4H Children’s Garden
If you are bringing the family to East Lansing, a visit to the charming 4H Children’s Garden is a must. The garden is free to visit and is located on the MSU campus. There are outdoor and indoor gardens with a variety of themes including: Pizza Garden, Dinosaur Garden, Storybook Garden, and more. I love that they encourage curiosity in both children and adults. On the Parents page of the website they have a number of suggestions to enhance your experience including: finding Lamb’s Ear and feeling the leaves, sitting on the sheep, finding Chocolate Mint and smelling it, dancing on the dance chimes, wandering through the Alice and Wonderland Maze, and more.
MSU Dairy Store
There is so much goodness at the MSU Dairy Store that there are two locations, both on the Michigan State University Campus. They make, package, and sell ice cream and cheeses at the stores. It’s not only a dairy plant but also an educational outreach center. The cheese is remarkable with a variety of flavors. You can also find an astonishing number of ice cream flavors from favorite classics along to unique flavors including: Badger Berry Cheesecake, Gopher S’more, Green Tea, Husker’s Sweet Corn, White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, and more. A visit to East Lansing should always include a stop at the MSU Dairy Store!
Feed The Ducks On The Red Cedar River
One of my favorite memories as a kid was feeding the ducks on the Red Cedar River on the Michigan State University campus. The river is an iconic landmark for current and past MSU students – it’s name is featured in the first line of the college fight song. Not only is it a lovely and picturesque place to feed the Mallard ducks but students enjoy the peaceful, relaxing nature of the river and will often be found studying beside it.
Recently the Travelocity Roaming Gnome had a chance to visit East Lansing. Here’s a few photos from his trip. As you can see he had a great time!
Visiting the Spartan statue on the campus of Michigan State University.
A stop at Flat, Black, and Circular Record Shop
Cheering on MSU with Sparty
Tesa Nicolanti is an official Travelocity Gnational Gnomad offering tips and inspiration to fellow travel enthusiasts. To join the Travelocity Gnomads community visit www.travelocitygnomads.
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Lots of fun places to visit! The book store would be a place I would love.
I live in Michigan and I did not know about any of these places in Lansing, will have to check some out!
I grew up in Jackson, MI and would go up to E. Lansing with my friends all the time!
I have so many fun memories there! Go Spartans!
I need to take my exchange student to experience all of these. My daughter went to MSU and we loved the MSU Dairy Store. Of course, she loves Pinball Pete’s. Thanks for the article.
The ice cream sandwiches from the dairy store are great
How could I not know there was a macaron store and antique book store? !Will definitely stop at on our next visit.