Tourist Camp

GRHC - October 19th, 2011

In 1931, Grand Rapids opened a tourist camp at North Park with Grand River frontage.

Transcript

The city of Grand Rapids built a municipal tourist camp for use by the traveling public in 1931. Located on eight acres in North Park, it fronted on the Grand River, and included the site previously occupied by the North Park pavilion and the Boat and Canoe Club.

The Camp was fenced, well lighted, and policed at all hours. Roadways and walks were constructed, tables and benches distributed throughout the grounds, and water piped to all portions of the resort.

Camping space was reserved for tourists who brought their own camping outfits. Six furnished cabins, complete with kitchens, and one duplex cabin for six to eight people were available. Every cabin faced the river, and all windows and doors were screened.

A dormitory building contained four single rooms and six individual kitchens. A kitchen could be rented for 10 cents per half hour. The former Boat and Canoe Club quarters had clubrooms for the use of all campers, and included shower rooms and a laundry room.

Fifty cents per car was charged for camping purposes, which entitled the guests to use all the facilities except cabins. Single rooms in the dormitory were 75 cents a day. Cabins rented from $1.50 - $4.00/day depending on cabin size and the number of people.

As the camp opened in the early years of the Great Depression, it is not surprising to learn that all work at the camp was done by labor paid with scrip.