The Area
Welcome to
Holland
Lake Michigan beaches, a Dutch windmill, a downtown full of life, and millions of tulips each spring — almost all of it minutes from your door.
Holland sits right on Lake Michigan — wide sugar-sand beaches, a famous red lighthouse, and dune climbs with views for miles. The shoreline is the whole reason people fall for this town.
The one to start with
Holland State Park & Big Red
The postcard of the Michigan lakeshore: a wide State Park beach beside “Big Red,” one of the most photographed lighthouses in the state. The sunset here is worth planning the whole day around.
Tunnel Park
A local family favorite, named for the tunnel cut straight through the dune to reach the sand. Easy access, a playground, and a great spot for sunset.
Mount Pisgah Dune Climb
A 239-step boardwalk to the top of a towering dune between Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan — a panorama of both, plus the lighthouse and the channel.
Laketown Beach
A quieter, locals-know stretch of shoreline just south of town — a stairway down the dune to a calm beach with room to breathe.
Oval Beach
Saugatuck’s beloved Lake Michigan beach — soft sand backed by wooded dunes and often ranked among the best beaches in the country. Paid parking in season; arrive early on summer weekends.
Downtown Holland packs more than a hundred locally owned shops, cafés, and brewpubs into a few walkable, brick-lined blocks — a genuinely good food town for its size.
The one to start with
New Holland Brewing — The Pub on 8th
Holland’s flagship brewpub right on 8th Street — award-winning beer, Dragon’s Milk on tap, craft spirits, and a full kitchen. The easy first night out.
Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant
Right on Lake Macatawa, with a deck made for golden hour — the go-to for a relaxed waterfront dinner or a weekend brunch.
deBoer Bakkerij & Restaurant
An authentic Dutch bakery and breakfast spot — almond banket, fresh stroopwafels, and a true taste of Holland’s heritage.
Butch’s Dry Dock
A downtown institution: a deli and gourmet shop by day, an intimate wine-driven bistro by night.
Crust 54
Beloved downtown pizza and sandwiches — fast, friendly, and a guaranteed hit with the whole group.
Big Lake Brewing
A laid-back local brewery and taproom with wood-fired pizza — an easy low-key afternoon off the beach.
Holland was founded by Dutch settlers in 1847, and the heritage is everywhere — a 250-year-old working windmill, wooden-shoe carvers, and millions of tulips every spring.
The one to start with
Windmill Island Gardens
Home to “De Zwaan,” an authentic 250-year-old working Dutch windmill shipped from the Netherlands, surrounded by manicured gardens, a vintage carousel, and a Dutch street organ.
Nelis’ Dutch Village
A Dutch-themed park that brings old-world Holland to life — wooden-shoe carving, klompen dancing, canals, and a carousel.
Holland Museum
Downtown’s window into the city’s Dutch-American story, with rotating exhibits and treasures straight from the Netherlands.
Between Lake Macatawa, Lake Michigan, and more than 150 miles of paved trails, Holland is built for being outside — and the cruiser bikes at our Cozy Home Near Downtown make it even easier.
The one to start with
Lake Macatawa
Holland’s inland lake and channel out to Lake Michigan — boating, paddleboarding, and kayaking, with some of the best sunsets in town.
Holland Ice Park
Downtown’s winter showpiece at Window on the Waterfront: a 700-foot skating ribbon that winds through the trees, an open skating pond, and a curling sheet — all lit up after dark. Skate sessions and curling are booked online in advance.
Outdoor Discovery Center
A 160-acre nature preserve with woodland trails, a raptor and wildlife exhibit, and the Macatawa Greenway — easy, kid-friendly time outdoors.
Holland Farmers Market
One of the best farmers markets in the Midwest — local produce, flowers, and food twice a week in the heart of downtown.
A short drive south of Holland is the Fennville AVA — Michigan’s oldest wine region — plus a blueberry winery on Holland’s north side and a craft distillery right in town for the days you’d rather stay close.
The one to start with
Fenn Valley Vineyards
The anchor of the AVA — Michigan’s oldest winery, family-run since 1973, with estate tastings and tractor-drawn vineyard tours.
Tanglewood Winery
A third-generation family blueberry farm on Holland’s north side, pouring fruit and dessert wines — blueberry port included — made from fruit grown right on the property. Dogs are welcome on the patio; check their calendar for live music and food trucks.
Coppercraft Distillery
Holland’s own craft distillery and tasting room — small-batch whiskey, gin, and cocktails without leaving town.
Virtue Cider
A working farmhouse cidery with fireside tastings and orchard views — the kind of slow afternoon this stretch of Michigan is built for.
Modales Wines
A modern tasting room turning out elegant, cool-climate wines from the lakeshore’s unusual microclimate.
Holland is the perfect basecamp for the rest of the lakeshore. When you want a day trip, three classic Lake Michigan towns are an easy drive away.
The one to start with
Saugatuck & Douglas
Michigan’s “Art Coast” — galleries and boutiques, the hand-cranked chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River, the climb up Mount Baldhead, and open-air dune rides. Douglas, just across the river, adds a walkable little downtown of its own.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
The quieter side of the lakeshore: 13 miles of trails wind through wooded dunes to 2.5 miles of undeveloped Lake Michigan beach. Day-use only — a Michigan Recreation Passport is required to park.
Crane’s Pie Pantry & Orchards
A Fennville tradition: warm slices of fruit pie and fresh cider at the Pie Pantry restaurant, made with fruit from the family’s own orchards — then pick your own at the u-pick farms nearby, with apples from Labor Day on.
Grand Haven Boardwalk & Pier
A classic beach town up the shore: a 2.5-mile waterfront boardwalk out to the pier and lighthouse, plus the famous summer musical fountain.
South Haven & the Red Lighthouse
A walkable harbor town to the south — South Beach beside its candy-red lighthouse, a maritime museum, and great ice cream.
Grand Rapids
West Michigan’s big city makes an easy day trip — stroll the riverfront downtown, wander Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, with world-class sculpture, themed gardens, and a tropical conservatory, then grab a pint downtown in “Beer City USA.”
Silver Lake Sand Dunes
Towering open dunes between Silver Lake and Lake Michigan. Climb aboard Mac Wood’s Dune Rides — running since 1930 — for a 40-minute, seven-mile ride over the sand with a stop at the Lake Michigan shore. A full-day trip the kids will talk about for years.
Photo credits
- Holland State Park & Big Red: Tracy Brower, Unsplash
- deBoer Bakkerij & Restaurant: IraDo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Windmill Island Gardens: Gio Bartlett, Unsplash
- Holland Farmers Market: Julian Hanslmaier j_h, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park: John Haberstroh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Grand Haven Boardwalk & Pier: Ian Hutchinson, Unsplash
- South Haven & the Red Lighthouse: Rachel Kramer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Some businesses are shown with a representative photo rather than their own. Photos are resized for the web; no other changes.
Close to everything.
Right at home in Holland.
Spend the day exploring Holland and the lakeshore — then come home to a place that feels like yours.