Westphalia, Mich., resident Carlee Fox, 6, goes down a water slide during the 2014 Summer Splash event, July 30, 2014, at the East Lansing Family Aquatic Center. The event celebrates the 14th anniversary of the center. Corey Damocles/The State News
Being on MSU’s campus in the summer can sometimes feels like walking through a ghost town.
Sure, there are people around, but nothing compared to the 40,000 students usually overtaking campus during the fall and spring semesters. This place may seem uneventful in the summer, but don’t be tricked into thinking there’s nothing to do.
East Lansing is full of places to visit for activities in the summer, some that aren’t even available during other times of the year, such as blooming gardens, scenic parks, and beaches and waterparks.
Most have heard of MSU’s W. J. Beale Botanical Garden, but the MSU Horticulture Gardens and the MSU Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden aren’t as well known.
“They’re absolutely stunning. It’s just a great place to stroll through,” the Horticulture Gardens’ program coordinator Jennifer Sweet said. Sweet said the Horticulture Gardens are located on the corner of Bogue Street and Service Road and are always open to the public.
Described by Sweet as a scenic view with a relaxing atmosphere, the Horticulture Gardens cover 14 acres of land and would take about an hour to walk through. Sweet said after students discover them, they’ll often come back to eat lunch, work out or just explore the area.
Also open to the public everyday are the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens, which are located right next to the Horticulture Gardens and cover a half acre of land, education coordinator Jessica Wright said.
“It’s a bright and colorful place,” Wright said. “The themes are created by children for children.” Some of these themes include an “Alice in Wonderland” maze, a secret garden and a small, outdoor theater.
But if the weather’s too hot for exploring, there are always the beaches around East Lansing, as well as the East Lansing Family Aquatic Center located on Abbott Road.
“It’s a nice place to just go and cool off,” aquatic and athletic coordinator Jim Jennings said, adding the waterpark is a good place to go, whether you’re splashing on slides or relaxing in the sun.
Jennings said the Family Aquatic Center also offers activities for people who don’t want to swim, such as an interactive splash pad for young children, chairs for tanning and a sand area used to build sand castles.
The Aquatic Center opens May 29.
Other places to swim include the beaches at Hawk Island County Park in South Lansing and Lake Lansing Park South in Haslett.
Lake Lansing is the largest body of water within 30 miles of Lansing and includes a sandy beach and 30 acres of grass to picnic and bask in the sun on.
Beachgoers can also play volleyball or horseshoes.
The fee to enter the park is $3 for Ingham County residents and $5 for all others.
Another activity is hanging out under the oak trees at Potter Park, home of Potter Park Zoo.
“It’s ... a fun place to be, kind of ‘be a kid again’ type of place,” assistant education curator Jennifer Horvatin said.
Potter Park Zoo has hundreds of animals, Horvatin said, and covers about 20 acres of the 100-acre park.
During the summer, the zoo offers a variety of seasonal activities, such as camel rides, zoo art, a goat petting zoo and reading with animals.
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Take your extra downtime this summer to explore these places, and discover the community that exists outside of MSU’s main campus.
