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Most of what is known as Lansing today is the result of the city becoming an industrial powerhouse which began with the founding of Olds Motor Vehicle Company in August 1897.
Events. Lansing, Michigan Festivals & Events. Greater Lansing is known as Michigan's Festival Capital, and for good reason! Dozens of annual fairs and festivals celebrate the region's diverse culture, music and food. Check out the interactive calendar below to find the perfect event for you and start planning your getaway!
- Lansing Was Not Michigan's First Capital
- The Capital City Was Almost Named El Dorado
- We Started Making Cars in 1897
- Lansing Residents' Average Age Is 33
- We've Got Food from Around The World
- Famous Civil Rights Leaders Walked Here
- Magic Johnson Helped Make The Lansing Promise
- There Is So Much to Do Here
- We're All About The Arts and Local Artists
- Our Iconic Smokestacks Have Names
When Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837, Detroit was the capital. In the 1840s, the state legislature opted to move the capital due to Detroit’s proximity to British troops in Canada, as well as a desire to advance exploration and development north and west.
Pewanogowink and Swedenborg were also considered, before the legislature settled on Lansing. The final choice was made to honor the settlers who came here from Lansing, New York, which was named for a Revolutionary war hero and delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
With the launch of the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in August 1897 came the promise of jobs and population growth. Working for Olds, then Oldsmobile and now the General Motors Co. we know today provided generations with a living and livelihood right here in Greater Lansing.
We are a young city! The average age of Lansing residents is 33 years old (rounded up) and around 10,000 kids attend elementary, middle and high schools in the city — at some of the most diverse schools in the region. READ MORE:For Downtown Lansing to survive and thrive, it takes all of us working together
Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Indian, French, Thai, Ethiopian, Peruvian, Korean, Turkish and Jamaican cuisine can all be found here. Perhaps due to Michigan State’s large international student population or regional refugee resettlement programs, Greater Lansing is filled with diverse cuisine.
Lansing has played host to a variety of civil rights efforts — and successes — throughout the 1900s: From various suffragette marches in the early 1900s to meetings and rallies held in the name of equality by Malcolm X, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez in the 1950s and '60s.
Thanks to $1 million raised by founders in 2015, and ongoing efforts by people from all walks of life, all Lansing students are provided with financial assistance for up to two years of coursework at Lansing Community College, MSU or Olivet College. Over 1,000 students have received support so far.
Despite what critics say, there is always something going on in the 517: Live music, shopping, restaurants and events are all growing parts of the landscape here. Need suggestions? Check out Concerts in the Park, Downtown Lansing Inc., Lansing 5:01, the Lansing Lugnuts, Potter Park Zoo, RiverTown Adventures, The Avenue Cafe, UrbanBeat — and many, m...
The people of Greater Lansing love the arts. What’s more, we love our local artists. Just ask the Artist’s Umbrella, Poetry Room, All of the Above Hip Hop Academy, Riverwalk Theatre, Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center, MSU Broad Art Museum, Nelson Gallery, Lansing Symphony Orchestra and Wharton Center for Performing Arts (among many others).
In 1885, the people of Lansing issued a bond to form their own public utility: The Lansing Board of Water and Light. The three iconic smokestacks of the Eckert Power Plant near REO Town provide not only an iconic backdrop but also a reminder of this history — and their names are Wynken, Blynken and Nod.
Located about 90 miles west of Detroit, Lansing is often referred to as the Car Capital of North America and is the birthplace of Oldsmobile, which was founded in 1897.
- Visit Potter Park Zoo. For all the history and political importance of Lansing, the number one thing to do in town is to visit the Potter Park Zoo. The beloved zoo sits on 80 acres of landscaped grounds, tucked within an oak forest on the banks of the Red Cedar River.
- Tour the Michigan State Capitol. Lansing is the capital of the state, so no visit is complete without a stop at the historic capitol building. The stately and impressive capitol building dates back to the Victorian era and was designed and built during the second half of the 19th century.
- Learn at the Michigan History Center. Right in the heart of downtown Lansing is a haven for history buffs. The Michigan History Center is the main hub to come to learn about the history of the state.
- Visit the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum. A visit to Michigan is incomplete without a nod to its historic automobile industry. While visiting Lansing, car aficionados can get their fix at the R.E.
2 days ago · Adjacent East Lansing is the home of Michigan State University (1855). Lansing is the birthplace of journalist and essayist Ray Stannard Baker, botanist David Grandison Fairchild, basketball star Magic Johnson, and biologist A.D. Hershey; it was also the boyhood home of Malcolm X. Inc. city, 1859.
There’s so many fun things to do in Lansing. Find museums and sports arenas, bike paths and trendy restaurants. Stroll through a copper mine and look up at the stars, make slime and remind yourself that REO Speedwagon was more than just a rock band. You’ll find it all Michigan’s in capital city.
