Explore Flint

Capitol Theatre

The Capitol building was a marvel and a central landmark in the city, greeting Flint’s expanding population with a diverse array of performances and events. It housed an arcade featuring 11 stores, 50 offices, and a recreational basement complete with bowling alleys and billiard tables.

Capitol Theatre is one of five performing arts venues connected with FIM, including FIM Whiting Auditorium, FIM Elgood and Bower Theatres, and MacArthur Recital Hall at FIM Dort Music Center.

Flint Cultural Center

The Flint Cultural Center is a campus that brings together a range of cultural, scientific, and artistic institutions. The FCC is home to the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Institute of Music, Sloan Museum, Flint Public Library, Buick Gallery & Research Center, Robert T. Longway Planetarium, The Whiting, and the Bower Theatre. The campus, spanning 33 acres, is primarily owned by the Flint Cultural Center Corporation, though the Flint Public Library owns its own building.

Flint Children’s Museum

The Flint Children’s Museum aims to ignite a lifelong passion for learning in children from birth to age eight through interactive exploration and hands-on play. It sparks curiosity and fuels a desire for discovery that fosters continuous learning. The museum also provides a space where families can bond and engage meaningfully through educational activities.

Flint Institute of Arts

The Flint Institute of Arts Museum + Art School bridges diverse communities by offering engaging, creative, and inspiring visual art experiences. As the second-largest art museum in Michigan and one of the largest museum-affiliated community art schools in the United States, the institute reaches over 160,000 people annually through its varied exhibitions, events, and programs.

Gloria Coles Flint Public Library

Explore extensive collections, featuring over 150,000 books and media available for checkout, download, or streaming. Delve into the Black Life and Literature collection and discover our Local History and Genealogy Room, which houses the second-largest collection of openly accessible genealogy materials in Michigan.

Flint Repertory Theatre

FIM Flint Repertory Theatre, a professional non-profit in Flint, Michigan, offers imaginative and thought-provoking theatre. Established in 2018, Flint Rep produces world premieres, innovative classics, and has earned national acclaim, including the 2018 National Theatre Grant from The American Theatre Wing for its significant local impact.

Longway Planetarium

Longway Planetarium, Michigan’s largest and most advanced facility, features an impressive 3,083 stars. The 54 brightest stars, with a magnitude of 2.0 or brighter, are projected by individual lenses, while the rest are shown through tiny holes on 36-inch star globes. The planetarium offers demonstrations of solar and lunar eclipses, auroras, comets, and meteor showers, with special projectors for teaching astronomy and navigation.

Sloan Museum

Sloan Museum of Discovery, featuring interactive science and regional history exhibits, re-opened on July 16, 2022, after a major renovation. In 2004, Sloan Museum merged with Longway Planetarium to enhance science and history education. Together, they serve over 60,000 school children annually, offering benchmark STEM programs and hands-on learning in science, history, and social studies.

Flint City Bucks Soccer

Flint City Bucks, an American soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, was founded in 1995 and plays in USL League Two. The team is one of the most successful amateur soccer teams in the U.S., with eleven U.S. Open Cup qualifications, eleven divisional championships, and four national titles. Notably, they were the first USL League Two team to defeat an MLS team in the U.S. Open Cup, beating the New England Revolution in 2000. They won PDL championships in 2006, 2014, and 2016.

Flint Farmers’ Market

Shop local and eat fresh at Flint Farmers’ Market to support Flint’s vibrant community. Established in 1905, our year-round public market features over 50 permanent vendors offering farm-fresh produce, meats, baked goods, cheeses, a wine shop, an art gallery, a café, and unique gifts. From May through October, an additional 25 vendors join outside, selling produce, flowers, and arts & crafts. Experience the joy of local shopping with us!

Flint Firebirds Hockey

The Flint Firebirds, a major junior ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan, compete in the Ontario Hockey League and play their home games at the Dort Financial Center. Since their inception in 2015, just seven seasons ago, the club has boasted 33 players who have either been drafted by NHL teams or signed NHL contracts. Last season, over 300 scouts from all 32 NHL clubs attended Firebirds games in Flint, averaging seven new scouts per home game.

Genesee County Parks

The Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission encompasses 22 parks, offering a variety of amenities including beaches, playgrounds, campgrounds, boat ramps, boat launches, man-made waterfalls, nature preserves, off-road vehicle recreation areas, and an equestrian center. Dedicated to providing quality recreational opportunities for all and preserving natural resources, Genesee County Parks is Michigan’s largest county park system, spanning over 11,000 acres of woods, water, and fun.

Flint State Park

A new state park is coming to Flint, energizing the riverfront, expanding recreation options and bringing economic benefits to the city. The 230-acre park will stretch along a 3-mile section of the Flint River and a portion of Swartz Creek.
The park connects five existing local parks and natural areas into one outdoor experience: Chevy Commons, Mott Park Recreation Area, Riverbank Park, Vietnam Veterans Park and Happy Hollow Nature Area, all linked by connector trails.

Hiking, Biking, and Paddle trails

We’ve compiled a list of our visitors’ favorite trails to make getting started even easier. Take advantage of the measured trails marked on the maps, but don’t hesitate to wander off the beaten path and enjoy the endless miles of more secluded hiking trails and un-measured trails in all of our parks.

UM-Flint Rec Center

The Rec Center is available at no additional cost to all UM-Flint students – all you need is your Mcard for access. Offering group fitness classes, a weight room and courts. This facility is also open to the public through memberships and rentals.

Art Walk

Organized by the Greater Flint Arts Council Public Relations Committee, this program is a collaboration between over 20 businesses and cultural organizations in downtown Flint. Locations vary seasonally. ARTWALK takes place on the second Friday of every month, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Maps are available at Greater Flint Arts Council. Parking is available throughout the downtown area.

Back to the Bricks Car Cruise

All roads lead to Back to the Bricks®, an event that annually draws over 500,000 car enthusiasts to Genesee County, celebrating our passion for motor vehicles and the region’s historic impact on the automotive industry. The festivities are enhanced by music, food vendors, and family-friendly activities, creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere.

Crim Festival of Races

The Crim Festival of Races is an annual road running event that features a variety of races and walking events. The marquee event, “The Crim,” covers a distance of 10 miles (16 kilometers) and is known for its challenging Bradley Hills and guiding blue line to keep runners on course. Approximately 50,000 people participate in the festival each year, making it a highlight of the Flint Parade of Festivals.

Flint Alley Fest

Friends of the Alley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the beautification and activation of alleys in Downtown Flint. Our mission is to transform these spaces into inviting, inclusive, and engaging pedestrian-friendly areas that support nearby businesses, foster community connections, and unite neighbors.

Flint Art Fair

The FLINT ART FAIR has garnered numerous awards and accolades, being recognized as one of the most “Artist Friendly” venues in the state by Sunshine Artist Magazine and voted the #1 favorite summer event in Michigan by MLive. Organized entirely by volunteers, the fair is the primary source of income for FOMA, with funds raised directly supporting exhibitions, programs, and art acquisitions at the Flint Institute of Arts.