West Michigan MCM TRAVEL & LEISURE - What could be more fun that time-traveling back to to the era when the Beach Boys sang about California surfing and West Michigan kids responded by building their own version of surf boards and testing them on Lake Michigan. In the post-World War II era West Michigan, architects and builders expanded cities like Grand Rapids and Lakeshore resort towns with modern architecture that employed new technology and a new design aesthetic. Many of these modern buildings some simple and inexpensive structures. Some were more complicated, revolutionary, and important to the historic building stock. What they all have in common is that have been transformed into trendy shops, fine dining, ice cream parlors, libraries and bookstores, and even lodging. Some are so beautiful they just need to be viewed and appreciated. In this virtual tour we have even included a few lost treasures.

This is an expanded version of the collaborative Docomomo US/MI Chapter project chaired by Katherine White, architectural historian and associate curator at The Henry Ford and co-chaired by Pam VanderPloeg. The Docomomo Virtual Tour will be featured the new Docomomo US/Michigan Chapter website in October 2021.