Hotels in Lansing, Michigan

A little about Lansing...

Lansing is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan, and the state's sixth largest city. It is located mostly in Ingham County, though a small portion of the city extends into Eaton County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 119,128, an Urbanized Area (UA) population of 300,032, and, as of July 1, 2006, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population of 454,044.

The Lansing metropolitan area is an important center for educational, cultural, governmental and high-tech manufacturing institutions, including three medical schools, two law schools, a Big Ten Conference university (Michigan State), the state capitol, the state Supreme Court, an appellate court, a federal court, the Library of Michigan and Historical Center, and headquarters of four national insurance companies.

Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is known as "the pioneer land grant college," located in neighboring East Lansing. MSU has the largest land campus in the United States and is home to several nationally and internationally recognized academic and research oriented programs.

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation and is located in downtown Lansing. Cooley is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. A majority of Cooley students are from out-of-state.

Lansing Community College offers more than 500 areas of study to over 18,000 students at its main facilities in Lansing, and another 5,000 students at twenty-nine extension centers and a site in Otsu, Japan.

Other institutions of higher education include Western Michigan University (branch campus in Delta Township), Davenport University in Downtown Lansing, Central Michigan University (branch campus), and Great Lakes Christian College.

The Lansing Symphony Orchestra has been entertaining generations of Lansing area residents since 1929. The current music director is Timothy Muffett. The Greater Lansing Ballet Company is an award-winning ballet and dance company. The Michigan Princess riverboat has lunch, dinner, and entertainment cruises throughout the summer and fall on the Grand River. The Michigan Princess is the only triple-deck riverboat in Michigan. The Riverwalk Theatre (formerly the Okemos Barn Theatre), the Lansing Civic Players and the Boarshead Theatre are all located in downtown.

The historic Lansing City Market , one of the oldest city markets in the United States, has been completely renovated in recent years. It is located downtown along the Grand River.

The historic Potter Park Zoo , located along the Red Cedar River in Lansing, has more than 400 animals, and numerous programs and events for children and families.

The Lansing JazzFest and the Old Town BluesFest host leading musicians and are two of the larger music festivals held each year in the state. The Creole Gallery brings in various musicians and hosts the Icarus Falling Theater group . While Lansing's nightlife skews heavily toward sports bars and dive bars, Mac's Bar on the East Side books current, mostly indie, musical acts. The Temple Club in Old Town was another such bar, but closed on October 18, 2006 after 5 years of operation.

The Library of Michigan and Historical Center is a highly regarded state library and research center. The library is one of the top five genealogical research facilities in the United States.

The Common Ground Festival is a musical event held over a week every July. It is held at the Adado Riverfront Park in downtown Lansing. It began in 2000 and replaced the Michigan Festival that was in nearby East Lansing. It has wide range of musical acts. In 2006 some of the acts were Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt, Poison, Styx, Etta James and Ted Nugent.