Free & Cheap Things to Do in Flint

Arts & Culture

One of the largest art museums in Michigan, the FIA spans 5,000 years — ancient artifacts, European old masters, a renowned glass and contemporary craft collection, and a working hot shop where you can watch glassblowers at work. It anchors the Flint Cultural Center and ranks among the best free art museums in the state.

Address: 1120 E Kearsley St, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Free for everyone on Huntington Free Saturdays, and free every day for Genesee County residents with ID. Kids 12 and under are always free. Closed Mondays. Catch a live glassblowing demo in the hot shop.

History & Museums

Reopened in 2022 after a $30 million rebuild, this gleaming hands-on history-and-science museum is the heart of the Flint Cultural Center — interactive STEM galleries, a beloved collection of Flint-built classic cars and carriages, and the story of the city's auto-industry rise told through real vehicles and artifacts.

Address: 1221 E Kearsley St, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Free general admission for Genesee County residents with ID, plus veterans, active military families, and teachers. Free parking off R.T. Longway Blvd. Combo tickets with the Longway Planetarium next door save money. Closed Mondays.

Family Fun

Michigan's largest planetarium, with a 60-foot dome and a digital projection system running immersive star shows, laser-light concerts, and family science programs. Part of the Flint Cultural Center, it sits right beside the Sloan Museum of Discovery for an easy double-header.

Address: 1310 E Kearsley St, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Genesee County residents get 50% off every show; Sloan Longway members go free. Combo tickets with the Sloan Museum are the best value. Laser-light shows sell out, so book ahead. Check the showtimes calendar before you go.

Family Fun

On the Kettering University campus, this hands-on play museum lets young kids climb, build, splash, and pretend their way through interactive exhibits — a play grocery store, a water-play zone, a construction area, and more — at one of the most affordable family stops in the region.

Address: 1602 W University Ave, Flint, MI 48504

Tip: EBT/WIC cardholders pay what they can. Free parking next to the museum. Open Tuesday–Saturday 10–4 and Sunday 12–4, with a calmer Sensory Sunday (10 AM–noon) the second Sunday each month. Best for under-10s.

Parks & Nature

Just east of the city in Burton, For-Mar packs 383 acres of woods, meadows, and ponds into more than seven miles of walking trails, with a visitor center, a butterfly house, and a heritage arboretum — a free, peaceful nature escape run by Genesee County Parks.

Address: 2142 N Genesee Rd, Burton, MI 48509

Tip: Grounds are open daily 8 AM to sunset; the visitor center keeps shorter hours. Free admission and parking. Trail maps are available at the center. About 15 minutes from downtown Flint, off N. Genesee Road.

History & Culture

The 1916 country estate of GM co-founder Charles Stewart Mott, Applewood is a Tudor-revival farmhouse set in formal gardens, orchards, and grounds maintained by the Ruth Mott Foundation — and tours of the home and gardens are entirely free.

Address: 1400 E Kearsley St, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Open May–October, Thursday–Saturday 11–5 and Sunday 1–4. All tours and programs are free, no reservation needed; a free guided garden walk runs at noon on open days. Just east of the Flint Cultural Center.

Markets & Food

A vibrant year-round public market in a converted downtown warehouse, the Flint Farmers' Market gathers more than 50 vendors — produce stands, bakeries, international foods, a creamery, and craft sellers — plus demo kitchens and regular live music, all free to browse.

Address: 300 E First St, Flint, MI 48502

Tip: Open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 9 AM–5 PM, year-round. Free to enter; go hungry. Connected to the downtown campus of the University of Michigan-Flint and an easy walk to other downtown stops.

History & Culture

A restored 1860s–1880s living-history village with 30-plus historic buildings, costumed interpreters, antique amusement rides, and a Charles W. Parker carousel — plus the Huckleberry Railroad, a narrow-gauge steam train that loops around Mott Lake on a 40-minute ride.

Address: 6140 N Bray Rd, Flint, MI 48505

Tip: Village-only admission is just $9 — the $21 ticket adds the Huckleberry Railroad steam-train ride. Open weekends and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day (plus popular Halloween and Christmas seasons). In Genesee Township off N. Bray Road.

Outdoors

A roughly 27-mile network of paved, non-motorized trails tracing the Flint River through downtown, parks, and neighborhoods across Genesee County, linking spots like the Cultural Center, Mott Lake, and Stepping Stone Falls — free and open for walking, running, and biking.

Address: Flint River Trail, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Free and open year-round; mostly flat and paved. The riverfront stretch through downtown connects to Bluebell Beach and the Genesee Recreation Area. Several trailheads make it easy to join for a short loop.

Parks & Nature

A photogenic man-made waterfall that holds back the Flint River to form 600-acre Mott Lake, Stepping Stone Falls is ringed by easy walking paths and overlooks — and lit by colorful underwater lights after dark, making it a favorite free evening stop in summer.

Address: 5161 Branch Rd, Flint, MI 48506

Tip: Free admission, in the Genesee Recreation Area off Branch Road. The illuminated lighting display is the draw on summer nights. The Genesee Belle riverboat departs from the falls on Sunday evenings for a 45-minute cruise (small fee).

History & Museums

The restored Durant-Dort Carriage Company headquarters in historic Carriage Town is a National Historic Landmark known as the birthplace of General Motors, where Billy Durant and Dallas Dort built the carriage empire that became GM. A small museum displays carriages, photos, and early auto artifacts.

Address: 316 Water St, Flint, MI 48503

Tip: Free admission and parking. Guided tours run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 1–4 PM, or by appointment. In Carriage Town near downtown, surrounded by historic homes, cafés, and Buckham Gallery — a good walkable history stop.