Escape The Heat At These Grand Rapids Cooling Centers

Today marks the start of a July heat wave, almost exactly one month since our last heat wave that broke records in Grand Rapids. Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be the hottest days of the heat wave, with Thursday's heat index forecasted to exceed 100°F. But temperatures will be nearly 90°F with or without an index for the rest of the week.

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While many of us are fortunate enough to have AC or an armada of fans, plenty either have old homes without these accessories, power outages are common when everyone has their AC cranked, or one may be homeless. That's why it's essential to know your options for avoiding heat stroke in extreme temperatures.

Below is a list of spots around Grand Rapids that are either free or inexpensive to visit to escape the heat.