The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans was established in 1886 to provide services for Civil War Veterans and has been serving Veterans ever since. It provides Health Care and Hospitality for those men and women who have served our country in times of war and peace. At one time the grounds included a hospital and a Nurses residence but those have since been eliminated, as were the trolley car tracks that ran through the property. Today, the GRHV is located on 90 acres of land adjacent to the Grand River. It provides a park-like atmosphere and includes a wooded area with a pond formed along Lamberton Creek, an amphitheater, nature trails, picnic pavilion, and extensive picnic areas for residents. The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans maintains a fleet of vehicles for transporting residents to outside medical appointments and for residents to attend a variety of outside events, such as the theater and sporting events. Community interaction is encouraged, rather than discouraged. Residents can be as active and interested in life as they wish. The Grotto area in the front of the property was recently restored and is a beautiful site for picnics or for just enjoying nature on the grounds. The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans cemetery is the final resting place for more than 5,000 Michigan Veterans and is also used as a site for special ceremonies to honor military personnel.