We were there for the Dairy Festival. What fun for families and the weather was perfect. Enjoyed all the different vendors and the belly dancers. Ice cream ruled!!!

It was very sad for me and my entire family just to go and venture this facility. Having both my grandmother and Mother hospitalized here. Crying about what they must of endured and wondering what went on behind these walls. Looking around the facilities and seeing rennovations happening and then just one thing I saw that just shook my world... More

Amazing transformation of an old hospital.....housing an excellent restaurant, eclectic shops, artisan fare, a small winery, and a host of interesting shops. A bakery on site makes wonderful organic breads (my favorite is the olive parmesan), scones, and pastries. Well worth exploring and enjoying!

This eclectic mixture of shops, settings, restaurants, bakery, is situated in the basement of the Old State Hospital. It's still under fine-tuning, but most of the shops are interesting, although a bit pricey, but one-of-a-kind and worth the exploring!

Many of the shops here are expensive, but it is a nice little place to look around and the history of the building makes it unique.

This place was disturbing. The shops and restaurants in the main building are crammed into the basement. This area has low ceilings, tiny rooms (obviously where the mental patients were stored) and is just creepy. It's claustrophobic and unsettling. I don't understand why the shops are relegated to the basement instead of the first floor.

Given that the building used to be used as a State Mental Health Hospital (formerly unpolitely referred to as the insane asylum) I had to wonder about what this place would be like. It was great! Nice little shops with very interesting art, jewelry, local wines, interesting soaps, AND a gem of a restaurant, Trattoria Stella. Not right downtown, but... More

My favorite things at Grand Traverse Commons are 1) The butternut squash grilled cheese sandwich at the Underground Cheesecake 2) The hiking trails at the south end of Red Drive (park off to the side of the road and start at the Orchard Trail trailhead sign) and 3) The creepy 'mental asylum' history. The Orchard trail meanders through land that... More

Visited Saturday, April 6 2013 for the farmer's market and a few shops. Farmer's market was a pleasant surprise: 2-3 years ago did the winter market and was a little disappointing. This time there was a greater variety of booths and products available.