Kalamazoo
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Kalamazoo is a city in Southwestern Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,145, with a metropolitan area of 452,851, which includes neighboring Battle Creek. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County.
The city has a strong higher education presence, being home to Western Michigan University (with 25,000 students), Kalamazoo College (a private, liberal arts institution), and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Because of the first downtown pedestrian mall in America, Kalamazoo got the nickname the "Mall City" In 1959"
Get in
Map of Kalamazoo
By plane
- 1 Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport (AZO IATA). Serving Kalamazoo and the surrounding area, offers multiple daily flights to Chicago (on American Eagle) and Detroit (on Delta Connection). Delta also offers two daily flights to and from Minneapolis during the summer.
By car
Kalamazoo lies on Interstate 94 roughly mid-way between Chicago and Detroit. US Highway 131 connects the city with Grand Rapids and resort areas further north.
By train
- 2 Kalamazoo Transportation Center. Amtrak offers service to Chicago and Ann Arbor/Detroit several times daily on the Wolverine Service as well as to East Lansing, Flint, and Port Huron on the Blue Water Service.
By bus
The downtown train station also acts as a bus station. Major destinations include Grand Rapids, Chicago and Detroit.
Get around
- Metro Transit. Bus service is provided throughout Kalamazoo and its neighboring towns.
See
- 1 Western Michigan University (WMU), 1903 West Michigan Ave.
- 2 Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy Street.
- 3 Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC).
- 4 State Theater, 404 South Burdick, ☏ +1 269 345-6500. Popular concert venue.
- 5 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 South Park Street.
- 6 Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 North Rose Street, ☏ +1-269-373-7990, toll-free: +1-800-772-3370, museumstaff@kvcc.edu. Surround yourself with the sights and sounds of the past...Experiment with science and make surprising things happen...Explore the mysteries of weather, the human body, and an Egyptian mummy...Investigate the stories behind artifacts in the collection, and discover a treasure that brings back memories or reveals a new way of looking at history. Free admission; planetarium, theater shows, and interactive space exhibit are extra. 0.
- Theatre Kalamazoo.
- Kalamazoo Arts Council.
- 7 Kalamazoo Nature Center (Kalamazoo Nature Center Inc), 7000 N. Westnedge Ave, ☏ +1-269-381-1574, contact@naturecenter.org.
- 8 Miller Auditorium, 1903 West Michigan, ☏ +1-269-387-2300.
- 9 The Kalamazoo Civic (The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre), 329 South Park Street, ☏ +1-269-343-2280.
- 10 The New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine Street, ☏ +1-260-381-3328, newvicinc@gmail.com.
- 11 Celery Flats Historic Area (Celery Flats), 7335 Garden Lane Portage, MI 49002. 8AM-Dusk. Explore the history of Portage, Michigan. In this location a historical garden, small museum, house, Hayloft Theatre, barn, and church are available to tour. Free to walk around, check the City website for tour hours. $0.00.
- 12 Homer Stryker Field, 251 Mills St, ☏ +1 269 492-7413. Catch a baseball game with the Kalamazoo Growlers.
Parks
- 13 Bow in the Clouds Preserve, 2949 Nazareth Rd, ☏ +1 269 324-1600. 60 acres managed by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. Hiking, snowshoeing, and nature.
- 14 Henderson Park, 1500 Grand Ave. Triangular park with pollinator garden.
- 15 West Main Park, 800 W Main St. 0.11 acre urban park for quick rest and water fountain.
- 16 Knollwood Park, 1500 Greenwood. 20 acres near Western Michigan University. Has a Disk Golf course.
- 17 Blanche Hull Park, 4225 S Burdick St. 70 acres natural area with trails along Portage Creek.
- 18 Emerald Drive Park, 3200 Emerald Drive. Soccer field and nature walk.
- 19 Hays Park, 2001 Miller Rd. 10 acres with playground, picnic tables, bike rack and is accessible.
- 20 Dutton Street Park, 224 W Dutton. 0.5 acre Neighborhood park with flower bed, playground, bike rack, and is accessible.
- 21 Axtell Creek Park, 530 W Crosstown Pkwy. Has a playground and picnic tables.
- 22 Princeton Park, 1508 Princeton Ave. Mini-park in a neighborhood with a playground.
- 23 Farrell Park, 809 N Rose St. 1.5 acre park with playground, pavilion, bathrooms, picnic area, and is accessible.
- 24 Krom & Prouty Park, 1602 Krom St. 0.5 acre park with playground, grill, and picnic area.
- 25 Milham Park (John Milham Park), 774 E Kilgore Rd. 49 acre park with Portage Creek running through it. Playground, toilets, drinking fountain, and is accessible.
- 26 Henderson Tot Lot, 1601 Henderson Ct. 1 acre park with table tennis & pickleball, basketball, playground, picnic area, and is accessible.
- 27 Bronson Park, 200 W South St. 3.5 acre park with fountains, sculptures, and memorials. Also is decorated for Halloween and December holidays.
- 28 South Westnedge Park, 1101 South Westnedge Ave.
- 29 Verburg Park, 729 East Patterson St. 10 acres with grass, basketball court, boarders the Kalamazoo River and the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail runs through it.
- 30 Fairmount Dog Park, 1108 Prairie Ave. 12 acres fenced for dog off-leash and separate small dog area. Dogs must have valid Kalamazoo County dog license.
- 31 Rockwell Park, 1106 Trimble Ave.
- 32 Frays Park, 4400 Canterbury Ave. 11 acre park.
- Mayors' Riverfront Park. 64 acres bordering the Kalamazoo River and containing part of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail.
- 33 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 507 N Rose.
- 34 Upjohn Park, 1000 Walter St. 18 acre park with 50 meter outdoor swimming pool, skatepark, tennis courts, toilets, soccer filed, basketball court, drinking fountains, playground, water fountain, and picnic area with grills.
- 35 Southside Park, 2156 Race St. 6 acres park.
- 36 Reed Street Park, 1700 Portage St.
- 37 Crane Park, 2001 S Westnedge Ave.
- 38 Springmont Tot Lot, 2416 Springmont Ave.
- 39 Davis Street Park, 901 Davis St.
- 40 Sherwood Park, 300 Wallace Ave.
- 41 Lacrone Park, 535 W Patterson St.
- 42 Spring Valley Park, 2606 Mt Olivet Rd. 186 acre park
- 43 Woods Lake Park, 2718 Oakland Dr. 6.47 acre park
- 44 Rose Park Veterans Memorial, 645 E Michigan.
- Versluis & Dickinson Softball Complex, 1924 Douglas Ave. Softball and tee ball fields with playground, toilets, and drinking fountain.
Do
Kalamazoo is full of great events, featuring everything from Hot Rods [formerly dead link] to Pianos. Discover Kalamazoo [dead link] has a fairly comprehensive list of annual happenings, but don't miss Super Saturday in June, New Year's Fest or the USTA Boys National Championship in August.
For a small city, Kalamazoo also offers an interesting and walkable Downtown, with one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants and the free Kalamazoo Valley Museum.
Nearby, you will find the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Binder Park Zoo, and the Gilmore Car Museum.
- 1 Sky Zone Kalamazoo, 5103 Portage Rd, ☏ +1 269-459-9243, kalamazoo@skyzone.com.
- 2 Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, ☏ +1 269-671-5089. Prices differ summer and winter as well as those under 17. Active duty military with ID are free. $15.00.
- 3 Climb Kalamazoo, 136 S. Kalamazoo Mall, ☏ +1 269-385-9891, climbkalamazoo@gmail.com. Indoor Rock Climbing and bouldering. Good for groups.
- 4 Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Dr, ☏ +1 269 345-1125. Catch a hockey game, go ice skating, watch a performance.
- 5 Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St, ☏ +1 269 383-8778. Fairgrounds holding various events throughout the year.
Golf
- Eastern Hills Golf Course, 6075 East G Ave.
- 6 Milham Park Golf Course, 4200 Lovers Ln.
- 7 Red Arrow Golf Course, 1041 King Hwy. Both traditional golf as well as disc golf.
Trails
- 8 Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. Paved-asphalt trail 10 feet wide 22 of the 35 miles are completed.
Buy
- 1 Crossroads Mall, 6650 S. Westnedge (Take I-94 to Exit 78 Southbound. Continue down Westnedge, go through many sets of lights, turn right when you see signs for THE CROSSROADS). A 100+ store, two story regional shopping center featuring Sears, Macy's, JCPenney, and Burlington Coat Factory, traditional mall chains, and specialty retailers. Also features a food court with numerous restaurants.
- 2 Southland Mall, Corner of Westnedge and Milham (From I-94, take exit 78 southbound, head south until you hit Milham Ave., mall is on right.). A major strip mall over 1 mile long featuring major clothing and specialty stores. Retailers include Old Navy, Kohls, TJMaxx, Charter One Bank, Tuesday Morning, Barnes & Noble, ULTA, OfficeMax, MC Sports, Petco, Hallmark, and numerous bars/ restaurants.
- 3 Maple Hill Pavilion, West Main Street (Take US-131 to the West Main Exit (Head Eastbound Into Kalamazoo), go down West Main a little ways, mall is on your left). A formerly enclosed shopping mall, now a strip mall. Features many big-box retailers, anchored by Target.
- South Westnedge Shopping District, Westnedge Ave. from Cork to Shaver (Exit 76 off I-94). Starting at Cork Street in Kalamazoo all the way through Shaver Road, one can find almost anything they need along Westnedge. With 1000+ retailers located in numerous strip malls, Westnedge has it all. From big box retailers to specialty shops, including restaurants, bars, and bakeries, you can get it all here.
- Kalamazoo Farmers' Market, 1204 Bank St. Open outside Saturday's May through November. From June to October also open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check the website for the hour variation. Open across the street at 1157 Bank Street for a Winter Market on Saturdays from Late November to April.
- Mackenzies Bakery, 527 Harrison, ☏ +1 269 343-8440.
Eat
- Rasa Ria, 1921 W Main St, ☏ +1 269 381-0788. The only Malaysian and Indonesian restaurant in Michigan. In fact, it is one of the few ethnic restaurants in Kalamazoo. Reasonably priced and the 'nasi goreng kampung' is a must try.
- West Main Shopping District, West Main St (West Main Exit, US-131). A mini version of the Westnedge district, the major chains usually have a location around here.
- 1 Food Dance, 401 East Michigan Avenue, ☏ +1 269 382-1888. 7AM-10PM. Authentic, eclectic new American cuisine, featuring locally grown produce.
- Saffron, 1710, Suite D, West Main St, ☏ +1 269 381-9898. M-Sa 11:30AM-2PM, 5PM-9:15PM. Indian cuisine, in a relaxed atmosphere.
- 2 Sweetwater's Donut Mill, 3333 Stadium Drive, ☏ +1 269 372-3636. 24 hours. Often voted as one of the best donut shops in America and it's open 24 hours a day!
Drink
- 1 Kalamazoo Beer Exchange, 211 East Water Street, ☏ +1 269 532-1188. A bar with many taps and prices are decided like a stock market based on demand. Occasionally there is a "market crash" and all beers are available for their lowest price.
- 2 Shakespeare's Pub, 241 E Kalamazoo Ave. A very popular local pub featuring a lively atmosphere, wide selection of beers and typical bar fare.
- 3 Saugatuck Brewing Kalamazoo Pub, 140 South Westnedge Ave, ☏ +1 269-382-1905, info@sbrewing.com. Gonzo's Bigg Dogg Brewing merged with Saugatuck Brewing.
Breweries and Brewpubs
- 4 Bell's Brewery / Eccentric Café & Beer Garden, 355 East Kalamazoo Avenue, ☏ +1-269 382-2338. Local brews, live music. Bell's was one of the first "micro-breweries" east of the Rockies in the 1980s, and their popular line of ales and stouts are also available in many local bars.
- 5 Gonzo's Bigg Dogg Brewing, 140 South Westnedge Avenue, ☏ +1-269 382-2739. Mon-Fri 3-1, Sat: 11-1, Sun: 12-11. A relatively new local pub featuring excellent food and featuring beer made with local hops.
- 6 Boatyard Brewing Company, 432 East Paterson Street, ☏ +1 269 226-0300.
- 7 Arcadia Brewing Company (Arcadia Ales), 701 East Michigan Avenue, ☏ +1 269 276-0458. Brewed on site beers and barbecue right on the riverfront.
- Tibbs Brewing Company, 402 South Burdock Street, ☏ +1-877-762-7397.
- 8 Olde Peninsula Brewpub & Restaurant, 200 East Michigan Avenue, ☏ +1 269 343-2739.
- 9 [dead link] Rupert's Brew House, 773 West Michigan Avenue, ☏ +1 269 337-9911.
- Wax Wings Brewing Co, 3480 Gull Road, ☏ +1 269-459-9494, waxwingsbrewing@gmail.com.
- Final Gravity Brewing Company, 246 N. Burdick, ☏ +1 269-350-5136, finalgravitybrewing@gmail.com.
- Brite Eyes Brewing Co., 1156 S Burdick St, ☏ +1 269-220-5001.
- 10 One Well Brewing, 4213 Portage St, ☏ +1 269 459-9240.
Sleep
- Four Points By Sheraton Kalamazoo, 3600 E. Cork St (on I-94 at exit 80), ☏ +1 269 385-3922, fax: +1 269 385-2747. Upscale six-story facility with 149 deluxe rooms. Secure online reservations available at website.
- 1 Henderson Castle. One of Kalamazoo's most notable landmarks.
- 2 Kalamazoo House Bed and Breakfast, 447 W South St (Downtown), ☏ +1 269 382-0880, thekalamazoohouse@msn.com. Bed and breakfast in a beautifully restored Victorian showplace. Free high-speed WiFi, in-room HDTV/DVD, free parking. Romantic rooms with fireplace and double whirlpool, or rooms for the business traveler. $109-169.
- Quality Inn, 3820 Sprinkle Rd (Off of I-94 @ exit 80 - 1/4 mile south of I-94 on Sprinkle Road next to McDonald's), fax: +1 269 381-5334. Near several restaurants, malls, museums, etc.
- 3 Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center, 100 West Michigan Ave (Downtown), ☏ +1 269 343-3333. Features a variety of shops and restaurants onsite.
- Stuart Avenue Inn (Stuart Area Historic District). A guest house and events center.
- Delta Hotels Kalamazoo Conference Center, 2747 South 11th St, ☏ +1 269 375-6000, toll-free: +1 888-890-3222.
- Hampton Inn & Suites Kalamazoo-Oshtemo, 5059 South 9th St, ☏ +1 269 372-1010.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kalamazoo West, 1315 Westgate Dr.
- Holiday Inn & Suites Kalamazoo West, 1247 Westgate Dr, ☏ +1 269 888-4800. Check-in: 3:00 PM, check-out: 11:00 AM.
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kalamazoo, 5597 South 9th St, ☏ +1 269 353-3200. Check-in: 3:00 PM, check-out: 12:00 PM.
- Residence Inn Kalamazoo East, 1500 East Kilgore Rd, ☏ +1 269 349-0855, toll-free: +1 800-697-1489.
- TownePlace Suites Kalamazoo, 5683 S. 9th St, ☏ +1 269 353-1500, toll-free: +1 800-257-3000.
Stay safe
Generally safe, Kalamazoo has some crime, mostly in the north- and eastside sections of town. Downtown could also be dangerous after dark, stay in a group and be aware.
Go next
The Lake Michigan resort towns of South Haven and Saugatuck-Douglas are about an hour west of Kalamazoo. Gull Lake (NE) and Gun Lake (North) are clear, spring-fed lakes of over 1000 acres each. Each offers boating and water-sports opportunities. Gull Lake has sailboat races on weekends.
| Routes through Kalamazoo |
| Chicago ← Niles ← | W  E
|
→ Battle Creek → Port Huron |
| Chicago ← Niles ← | W  E
|
→ Battle Creek → Detroit |
| Michigan City ← Coloma ← | W  E
|
→ Battle Creek → Ann Arbor |
| Grand Rapids ← Wyoming ← | N  S
|
→ Ends at  
|
| END ← South Haven ← | W  E
|
→ Jct N  S → Lansing
|