Visit a famous museum in Kalamazoo with free general admission. Learn and have fun with stimulating hands-on exhibits and a planetarium.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is an exciting place that you can enjoy with the whole family. Find interactive exhibits about history, technology and science. See a show at the planetarium or a performance at the theater.
Discover how the original collection of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum has grown over the years. The project of creating a museum in Kalamazoo started in 1881, when a member of the Kalamazoo School Board proposed the idea of founding a community museum. The school board was then given a gift by the local banker Horace M. Peck that consisted of corals, seashells, rocks and fossils. The museum has expanded greatly, now housing more than 55,000 items.
Enjoy the temporary and permanent exhibitions at the museum. In The Mystery of the Mummy discover an Egyptian mummy, its sarcophagus and many artifacts from ancient Egypt. Learn about the forensic reconstruction done to the mummy and the method called carbon dating, which was used for determining its age. Find out more about the history of Kalamazoo at the display, On the Trail of History.
The planetarium at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum has been open since 1959. Over the years it has used many different technologies to create engaging shows, initially using slide projectors and digital projections and now leveraging spectacular immersive videos and modern LED lights. Take a seat in the planetarium's hall where you’ll find each seat equipped with a keypad that will allow you to interact with some of the shows.
Visit the museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater, which hosts live performances, classes and lectures.
General admission to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum is free most of the events are also free. Note that you need to purchase a ticket for certain events, such as shows taking place at the planetarium.
Discover this interesting venue in downtown Kalamazoo, in southern Michigan, and learn about the city, the world and the entire universe.
