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Welcome | About
the Kalamazoo CVB | Official
Visitor Guide Valued Advertisers
Kalamazoo History | Area
Communities | Contact
the CVB Staff | Disclaimer
Welcome!
>>ROOM AVAILABILITY CLICK HERE<<
Welcome to the land of rolling hills, sparkling clear lakes,
stellar recreation, and stunning entertainment. With a diverse
and rich community culture, Kalamazoo County is an ideal destination
offering attractions, lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping
for every preference and budget.
With more than 3,000 hotel rooms - ranging from an intimate bed
and breakfast inn to a four-diamond, world-class
convention hotel - this scenic year-round community
offers a renovated, vibrant Art Deco downtown,
historical neighborhoods, outstanding museums and
theaters, over 20 area golf courses, three ski resorts, four wineries,
and multiple lakes with public access.
Our entire hospitality community will work together to make sure
that your visit is exciting and enjoyable.
Kalamazoo is easy to get to and hard to leave.
We invite you to Discover Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau
141 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 100
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269)488-9000
(269)488-0050 Fax
For further information, contact
or stop by our Visitor Centers located at:
141 E . Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo,
MI 49007
Tel: (800)888-0509, (269)488-9000
Fax:
(269)488-0050
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5
p.m.
Visitor Center at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International
Airport
5235 Portage Rd., Kalamazoo, MI 49002
Located
in the baggage claim area.
Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – 7
p.m.
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Mission Statement. The Kalamazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau markets and sells the destination as a distinctive visitor experience to postively impact the county's economy.
Make sure your next event is the most successful
ever by contacting our Certified Meeting Professional
(CMP) staff at (800)888-0509 or (269)488-9000.
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Strategically located midway
between Chicago and Detroit, Kalamazoo County began
as a small fur-trading post founded by Titus Bronson
in the late 1700s. Like many Michigan cities, Kalamazoo's
name was adapted from an Indian word, "kikalamazoo,"
meaning boiling water. Water has long been a vital
component in Kalamazoo's major industries including
papermaking and agriculture which have helped the
area grow and prosper.
Some of the many famous products
manufactured in Kalamazoo include Checker Cabs, Gibson guitars,
Kalamazoo Stoves, Stryker hospital beds and Shakespeare fishing
rods and reels. In the late 1800s, W. E. Upjohn moved to Kalamazoo
and created The Upjohn Company, which is now part of Pfizer Corporation,
the world ’s largest pharmaceutical company.
Bronson Park, named for founder Titus
Bronson is the traditional center point of Central
City. Surrounded by churches,
Bronson Park features monuments to war veterans,
an Indian (burial) Mound and the historic marker
commemorating Abraham Lincoln’s only public speech
in Michigan in 1856. Festivals, concerts and cultural
events encourage visitors to linger among the lush
flowers and trees which garnered
a national beautification award in 2003. Additional
historic districts include Stuart Avenue, South
Street and the Vine District featuring
elegant turn-of-the-century homes that serve as
a reminder of the grand architecture of the past.
Kalamazoo County is home to five institutions
of higher learning including Michigan’s oldest college,
Kalamazoo College. Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo Valley Community College,
Davenport University and Cornerstone University
infuse the community with over 58,000 students,
ensuring a vibrant college-town atmosphere.
The
National Register of Historic Places includes
several buildings on the campus of Western Michigan
University: the Psychiatric Hospital Water Tower,
a 175-ft Queen Anne style
landmark, the Gatekeeper’s Cottage, The Oaklands, Montague
House and 11 buildings on East Campus. Famed architect
Frank Lloyd Wright built Usonian style homes in the late 1940’s,
located at Taliesin and Parkwyn Drives and in Galesburg.
One of the original “safe houses”, the Underground
Railroad Home was built in 1835 by Kalamazoo’s first doctor,
Nathan Thomas. This small Greek Revival home hid
former slaves enroute to freedom.
Long before the earliest settlers arrived in the early 1800s, Potowatami Indians inhabited the Portage area. The Indians hunted, fished, grew corn, dwelt in conical shaped wigwams, and greeted the early settlers in peace. A more ancient race dwelt in the area before them, although there is little remaining physical evidence save mysterious mounds and earthworks resembling symmetrical garden beds.
The lush land of Portage had been largely ignored by the early westerly migration of settlers due to the mistaken belief that it was an uninhabitable swamp, unfit for cultivation. Surprisingly, later settlers, many with a rich Dutch heritage, discovered the rich soil made a perfect growing environment for celery. By the 1880s, Portage was second only to Detroit as the largest product exporter in Michigan.
Celery from Portage was being exported across the entire United States.
The area remained prolific in celery production until the middle of the twentieth century.
The local celery industry, as it faced a demise due to a long growing season, disease, over-production and insect infestation, soon gave birth to the huge new bedding plant industry, which continues to thrive in today's modern Portage. Bedding plants from Portage are currently exported to markets throughout the United States.
The City of Portage began its rapid transformation to its modern form during the post World War II era. But this modern city, incorporated in 1963, has a vibrant past, preserved in architecture at Portage Creek Bicentennial Park and celebrated in history at the Celery Flats Historical Area.
The City of Portage also has a Historic District Commission (HDC) to recognize and help preserve some of the older architectural beauty and diversity in the city. There are currently 31 registered historic properties in Portage.
- Kalamazoo County
First Place - America
in Bloom Community Beautification Award (Communities
of its size)
- Kalamazoo County
America in Bloom's National Competition: Environmental Awareness and Community Involvement Awards in 2004
- Kalamazoo Public Library
First Place - National Library of the Year 2002
- Greater Kalamazoo United Way
First Place - Highest Per Capita Giving in
the United States (Communities of its size)
- American Foundation for the Blind
Award - One of the Top Three Cities in the
country for the sight impaired
- Air Zoo
10th largest non-government aviation museum
in the nation
- Gilmore Car Museum
Rated as one of the 10 best automobile museums
in the U.S.
- Kalamazoo Nature Center
Voted the number one nature center in the nation
by other nature centers
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum
The museum was voted the top small museum in
Michigan by readers of Michigan Living Magazine.
- Air Zoo
Guinness World Record™ for Largest Indoor Mural at
Air Zoo, one of the nation's premier aviation
and aeronautics institutions.
- Bronson Hospital
For the second year in a row, Bronson Healthcare Group
has been named by Working Mother magazine as
one of the nation’s “100
Best Companies for Working Mothers. ” Bronson
Healthcare Group has also been named to FORTUNE magazine’s
2004 list of the “100 Best Companies to
Work For,” the nation’s most prestigious workplace
honor.
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On a visit to downtown Kalamazoo, you
may find yourself strolling through one of the
city’s
six historical districts:
- East End, featuring the
creative renovation of old railroad buildings into nightclubs,
antique stores, coffee shops and microbreweries.
- South Town,
an eclectic mix of downtown neighborhoods,
retail business and the elegant campus of Bronson
Hospital.
- Haymarket, offering the latest in food and entertainment surrounded
by the classic architecture of the past.
- Arcadia, a district that brings art, festivals, music, history
and education together.
- Bronson Park, surrounded by stately churches, celebrations,
art shows, summer
concerts and holiday displays.
- Kalamazoo
Mall, anchored by the stylish AAA 4-Diamond Radisson
Plaza Hotel & Suites is the historic
Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian
mall in the United States. Featuring parades,
sidewalk sales, Art on the Mall, Mixer
on the Mall, seasonal holiday festivities and
more. Revitalized Art Deco buildings
house specialty shops, chic restaurants and lively
brewpubs. Don’t
miss the Kalamazoo City Hall, a classic example
of Art Deco style built in 1931.
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:
CITY OF KALAMAZOO
241 West South St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 337-8047
FAX: (269) 337-8182
www.kalamazoocity.org
" The Mall City"
CITY OF PORTAGE
7900 S. Westnedge Ave.
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 329-4412
FAX: (269) 329-4506
www.portagemi.com
By the 1880s, Portage had earned the distinction of “Celery City” of
the nation.
CITY OF GALESBURG
200 E. Michigan Ave.
Galesburg, MI 49053
(269) 665-7000
FAX: (269) 665-4541
www.kalcounty.com/directory/cityofgalesburg.htm
Galesburg was first settled by George L. Gale in 1835.
CITY OF PARCHMENT
650 S. Riverview Dr.
Parchment, MI 49004
(269) 349-3785
FAX: (269) 345-5441
www.parchment.org
The Paper City – established 1939
VILLAGE OF AUGUSTA
109 W. Clinton St.
Augusta, MI 49012
(269) 731-5517
FAX: (269) 731-5255
www.kalcounty.com/directory/villageofaugusta.htm
The town was officially named when it received a post office in 1838 by settler
and first postmaster, George Rigby, who came from Augusta Maine.
VILLAGE OF CLIMAX
114 W. Maple St.
P. O. Box 145
Climax, MI 49034
(269) 746-4174
FAX: (269) 746-4174
www.kalcounty.com/directory/villageofclimax.htm
The town was originally given the name Climax Prairie, by a group of settlers,
led by Daniel B. Eldred, who in 1835 decided to end, (or "climax" as
they put it), their search for a place to live. It was shortened to Climax
in 1874 when the Post Office began rural mail delivery.
VILLAGE OF RICHLAND
8100 North 32nd St.
P. O. Box 1
Richland, MI 49083
(269) 629-9903
FAX: (269) 629-4577
www.kalcounty.com/directory/villageofrichland.htm
Richland was first platted as Gull Corners
by Willard and Sylvester Mills in 1833. In
1840, it was given a post office and re-named
Richland
VILLAGE OF SCHOOLCRAFT
154 W. Eliza St.
P. O. Box 8
Schoolcraft, MI 49087
(269) 679-4304
FAX: (269) 679-4761
www.kalcounty.com/directory/villageofschoolcraft.htm
The Village of Schoolcraft was the first settlement established in Kalamazoo
County. In fact, the original village was platted in 1831, six years before
Michigan became a state.
VILLAGE OF VICKSBURG
126 N. Kalamazoo St.
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1919
FAX: (269) 649-3997
www.kalcounty.com/directory/villageofvicksburg.htm
Vicksburg was named after settler John Vickers, who came to the area in 1831
and built a grist mill on the falls on Portage Creek.
ALAMO TOWNSHIP
www.alamotownship.com
7901 North 6th St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009-8807
(269) 382-3366
FAX: (269) 552-4733 |
BRADY TOWNSHIP
13123 South 24th St.
P. O. Box 20
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1813
www.bradytwp.org
CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP
1499 South 38th St.
P. O. Box 336
Galesburg, MI 49053
(269) 665-7805
FAX: (269) 484-8035 CLIMAX TOWNSHIP
119 W. Maple St.
P. O. Box 369
Climax, MI 49034
(269) 746-4103
FAX: (269) 746-4114
COMSTOCK CHARTER TOWNSHIP
6138 King Highway
P. O. Box 449
Comstock, MI 49041
(269) 381-2360
FAX: (269) 381-4328
www.comstockmi.com
COOPER CHARTER TOWNSHIP
1590 West D Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 382-0223
FAX: (269) 382-3812
www.coopertwp.org
KALAMAZOO CHARTER TOWNSHIP
1720 Riverview Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49004
(269) 381-8080
FAX: (269) 381-3550
www.kalamazootownship.org
OSHTEMO CHARTER TOWNSHIP
7275 West Main St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-4260
FAX: (269) 375-7180
www.oshtemo.org
PAVILION TOWNSHIP
7510 East Q Ave.
Scotts, MI 49088
(269) 327-0462
FAX: (269) 327-0098
www.paviliontownship.com
PRAIRIE RONDE TOWNSHIP
8140 West W. Ave.
Schoolcraft, MI 49087
(269) 679-5666
FAX: (269) 679-5968
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP
7401 North 32nd St.
Richland, MI 49083
(269) 629-4921
FAX: (269) 629-5993
ROSS TOWNSHIP
12086 East M-89
P. O. Box 475
Augusta, MI 49012
(269) 731-4888
FAX: (269) 731-5551
SCHOOLCRAFT TOWNSHIP
50 East VW Ave.
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1276
FAX: (269) 649-2232
TEXAS CHARTER TOWNSHIP
7110 West Q. Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-1591
FAX: (269) 375-0791
www.texastownship.org
WAKESHMA TOWNSHIP
13988 South 42nd St.
P. O. Box 136
Fulton, MI 49052
(269) 778-3728
FAX: (269) 778-3220 |
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The Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau
is not responsible for the results or information generated by
external web tools/web pages.
© Kalamazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau,
2005. All Rights Reserved.
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