Kalamazoo Valley Museum Reviews

I went there on my first ever visit to Kalamazoo and learned a lot about the area's prior economic history (windmills, celery, corsets, checker cabs...) as well as the various possible etymological origins of the town's name. It's not just a cheap way to while away a rainy afternoon. Kids will love it too, and entrance tickets are dirt cheap.

I love taking visitors to our Kalamazoo Valley Museum when they are in town. It's free, the planetarium is inexpensive and it is always updating it's displays. It's incredibly educational, interesting for all ages and a beautifully kept space.

So much history. Free?

Enough said.

I now wish I had a girl from Kalamazoo.

To be honest, after my hotel stay, my college game experience, & this place; I am ready to move.

This is a great museum and even better, it's free.  The kids had a lot of fun learning about bees on the first floor and exploring all the exhibits on the second floor.  I personally enjoyed learning about Kalamazoo and all the things that have been manufactured in Kalamazoo.  This is definitely a place worth visiting.  There is no parking lot, but there is a parking garage across the street and there's also quite a bit of metered street parking.

very interesting to find out all of the things Kalamazoo has invented, produced! The museum had a lot to offer.

Never disappoints! We like to see the “staples” at the museum however we make sure and stop in when there are special exhibits we want to see.
If you are not a local there is a whole section just on Kalamazoo history I recommend.

GREAT PLACE for local history--wonderful exhibits-special things for the children & very family friendly--Priced so anyone can go-learn & enjoy

This is an excellent place to take children of all ages. Our granddaughters love the interactive exhibits. The museum offers something for everybody.

We took nephews (ages 7 and 9) to the KVM on a Friday afternoon and found plenty to occupy them (and us) in addition to it not being busy or costing us anything (yes, it is FREE to enter)! The older nephew didn't want to see the planetarium so we opted not to spend $3 a person on that and have him complain the whole time. All in all it was a nice visit and would enjoy returning again in a few months.

Great small kids museum. Free to get in. Love it! Lots of great places to eat nearby. They often have special exhibits. Worth your time.

A KVM visit is educational and enjoyable, and that experience is primarily because the staff is so professional and so focused on ensuring the museum fulfills its educational mission. Thank you, KVM!

I absolutely love this museum. Fun & interesting for all ages. Admission is always free. Clean & nice. 3 floors. Small $3 charge for planetarium & is SUPER! State of the art projection & surround sound. Rotating shows for all ages during the day. Adult-only shows some Friday nights featuring the music of U2/Led Zeppelin/etc. Lots of events going on at this museum year-round. Concerts in the theatre. Host of the Kalamazoo Fretboard Fest & monthly art hops.

It is a fun little museum that highlights many things. The museum covers local Kalamazoo history and other things such as weather phenomena. It has activities for kids to keep them occupied and fun facts for adults. The weather station is a very neat hands on type experience.

How did I not know about this place?! Our preschooler woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago with a hankering to see a mummy. We had been to the Grand Rapids Public Museum several times, but that exhibit isn't listed any more, so we figured it moved on. A quick Google later and we're on our way to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. It's only an hour away, downtown Kalamazoo is adorable (I haven't been here in probably 30 years), and this museum is awesome! It was free on a Sunday, and they have a big bank of lockers (also free). The museum is not huge -- three floors, we spent probably a couple of hours total. I took two 5yo best buds who are big into two things: giggling and doin' stuff. What they loved about the museum is that there's a bunch of stuff to read and learn about, if you're a stodgy old person who likes to do boring things like read and learn stuff. OR you can scamper about, cranking cranks and making noise. Does any actual information trickle in? Absolutely! But the big thing is they're having fun. A lot of fun! There's a thing where you can turn a fan that is pointed at a pool of water up to high, for maximum surface disturbance, or you can turn the fan to low for minimal disturbance. There's a mummy exhibit that shows cool Xrays, a manufacturing exhibit where you can mold things out of wax, or squish a penny into new and interesting shapes. Build and then race some race cars! Pedal wheels to make electricity for radios and flashing lights to turn on! There's also a really great 5yo and under section with puppets and a puppet window, building blocks, coloring, motion puzzles, etc. etc. They took turns "driving" a golf cart. They had an absolute blast from beginning to end at that place. But they didn't get crazy and run wild -- they were engaged with the exhibits and having fun with them. We enjoyed the detailed bits, they had fun, and I think older kids would enjoy it as well. This is a lovely little gem, and we're really glad to have discovered it. Nobody we've talked to has been there either, how can that be?!

It was great and I would say you should come here I really enjoyed it here it's great for all ages for kids

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is FREE! They have special exhibitions throughout the year plus their own collections and exhibits, including an Egyptian mummy. Great place for kids. It isn't too big and you can go through the whole thing in an hour or two. There is also a planetarium that has astronomical and special interest programs for $3.

I take my grandchildren there yearly and they still love it even though they are 14. It is very informative and educational. They love the hands on experience. The featured exhibits are always great to visit, along with the permanent ones.

This is a five star Museum and Planetarium. Great shows about the stars with a high quality projector. Very interactive museum for children. Positive learning experience for all ages!

We took our 10 year old grandsons to visit this museum today. We read the reviews and decided to put this on our list of sights. Glad we did! We were very impressed with all the hands-on activities. It was perfect for our aged grandsons. They especially enjoyed the robot room. Grandpa enjoyed everything on the Gibson displays, and Grandma was surprised to see the mummy artifacts in this small museum. There was also a room for pre-school children, but we didn't go inside. We were so busy looking on all three floors that we missed the show in the planetarium. That was disappointing. Overall, it's a great museum and surprising bigger than expected for the free admission.

We come here every time we visit family in the area. The 2nd floor and the mummy are guaranteed to entertain my kids. They love pretending to run a soda shop, record the news and visit an old general store. And the fact that the 3rd floor and 1st floor have changing exhibits keeps it from ever being boring.

Today was the first time we've visited since the Innovations and Technology section of the 2nd floor has been opened and the kids loved it even more than they enjoyed the previous layout. They especially enjoyed launching paper airplanes they made, seeing who could make the fastest race car, and trying their hands at an endoscopic surgery simulator.

This is not a museum in the class of big city places. But they have good exhibits and are perfect for taking kids.

I visited KVM worth my wife Ann's my 16- and 10-year-old kids. The "Voices for Social Justice" exhibit was sobering and powerful. I had to explain things to my kids that, thankfully, they didn't understand. The mummy was interesting, particularly to my 10-year-old. The real treat was the ghat gallery! Not only did we get to see and touch an amazing array of instruments, I got to explain some scientific concepts to the kids with the help of the interactive displays. And we got to play the world's largest guitar!
An awesome time was had by all!

Free museum with a lot to see and do. Just park in the parking garage near by, instead of using parking meter, way more comvient! Also, pay the $3 for the movie, it is worth it!

Our family was in Kalamazoo with my husband on business, so I took my kids (ages 3-11) here while he was at work. What a delight! We ended up coming back again the next day! We all loved the exhibits. The museum definitely didn't feel cheap, even though its free admission. Fun!

Our extended family, ten of us, spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon there recently. There is something there for all ages, including a wonderful children's area. Parking ramp is just around the corner and an easy walk away.

Our family LOVES this place! Great FREE family fun, our boys absolutely love building and racing cars around the race track. Also playing in the children's room. Our boys love putting on puppet shows for us and there older siblings.

They have a variety of very interesting permanent exhibits, and their temporary exhibits are always interesting. Staff overall is friendly and interested in answering questions. Lots of things for children, too. Good use of interactive materials and technology. They bring in the community with music and storytelling festivals, special activities during school vacations, etc.

There have been great improvements and additions to the museum since they've opened, and it's become the perfect place to spend an afternoon with little ones. Lots of hands-on enriching activities, fun movies, and a super clean and organized environment. Our grandkids love coming here, and we love how we're able to interact with them on all the activities.

It's a good way to spend an hour or two. They have a few permanent exhibits and then some rotating exhibits. The spy exhibit was fun and informational.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is a delightful, family friendly museum. We're blessed to have such a gem so close to home.

This place is awesome and its free. We loved every bit of it. Lots of hands on stuff to. We really enjoyed checking this place out. Lots of stuff to learn.

I've visited this museum many times. My young children (ages 2 and 4) enjoy the kids area and all the interactive exhibits they have built into the rest of the museum, especially the music and the ice-cream parlor. We love that its free and kid-friendly. Great for a rainy or cold, snowy day.

This was a fun place to visit and we had no small kids with us! We're from St. Louis, and I feel the KVM is a mix between The Magic House and the Science Center. LOTS of hands-on activities that could keep the attention of kids and adults for quite a while. Definitely recommend, especially for families with kids.

Very impressed by this museum. Would have been impressed with a modest entrance fee, but all the more given that admission is free. Special craft activities offered during the New Year holiday that we spent just a bit of time in the actual permanent galleries, but we will definitely return with our young family. Definitely worth the 50 minute trip down from GR.

Well first after finding the place from the hotel since my GPS was screwed. It was really nice. The Goosebumps thing was outstanding !!!!!! kids and I both had a blast.

This place is awesome my daughters 3 and 7 years old had a blast! To top it off it was FREE. They liked the Lego cars the best and the space 3D movie was great!

It's part of the community college. The exhibits are primarily about the history of the city. It looks like many generous folk donated things form their homes to fill the museum. It's free. A warm place on a cold day but not much more than that.

Fabulous museum. Our family spent 3 hours there, but could have spent more. 2nd floor hands-on science area was amazing!

Awesome Place to visit, Lot of interesting things to see, when you go take your time to be able to enjoy what they have

Good set up with lots of hands on for kids. Give yourself 2-3 hrs to see all. For adults only, about 1.5h will be about all you need.
...plus 30 for the planetarium show

There's always something going on for the kids here! Wear your running shoes because the kids have room to roam.

A visitor and locals favorite spot! Kalamazoo's equivalent of other cities' "Please Touch Museums". Don't miss this one! And it's FREE!

We were looking for something to do in Kalamazoo and found this wonderful free museum with lots of hands on experiences. There were interactive displays we've not seen before at any other museum. Great for kids and lots for adults to enjoy as well. I highly recommend stopping at this great little place in Kalamazoo!

Free admission to a great collection of history. For those who don't know Checker Cabs were made here in Kalamazoo. A.M. Todd was the Mint King. His headquarters were on Douglas Ave., the famous Plank Road. Wrigleys and many others were customers. And of course, the classic Gibson Guitars were made here. The museum encompasses the history of each of these businesses. I was especially impressed with the A.M. Todd exhibit. If you like history, you will love this museum. Many "hands on" exhibits for the kids.

The price is free what a treat for those with limited funds and children. If you want to go to the Planetarium it does cost. But was always a good way to calm my kids down.

Right in the middle of downtown Kalamazoo is this little treasure of a museum. It was fun reading facts and about the history of Kalamazoo. And, even better, it was free. If you are in Kalamazoo, please check this place out.

We have been to many similar family museums over the years, and I was very impressed with KVM. For a free museum, the exhibits and experiences at KVM were on par or exceeded what we have become accustomed to at full price museums. KVM has a great mix of features for children and adults. KVM has a designated children's activity room, but our 3 and 5 year old girls actually spent more time in the main museum with the other focused children's exhibits and activities. KVM is also a museum for adults, with all the historical, scientific, and interactive exhibits you would expect. The planetarium hosts a variety of programs for the very reasonable cost of $3 per person. I personally thought the mummy exhibit, while small, was top-notch. I found it very easy to find free street parking on a Saturday (make sure you park at a free parking meter). All that was lacking at KVM was a small eating area and gift shop, but otherwise the facilities were high quality and clean. We had 3 adults and 3 children (one infant) and we spent 4 hours at this museum.

The admission is free!
But I recommend to buy a planetarium ticket for only $ 3 (including tax!)
The planetarium show was very good; but the star talk afterwards even better.

The museum has a load of hands on exhibits = so the kids will love it.
Me as an adult: I’d liked the history of town on the 2nd floor most.

The only negative thing is:
They don’t offer free parking = so I paid $ 13 in the nearby parking garage

Lots of interactive things for children to do. Various exhibits. I enjoy the Fretboard Festival and learning about the old Kalamazoo. I even purchased a name plaque for my son and I that was placed on the tribute wall when it was being built.

Even the Kalamazoo Valley Museum is on the small side- the exhibits are always kept fresh and interesting. This is a great place to spend a rainy day with the kiddos.

The staff was friendly. They explained what was at the museum The children were completely engaged in the exhibits. The planetarium show was both educational and entertaining for both adults and children.

I was in Kalamazoo last week and I enjoyed my time at this museum. The two special exhibits were a history of the Checker Motor Company on the first floor & a travelling Lego exhibit from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis on the third floor.
I spent most of my time learning more about Checker Motors on the first floor, the history of the Kalamazoo area on the second floor and the mummy exhibit on the third floor.
There were a number of school groups in the museum on the weekday I visited.
I think that if one has any free time available in downtown Kalamazoo that a visit to this museum is something that one should strongly consider. One can learn a lot about a variety of topics and one can spend as little as 30 minutes or a few hours depending on one's interests.
As noted by others, there is no admission charge and this museum is a good choice for adults, children & families.

Met my grandkids down there for afternoon fun. Its nice there's still somewhere to take kids that is free admission and still has a little educational fun to do.

Great place to learn about Kalamazoo history. More there than I thought there would be. The science area has lots of interactive things for kids to place with. Great place to teach the little ones something new while learning about the area.

As we live two hours ago, this was only our second visit to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Our first was 5 years ago when we stopped on a roadtrip to see their fabulous Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit. Our second, earlier this month, was to attend the Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival, an annual free family-friendly music event. And it did not disappoint! From 10am-6pm, there are live music shows featuring all types of string-based music: Americana, Tex-Mex, Guitar & Mandolin, Country, Django Reinhardt jazz, and more. There were pop-up music shows throughout the day. An all-day jam session. Workshops to learn more about specific string topics. And vendors selling guitars and other instruments and related items. Totally fun day!! In a museum setting. We didn't get to see much on this visit, but what we saw of the museum on our two stops was fabulous. Kudos to the KVM director and staff!!

A real treasure for the local community, but also a great free way for visitors to learn about Kalamazoo. Lots to read and look at for adults, but just as many hands-on activities for the kids.

We have so much fun! Great exhibits and very interactive. All ages will enjoy. Wish they validated parking!

There are 3 floors of fun! The second floor features a lot of interactive exhibits and a preschool area for children under 5. I usually end up in the preschool area the whole time playing spaceship and doing puppet shows with my 2 and 4 year old. The puppet show area is also a good place to nurse a baby if you need to :)

one of the best places to visit around Kalamazoo, they always have changing exhibits. Lots of interactive exhibits along alot of history about Kalamazoo. 3 floors of exciting things too see.

Located in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo, this museum is a gem. Free admission, three stories and truly something for everyone. Lots of hands-on exhibits for the kids, my kids favorite is the weather channel/anchor man set up. They love to see themselves on the screens. The top floor is a rotating exhibit that is different every few months. The have a Space Challenger program, which I have never done - but kids and adults can sign up for a training/simulator type experience. The planetarium is $3 per person. The museum often has fun events such as music and festivals on the first floor. There is a big room, Children's Playscapes (I think is the name) for the under 5 crowd and lots of history and fun artifacts for adults. If you are in town, take time to visit this great museum!

I have been taking my children to this museum for probably close to 20 years. I really like the hands on educational portions of the museum. It really makes kids learn, while having fun.

I also enjoyed learning about the history of Kalamazoo and the famous products that were made here and the people that created them.

I can't say enough about our museum. It's free unless you want to purchase some of the extra programs. We love it. So much to look at. Mystery of the Mummy has always been my favorite exhibit. Science in motion is another really cool exhibit. Everything there is hands on. We go a couple times a year.

Spent the afternoon at the museum with 2 year old and 8 year old. There was plenty to do for them both and places for grandma to sit. The planetarium Ice World was dated and very somber. Other than that it was all good.

It was a well thought out museum with hands on exhibits that were fun for kids & adults alike. The Spy Exhibit had loads of puzzles & codes to crack that kept the museum fun.

Was looking for an inside activity on one of the rainy days in June so decided to check out KVM with my husband. We were not disappointed! So many great exhibits, several interactive. Went back with our granddaughter (23 months old) and she loved it. Second floor has a large area just for kids under the age of five that rivals children's museums I've visited in the Chicago area. The icing on the cake, this museum is FREE!!!

We took our Granddaughters here last year, to see their special exhibits...what a nice Museum and it is So clean and perfect size to walk around it and learn so much about the area and people.

Enjoyed checking into this museum before we left town and enjoyed it a great deal! Best part of all...it's free to the public. Lots of hands on activities for young and old alike. Plenty of local history. Easy access and parking across street.

Amazing hands on exhibitions and video presentations. The only fees are for the video presentations. It can get crowded later in the afternoon.
Staff is great. This was an awesome surprise that this museum was so excellent.

I've come to Kalamazoo with my kids yearly and heard about this museum, but never went before this summer. My 16 yr old boy, 13 and 11 yr old girls, husband and I all enjoyed different things at the museum. Plenty of hands-on that even we big kids enjoyed. My sister started bringing her son when he was a toddler and they always raved about the mummy. I thought that was all there was here. Oh, were we wrong and missing out! Great way to spend a few hours with family!

Went on a rainy day with kids ages 7 and 9, as well as grandparents. There was something fun for everyone. Grandparents loved all the historical artifacts and nostalgia; kids loved the play diner, newsroom, and all the hands on exhibits on the second floor. Museum was clean and well kept, and the staff was very friendly.

Good local free museum with changing exhibits and lots of interesting things to see! Great room for young children with interactive play areas.

Did I mention free? This is a great museum with changing exhibits that will keep the kids (and adults) entertained for hours. There’s also a planetarium with different feature shows.

I took my oldest child there she had a blast and I enjoyed it myself especially the mummy.A very Nice surprise

Fun little place to escape during the weekend or the summer. It's free, lots of fun for the kids and air conditioned so you can escape the summer heat. There's a rotating exhibit that changes every few months so the kids don't get bored.

Free entrance, donations accepted. Parking cost a few dollars with two lots close by.

The museum exhibits change frequently. Most exhibits are child friendly and usual incorporate a hands on approach. The even have a real mummy. And, they run special kids crafts from 1p-3p sometimes when school is not in session. On the weekends they have special movies and even local musician play. Did I mention the planetarium ($3 fee). Children 5 and under have their own section on the 2nd floor. Check the website for the space mission times and availability (cost item). Otherwise enjoy the museum and remember just across the street, in the basement, is the Rose Street Market if you need a convenient, a la cart, bite to eat.

The bus/train station (across form the mission shelter), is located one and a half blocks North of the museum.

Our family is very thrifty, so this free museum is great for us. There are some paid options, like the planetarium show and the space simulation, but those are not all hyped up at the front desk, so we were able to bypass them without or kids feeling disappointed. Plan to pay to park in the adjacent parking ramp. Lots of hands on activities and the exhibit on the top floor changed every 6-9 months. This is a great little museum!

In the heart of the downtown and with a lot of heart. This museum offers a lot of exhibits and events to keep a child interested for several hours. Plus, there is a planetarium with shows daily, a great experience for younger kids who might have never seen a planetarium before, but a good experience even for adults. Lots of hands-on exhibits, many photo op opportunities. Plus, free general admission. Don't miss this gem.

Located in the down-town walking district, this little museum offers a fun and interactive experience for the whole family. Their emphasis is on kids, but there is enough for the whole family to enjoy. And the price is right (free)!

We did not see any of the special shows or programs, but we heard that they were excellent. One must be there at the right times.

We particularly enjoyed the historical artifacts and the view into life back then. Also, the hands-on science experiences were quite good.

For the size of the city, I think Kalamazoo has one of the BEST free museums of most cities. I brought my 4-year-old grandson and we had a great time exploring the special dinosaur exhibit upstairs. It includes good Kalamazoo history for the older kids and adults. We generally visit when there's a special event since many of the other exhibits remain the same.

Great place for families. We enjoyed many of the exhibits. There are hands on displays for kids and a planetarium.

I took my 2 year old granddaughter there and she had an absolute ball! The staff was very friendly and the museum is a treasure in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo!

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is ultramodern in every way, from the new buildings housing the museum to the progressive staff members designing the exhibits. Most of the Museum's displays are interactive and are designed to be readily accessible by visitors of all ages. The Museum's superb planetarium is among the most technologically advanced in the midwestern United States and features daily local and nationally produced multi-media educational presentations. The history of unique local west Michigan industries is highlighted including the19th & early 20th century creation of Checker Motors (taxis) and the pioneering medical research of Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. There's also an Egyptian section featuring a real mummy with a detailed scientific analysis of ancient Egypt burial traditions. Especially appealing is the floor of introductory science exhibits designed for the enjoyment of children and young adults. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is not as overwhelming in size as the museums of larger cities such as Chicago. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum can be fully experienced during a 2-3 hour visit. The admission prices are among the lowest, especially for a history museum with world class educational content. The Museum's location is downtown Kalamazoo within the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, there's plenty of convenient parking nearby. Highly recommend the Kalamazoo Valley Museum for both your family and solo continuing education visits.

Finding a parking place was a challenge. Once there however we enjoyed this lively museum. Gives you a taste of Kalamazoo and its history.

Had a couple of hours to kill with our 9-year-old son, so we decided to check out the museum. Beautiful facility with terrifically-maintained/interesting exhibits. Overall, I'd say the museum caters towards younger audiences (especially the interactive portions), but my wife, son, and I still found the experience quite positive. The best part? Free admission, but I was happy to donate to keep this wonderful place thriving.

We love this Museum. Always changing the stuff on the 3rd floor so it is something new to look at. There is an old cafe that kids love. Great children's area. We did a planetarium show which is only $3.00/person. It was great.

We really enjoyed out recent visit here again. It really has great local history. It also has wonderful seasonal exhibitions that we will schedule our yearly visits around. My favorite part is that the Museum is free!! Which makes it affordable for my husband and I to return again and again. Especially with our grandchildren

There are many things to see and do in this museum that are free. We spent the day her and didn't pay an extra penny for anything. There is the option to pay for exhibits and other fun things but there was no need to the day we went. Exhibits change. Fun for kids of all ages.

Went here on a field trips a couple years age. It is a very fun and enriching place for youngsters. I recommend this for younger children and their families.

A great museum featuring Kalamazoo, old and new. Highly recommended to see. Our sons spouses found out a lot about the area ours sons grew up in.

I've been taking my kids here for years - great fun and learning for the kids. Beautiful atmosphere and friendly staff. The local Kalamazoo exhibits are always unique and meaningful.
And it's FREE!!!

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is one of the nicest free historical museums that I've ever been too. The museum was within walking distance of our hotel & several restaurants. Lots of interactive displays that were interesting for children & adults. There is a focus on local history & education. I did not get to go to the planetarium but I talked to a few people who just came out of the show & said it was very good. Great place for kids & families!

After finding this museum here on trip advisor, I decided to give it a once over since I am a huge history buff. My friend and I were very lucky on the day we went because the city was also hosting its fret festival. This festival is perfect for musicians and had a huge display of vintage and new guitars and other stringed instruments on various tables inside the museum.

The museum has a lot of historical items in it, vast amount of hands on displays for all age groups and they have a rotating schedule of special themed displays for limited times and this time it was relics of the civil war.

The museum also has some of the best local artifacts from the 19th century including a time capsule glass jar. My favorite section was the Egyptian artifacts and they even have a real female mummy on display.

Overall, a great museum to take a peek into our past. I do recommend this museum.

We were on an anniversary trip when we visited this museum last September. We loved it and learned a lot about Kalamazoo. We decided that if we are ever in Kalamazoo with our children, we need to take them here. There were many interactive exhibits throughout. Our favorite part was walking through the history of Kalamazoo.

I can't wait to bring my grand kids to this museum although I also enjoyed it myself. It's very interactive and entertaining all while teaching valuable lessons. There is no admission fee except a small fee for the planetarium which is well worth it.

The museum is a nice small interesting museum that highlights Kalamazoos history. Lots of great artifacts and information and great for kids. They have lots of interactive exhibits and even a planetarium. If you have an hour or so to spare it's free to visit and I'd recommend taking a walk through.

This museum is free! Covers many topics - history, music, some civil rights stuff, lots of kid hands-on stuff.

With multiple floors of exhibits, and tons of history about the area of Kalamazoo and surrounding areas, this little museum amazed us! They change the exhibits throughout the year so you may not see the same thing twice on another visit. An informative and entertaining way to spend a few hours!

If you never been, it's a great place to take a day for. They do have a section for children. They also offer a lot of hands on,

It was an unseasonably cold and rainy day in May so to kill some time, my husband, adult daughter and I went to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. We thought we'd kill a half hour, maybe less--it didn't matter. This place is impressive! First of all, it is free. Secondly, there are tons of hands-on exhibits that would appeal to children as well as adults. There is a music exhibit, where you can make drums and what-not play for you electronically. There are many land formation/weather exhibits--including the opportunity to make a little tornado. There are exhibits about the history of Kalamazoo, showing the music, car, food and drug industries-among other things. It is surprisingly well-done and well-thought out. The museum was not at all crowded--you could experiment as long as you liked. It would be a great place to bring kids.

good free fun for the kids. the ice cream parlor is my kids fav. a lot more hands on stuff now. friendly staff and volunteers.

My husband and I walked through this quaint museum while we were staying in downtown Kalamazoo. It was very nice....clean, interesting (had local history) and FREE! It was well worth the few hours that we were there. Highly recommend you go. There were kids there too...they seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was a lot of 'hands-on' activities for them.
There was also a planetarium with a few different shows. Only $3 each to see.

Stopped in on our way out of town. Love that this is a free museum. Lots of hands on activities for young children. All the staff we encountered were friendly and more than willing to engage with us. The rhythm and sound exhibits were our favorites but lots of science themed exhibits to enjoy. Wish we could have stayed for a planetarium show.

This was our second visit. We only had two hours and it read far too short. Mathematics was the special this month. Oh I almost forgot! All three floors for free!

Was lots of fun, lots of hands on activities. Great place to bring kids and family. We were going in thinking this would be simple and small, being it was free admission. We were mistaken. This museum is very well done, and educational and took us about 4 hours to go through it all.

This is a nice museum and it is free. We were there for two hours and did not get to see everything. We all really enjoyed the hands on activities. They also offered special crafts for kids during spring break.

This museum is free and parking is nearby for $2. The temporary exhibits have varying appeal - today there was a cool one on dresses from 1890-1940 and a so-so one on fitness and nutrition. My kids always want to see the mummy on the 3rd floor - check it out. There's also a vintage fire engine and different areas where kids can man a news desk, soda shop counter and general store. We went after 3pm on a Monday, but earlier in the day there's an area open to toddlers and young children where they can play with puppets, magnets, puzzles, balls, etc.

If you have small children it is a great place to go. We didn't see the shows to verify for older children. But for adults... Bells is down the street.

This is one small museum that packs a punch. If you're in Kalamazoo, you MUST visit here. It's free (bonus!) and has so much to offer. On the ground floor, you can see weather things and an enormous wall of historical artifacts - very cool ones, like a dry cleaning sign, and an old-fashioned bike (that my family donated!). Head upstairs to learn the history of Kalamazoo, through music, medicine, paper, and more. You'll learn that Lincoln stopped here, and that there is a mummy in Kalamazoo, and why it's called Celery City. You can also play in the science area - we spend a lot of time here. It's the best small museum I've ever seen.

free museum with great interactive exhibits to entice kids and grown ups. loved the Kalamazoo Civil Rights display with Dwayne Roberts

Stopped for a quick visit. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and the museum offers a wide variety of Kalamazoo related history. Clean interesting and free. great place to visit

The whole place is an amazing area for kids to explore and learn but adults get so much out of it as well. It shows so much of Kalamazoo history and I know my family enjoyed seeing it since they didn't grow up here like I did. The mummy is always a big attraction for us and I enjoy going back and seeing it every once in away. A big deal is that it's free

A great museum to spend an afternoon with children. Has many hands-on display to teach children science e.g., heart rate, electricity generation, making a tornado. The Planetarium is great too.

Fun museum especially for children. Lots of hands on activities and history of the local area. Planetarium is state of the art. Admission to the museum is free but there is a charge for the planetarium and a few special exhibits.

Every year when the grand children come to visit we take them to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Always something new and the hands on exhibits are a great attraction.

Every time I go to this place, I have a blast. There is always history of some sort that is fascinating and something interesting for everyone. Very entertaining.

A fun concept but pricey experience. The mission to Mars is very scripted but gives kids an idea of the space station feel. Will keep the attention of kids under 13-14. They are very serious about the role play bathroom breaks are not allowed, but the rule is not posted. You will be locked out! I spent the second hour in an empty meeting room.

I love to visit this place every once in a while. Freshen up my mind to new facts and culture. A great historical and scientifical resource center.

My husband and I stopped in to this lovely museum. I actually did not have high expectations, but was blown away by this place! 3 floors of exhibits. Tons of interactive displays, for adults and kids. Highly recommend the Kalamazoo museum.

My dad and I visited recently, and it's a great museum! I really like the artifacts that are on the wall. There are a few kiosks you can walk up to see what the artifacts are and what year(s) they dated from. My favorite part was when you walk upstairs to hear "I've got a gal in Kalamazoo." I really enjoyed learning about the paper mills, and looking at the museum general store. Make sure to walk over to the machine in the paper mill exhibit to look at the old pictures! There is a huge area for young children to play in on the second floor. If you really take your time, and go through everything, you can be there for up to three hours I'd say. We spent about and hour and a half there, and that was covering all three floors. Oh, did I mention, FREE admission?

Interests for the whole family! Currently have a treasure exhibit until middle of August, this includes panning for gold, using a medal detector, unlocking a safe! Boys & girls of various ages love the exhibits, a lot of it is hands on!

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is an excellent place to take people of all ages from kids to grandparents. It is a hands-on museum, which many people take to mean "kids museum", but it is fun without kids in tow. They have a really great planetarium with a variety of shows at an exceptionally reasonable cost, and a Challenge Learning Center that runs missions at various times throughout the week. You can go in and spend an afternoon and enjoy every minute of it; plus it is really close to the rest of downtown, so you're already near a lot of great shopping and places to eat. As far as a free place to visit, it can't really be beat in Kalamazoo. I only wish they had a gift shop!

The Kalamazoo Museum is wonderful place to visit often, come check out the mummy. A lot of various items to look at for everyone to enjoy.

This museum gives you a lot of bang for no bucks. Yes, it's free but a donation is always welcome. It appeals to adults as well as kids. Many of the displays have hands on activities to keep kids interested. We learned a lot more about the whole area and the history behind many things we know and see every day. Well worth the visit!

We've gone to this museum probably 20+ times. It's free. Leave them a donation if you love it like we do. Great for all ages. Multileveled. Make sure you hit everything. Educational and fun. Perfect for the whole family.

This event is ALWAYS fantastic. There are book reviews, hands on information, mini concerts, Chris and team do a wonderful job of connecting the string community.

I was very surprised with everyting I saw at the museum.
Really recomend for travellers for Kalamazoo.

Nice place to visit.... Although the overweight lady running the kids room was very unfriendly, rude, and not kid friendly at all. She's in the wrong business. Other staff seemed happy.

Great museum with changing exhibits so it is good for locals as well as visitors. Always enjoy the variety and the constants.

I have gone to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum a few times! Once for a school trip, a couple times with family and friends, and I would love to go back soon! I highly recommend them to anyone as their interactive exhibits are amazing and I learn so much when I am there!

This museum has been a staple of Kalamazoo are quite a long time. It’s free and an awesome place to take the family for the day. So many things to explore and learn about

We go here often. The third floor exhibits are interactive, and change every few months. Highlights are the children's rooms, and the Egyptian section. My grandkids beg to go!

As visitors to Kalamazoo, our teenage Girl Scout troop enjoyed a few hours learning about the history of the city at the museum. We also enjoyed its close proximity to restaurants and the park so we could walk everywhere.

Outstanding 3 floor museum with tons of great things to see and learn about especially re: local history. Rotating special features and interesting things for all ages.
All for free!
Also have a terrific planetarium theater with several cool movies.
Fantastic experience each time!

My husband and I visited the museum on our 2nd wedding anniversary. We completely enjoyed this visit! If we ever return to Kalamazoo, we will return to this establishment!! Wonderful!

The museum is decent sized for being in downtown Kalamazoo. It is big enough to take a couple hours to go through. It has an area for kids to interact with some games. It is clean and well kept. I’m not really a museum person, but it is a nice place to check out.

I took my 3 and 8 year old over spring break. They had a bunch of special activities set up for the influx of extra kids for the week. My son, 8, who is very intelligent and loves learning, had a great time. My daughter however, just had an ok time. I think there's an age range missing there. There were plenty of things for toddler and younger to do in the children's landscape area. All sorts of stuff for a little bit older kids in the hands on science area. But not so much, or anything really we could find, for preschoolers. Although she was entertained watching her brother do things. The special exhibits going on right now were really interesting. The pop up book exhibit was cool. Still I rise was beautiful too. Although I did find myself having to explain some mature issues to my 8 year old. Maybe better to go without young children that don't grasp racism, segregation, and slavery yet. But the work in there was beautiful nonetheless. Will definitely be returning.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum in downtown Kalamazoo, MI is a gem for travelers in
Southwestern Michigan. It has 3 floors which cover a lot of Kazoo history but also
many other interesting topics. On the 3rd floor there will be a traveling display for
children (how a tornado forms, things to do with legos, forms of medicines used
in our country, etc) Best of all -- it's free !!

We hadn't intended to go to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum with summer, but we found ourselves downtown Kalamazoo with time on our hands, so we headed over. At first I thought my thirteen-year-old son would be too old for the museum, but he headed right over to the mummy exhibit, then to the weather experiments. He even wanted to go into the "children's museum" area just like when he was smaller and also built a contraption in the special Tinker Toy exhibit. This is always a quality museum and the best part about it is that it is FREE!

This was a nice surprise. We didn't expect so much from this museum. Lots of interesting local history and great hands on exhibits that kept our tweens engaged for a couple hours! The science exhibits were excellent and we all enjoyed them. It was the prefect size for exploring. Not too big...not to small. It had something for all ages. My boys especially liked the weather exhibit and being "on camera". Looking forward to going here again next time we are in town.

This museum was close to the Radisson and in a lovely location downtown. Definetly visit the third floor Eygyptian mummy exhibit. Amazing to actually see this and watch the reconstruction of the mummy. I learned so much history of Kalamazoo. I am amazed. Extremly nice arrangements of archeology exhibits. AND IT IS ALL FREE!

This is not a large museum, but it is a great place for everyone. They have special exhibits and it is a great place for a birthday part. It has the Challenger Learning Center that is great

I came here to beat the rain after attending an event downtown. First, it is free, so what do you have to lose! I felt that it was centered toward a younger crowd, but I enjoyed myself. Later, I took my younger brother and he had a blast.

The museum is great for anyone! A great resource for local history. Look out for special speaker series they may have.

Beautiful little museum! The Egyptian display is pretty awesome, some really neat items including an actual mummy. The staff was excellent and the facility is impeccably clean. Only drawback was the planetarium… It lacks a lot unfortunately.

It was a nice mix of exhibits. We saw some neat hands on weather related exhibits downstairs we had not seen at other museums. The guitar special exhibit was interesting for my metal head husband. The giant electric guitar was memorable. We enjoyed the mummy/Egyptian area zoo. A fun stroll to learn about Kalamazoo’s industries too. Free general admission is always awesome too.

An interesting place for sure. Clean, fun, lots of history for Kalamazoo, artifacts and mummies. I went when the TinkerToy exhibit was up, and it was an okay exhibit. It'll be down, soon, but it's for kids. Not for adults. Maybe an adult that likes TinkerToys I guess. We stopped into the planetarium and had a good time, $3 for a ticket, and saw lots of other things while we were here. If you are passing through or a regular, definetly stop by!

Specially went to 3:00 planetarium show. Of "Dinosaurs at Dusk" - paid to see it. Trouble from the start as operator couldn't get it going. Very poor quality. Fuzzy images and 1/4 through it a portion of the screen went spastic and was strobing until the end. No refunds were offered.

Great atmostphere, roomy, clean, modern and a ton of exhibits for all age groups. My younger children enjoy the new exploration area with puppets, dress up, books, games in a bright contained trio of rooms.

We all like planetarium the best. The Ancient Egypt display has been one of my favorite parts since I was a kid. The museum gets in all kinds of cool hands on exhibits that facilitate learning and fun...and super duper budget friendly!!

The KVM is a great place to take the kids on a rainy day, go on a date to, or just explore on your own. Tons of interactive exhibits mixed with a good dose of local history, this place will keep you busy for hours.

Also, there's a mummy!

Somehow this was not on my radar or plans for our trip into the area. Found information on it at our hotel and decided to check it out. It is a FREE museum. It is not the biggest museum we’ve been too, but it has a lot of really great and interactive exhibits in a small area. My boys (9&11) really enjoyed the Amusement Park Science area, but we love our amusement parks! The second floor had an innovation area. The kids were able to make and race their own LEGO cars. There was a musical area with mic and instruments. The old Kalamazoo history area was entertaining. We spent about 2 hours here and we could have easily doubled that. Especially with the fact that they had a summer event happening with more outside games and activities! If you are in Kalamazoo it is totally worth checking out.

What a little gem right in downtown Kalamazoo!! We regularly visit the hands-on exhibits; building race cars, learning about the human body, and experimenting with weather. I love the rotating exhibits upstairs - the kids have learned about Africa, movement and fitness, Fear, and so much more! My favorite has to be the planetarium. The shows are inexpensive and the kids are delighted to watch the presentations. The adults even got to watch a fantastic Led Zepplin laser show during Art Hop. We will continue to go again and again!

There was some construction going on and we couldn't get to the parking ramp across the street but found another close by. The museum itself it great, staff was excellent! Asked my kids what they enjoy and directed them to a few activities he thought they'd like. My kids are 8, 6 and 5 and loved just walking around pushing all the buttons at the exhibits.

Highly engaging and fun museum! Much to learn and do - plus it's free!! Great for babies, toddlers, elementary level students.

This place is amazing! So many different buildings with classic cars galore. My 7 year old loved looking at all the cars. We spent about 4 hours looking around and still didn’t finish it all. The gift shop is nice and prices are fairly reasonable. They had a few places to eat on the premises. The location is out in the country which I wasn’t expecting. But it’s nice! The parking is free (:

In the past when the kiddos were younger we would walk in here. The exhibits are always interesting and nothing beats the price tag of free. It is located in a very good location of Downtown Kalamazoo. They put on a really nice safe halloween event every year.

Really well set out with loads of information about Kalamazoo and interesting displays. Allow plenty of time as there is lots to see.

Wonderful museum and free. Very impressed with the displays; kids (and adults) love it with great showcasing on Kalamazoo, lots of interactive and educational displays. Make sure you do all 3 floors - it gets better as you go up!

Nice little museum to kill some time with young kids. Nice exhibits, some special programs time to time, and some interactive stuff.

There are tons of exhibits--fun for both kids and adults. They show movies, history and culture. Well staffed with knowledgeable people.

We traveled to Kalamazoo from the Michigan shores to check out Bell's Brewery. Traveling with 2 children under 5 we wanted to find something interesting for them to enjoy in the area as well. This museum was the perfect spot. Free! Helpful staff! Clean! Not crowded! It was great. They had a very cool temporary exhibit on tinker toys and a great little area for children under 5. Also a meteorological science section, exhibit on women's baseball, electricity, and a static electricity demonstration my son and I participated in. They have a planetarium as well (with admission and at specific times) but we skipped that. I probably wouldn't travel here just to visit the museum, but it was a very worthwhile stop on our weekend visit to MI. (Just about 45 mins - 1 hour NE of Saint Joseph, I believe).

Great place to spend a day with grandchildren, and it was free. Was very nice set up and a lot of things to do

This is a great place to go on a rainy summer day or any time in the winter! They change their Children's Landscape regularly which keeps it fresh and new for children. There is also a planetarium (which does cost money) that is neat to watch a show at.

All of the Museum is great except the parking. You will have to pay for parking in a ramp or on street

The museum has 3 floors of exhibits and the third floor exhibits change frequently and are designed specifically for younger children. The second floor has exhibits of local interest as well as a large number of hands on things for somewhat older children. Many kids enoy the electric model car racing track on which they can race cars that they assemble themselves from snap together parts.

We stopped in here on our way down from Ludington. This is actually a free museum with a lot of interactive exhibits. We mainly stopped to see the Egyptian Mummy up on the third floor but were quite impressed with all the history and artifacts that were there. This was a great place and I would return when I had more time to spend there.

There's a lot of interesting history here, science exhibitions and more. A great place for the kids.

We opted to do this smaller museum over a bigger attraction in town, and I’m so glad we did! My kids (ages 12, 10, and 7) had a great time here. So many exhibits are interactive, and there is also a planetarium. We spent at least three hours here, and they could have easily have spent another hour in the map exhibit.

The KVM is a wonderful free museum. It is a great place for families, has interesting revolving exhibits, and a wonderful planetarium. The Challenger space center if very fun.

A great little museum with exhibits ranging from mummies to Kalamazoo history. Presently they are having a dinosaur exhibit. It is an excellent value as the admission is free. You can leave a donation if you are so inclined. We go often as we are next door neighbors.

This free museum in Kalamazoo, Mich is a great place to visit when you are in the area. It is designed for children with many hands on exhibits but adults can learn much about the universe at the museum. Plan on spending several hours to enjoy the exhibits about the stars and the seas.

Friends, if you are coming here with teenagers, that want to act cool, maybe this is not the place. But if you have kids from like 4 to 10, this might be a great place. They take donations, but care no cover. which is amazing in this day and age. 2 floors, of many things you can touch and play with. I think moms with kids come here once a week, and just have a great time. I took my aunt who is 40+, and it was a nice 40 minutes. For less then an hour, we found parking for 1.40 too. so it was a pretty cheap thing to do. If you are in town, and have kids, this is a MUST see.

Dr. Darrell of Michigan.

We went to this museum with our grandson and he loved it (two and a half years old). He especially loved the dinosaur exhibit and the interactive science exhibits. With their swirling tornadoes and tidal effects. The local history on industry and people from Kalamazoo was very well done too.

A great day to hang out with kids and absorb many questions from children that make you smile :) A good time for any family..

This museum is a community treasure! Permanent displays are interesting and interactive. Traveling display of dinosaurs is awesome . If visiting only for dinosaurs, call first to see if still displayed. Oh and it is free , with donations greatly appreciated.

While walking past this museum, I saw on their marque that there was free admission. I could hardly believe it. I went in and it was true. I ended up spending the morning and afternoon there, by myself. The exhibits that are there, are so interesting. The world's smallest sculpture is on display. The third floor has puzzles that you can solve. I would highly recommend it for everyone.

This is a great little gem in the City. We went there to see what was new, having been there years ago. We started on the top floor and worked our way down. We saw an interesting quilt exhibit that highlighted important events and/or individuals in the Black Community. There were a lot to take in, and each one had a plaque to explain the events depicted, the artist responsible for the quilt and materials. Next floor down was a collection of materials that explained the history of the Kalamazoo Valley. It also had a wonderful set of hands-on exhibits for kids. What a hoot - literally! We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and being restricted by time, missed a lot of other things to see and do. We'll be back!

We decided to bring our 5 yr old here to see their dinosaur attraction. He loved it and so did we. The staff was very friendly and informative. The only complaint, which has nothing to do with the museum, was the crazy amount of summer camps there that day. The kids were not being supervised very well and were being pushy with the younger kids. Overall, we will definitely go back and spend more time exploring everything again. We loved all the interactive exhibits!

The exhibits here are very good, as is the planetarium. I'm writing less as a museum aficionado, and more of an adult that needs a place for kids to have some fun (especially during winter).
The museum has special exhibits that change often. Obviously, this means there's always something new and interesting to go see, even when you've already been here a dozen times. The fact that it's free is wonderful too.
There is a children's room which is available during limited hours (check them, it closes early afternoon) and it has lots of things for young children to do. There are hands on activities just outside the main children's room for older kids too. There is also a side room that has a special theme that changes. This is a great place for your children to learn and play.
My only negative comment about this aspect of the museum is the staff in the kids area. They do a story time, and due to a very negative experience I don't participate in it anymore. If you're going to attend, make sure you're children are age appropriate and that you're early. They aren't understanding of adults juggling children and all the baggage that might come with. In fairness, they keep the kids room clean and picked up (no small feat with all the children running around), but they are often pushy as a result.

Wonderful exhibits, very interactive. The special exhibit on Gibson guitars was beautiful. Wish they had a gift shop!

We were surprised and pleased by the quality of the exhibits at this museum. My 9, 7 and 5 year olds, veterans of many kids' museums, happily played and explored here for 4 hours. They enjoyed the "general store" area, the ice cream shop/diner pretend play area, and the mummy exhibit. A TinkerToy taveling exhinit took up most of the top floor,and they had a great deal of fun trying out the challenges there. Compared to the exhinits at the much-larger (and more expensive) Franklin Museum in Philadelphia, the hands-on activities about the human body/anatomy/physiology here at KVM did not impress my kids much. However, the build-your-own-race car track that combines physics and engineering concepts was a huge hit - even with the grown-ups in our party!

Add that to clean restrooms, lots of places to sit and rest while the kids explore, and a convenient and inexpensive parking ramp, and you can't go wrong.

This is a great place to stop. Not only is the museum free, but it’s well kept, has interesting exhibits and interactive displays.

This is a great museum to visit with your family. They have some neat areas to experiment with weather patterns that will be accessible and fun to even young children. They have a large "science in motion" area also that explains a lot of science concepts to younger kids at a level they will understand and appreciate. Some of the "Kalamazoo History" section was a little bit above "small child" level, but they still had plenty of things for younger kids to do even there. The price (free) is definitely right... I would recommend for any families with young kids looking for something to do in Kalamazoo.

I take my kids here monthly. Its a free museum but it has so much that I would pay to get in. We always have a great time. The shows at the planetarium are a great learning experience.

My husband and I take the grandkids once or twice a year, and they love it! From the preschool area that has places to act out stories and drive the school bus to the history area that has a lunch counter to the country store and the TV news/weather studio, it is an enjoyable day and is free! We also have paid to go to the Planetarium shows and the Challenger flight interactive exhibit, and both were good. There are three floors of exhibits--one that changes and the others remain fairly static, but we look forward to going back to some favorite activities. (Use a locker to store your coats--it costs two quarters, but when you retrieve your belongings, it is returned.

This has become a New Year tradition for our family, and our children are always eager to go back. We usually spend about 2-3 hours in the museum and I find something new every time. There is always a temporary exhibition, and the hands-on displays on the second floor keep our children occupied even as they grow older. They love the general store and the hot dog stand. It's a good view into Michigan history and the science section, while a bit dated and a in need of a bit of TLC, is also great for hands-on learning. This remains one of our favorite West Michigan winter visits.

Lots of things for young kids to do. My 2 1/2 grandson had a great time. We were there when they had the dog and cat exhibit. Both kids and adults had fun.

Not really fair to judge on this visit since only a portion of the museum was open when I got there. It was open primarily for live music performances for the city's monthly "Art Hop" happenings. I've enjoyed the museum in the past depending on what exhibits were on when visiting.

A visit with time restrictions and therefore we didn't get to see the program in the planetarium. Parking is close and either curbside meters or parking lots with minimal fees.
The museum is free admittance and we had our 1st very helpful person at the front desk. There are 3 levels, accessible by elevator or stairs. The first level had an exhibit entitled AFRICAN AMERICAN IN CIVIL WAR MEDICINE.....grandkids age 5 and 8 enjoyed this the most.
There are weather simulators for tornados, dune creation, wave formation and lightening on this level that are fun also. The planetarium and theater are on this level, but, again, time constraints.
The 2nd level has a wonderful history gallery....great for adults and lots of hands-on for the kids. So many things other than UpJohn, paper factories and Checker Cab that Kalamazoo is known for. What fun.
The Innovaton Gallery and Childhood Exorations were closed for updating. This, I'm sure, will be a class gallery too. There is nothing second rate about this museum.
Finally it was up to the 3rd floor for dinos. While both children enjoyed and used up some some energy....they were too old for the exhibit. I think this is for age 5 and under. Should have been at the museum on a lecture day. The other exhibit on the 3rd floor is a mummy exhibit....a bit claustrophobic for my liking.
Recommend this museum. Visit!

Spent several hours at this fabulous place. When you walk onto this free museum, there are things to do. There is a sun dial that was interesting to look at along with some other items.
When we went in, we were greeted by a friendly receptionist who described what was on every level. Our teen daughters enjoyed the environmental section on the first floor and all of the activities on the second floor. One, of the many activities on the second floor, thing we did that was fun was learning how to construct a building that would withstand seismic activities.
We will be back,it was a lot of fun.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum has many interesting exhibits for adults which is changed frequently enough to keep it interesting-but where it really excels is with the children's exhibit area. I have taken my children and now we take the grandchildren to this museum. A must if you are in Kalamazoo!

The museum is located in downtown Kalamazoo, and is in a modern building. Parking is across the street. The focus is on Kalamazoo history, describing businesses, people, inventions, and more. Most exhibits are permanent, but a couple are temporary. The medical inventions were fascinating (some good and some bad products!) and the exhibits take you from the early days to today -- did the company survive or change? Lots of chances to put yourself (kid or adult) into an exhibit (eg, sit at a TV news room desk, play electronic drums, etc.) I liked the "wall of antiques" which rose 3 stories into the air; you walked down the open stairs and each landing had a screen where you read about each object, like an old-time baby carriage. A "cat & dog" exhibit opens in May till Sept. 9, 2018.

This is probably the best "children's museum" we've ever been to, and we've been to a lot of them. Very clean and varied, interesting exhibits. Would recommend to anyone with kids under 13.

when you say free, you think, boring right? Think again. This cool place had cool exhibits that were interactive and educational. I loved the weather room, the robotic room but most of all I loved the icon wall with amazing antiques from the past from clothing to toys and weapons. it's free! no kidding. But hey don't forget to drop your change in that donations thing at the door because it deserves it. We will be back! Thank you soooo much

The KVM does a good job of keeping the exhibits fresh and interesting, and my children always look forward to going there. Parking is easy, especially for a big family like mine, even though it's downtown, it's accessible and safe.

Family and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The staff was knowledgeable and vey helpful!

Friendly staff. Interactive. Wide variety of subjects included. Perfect day with a 4-year-old. Lunch at a cafe across the street. Now, reading these reviews, I see we didn't see nearly everything. And it's free. We will be back.

I have visited this museum a few times, and I still quite like it. It is kind of small, but the exhibits are quite interesting. It's totally free to visit, too, so there isn't a factor of "getting your money's worth.

I will say though, it won't be easy to visit this museum with a stroller. It only has one elevator, which is very busy.

Overall, this is an interesting museum, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with time in Kalamazoo.

Not a large museum but lots packed in including hands on exhibits for children and plenty to interest adults. Loved the Goosebumps exhibit!

My grandkids are not little kids, but they seemed to enjoy many of the hands on exhibits. I am not from the area, so I enjoyed learning the history of Kalamazoo and seeing the relics. Its great that it is free!

I was very impressed with this museum. It was a last minute stop before I left Kalamazoo. I could have stayed longer but could not. Lots to see and do and it was free.

I have took my children here many times. they loved it. If you need somthing to do for a family outing here you go.

We took 2 10 year olds and they loved it.
Grandpa loved it too. Learned several new things. there is an elevator. The bee exhibit was very interesting. There is a 3.00 dollar fee for the video presentations.

There is no charge for this museum, and it is excellent if you want to know the history of the area. An interesting planetarium with several different shows, depending on time is worth visiting.

Glad this museum is free, makes a nice afternoon with the family. Not a great museum, but the kids area upstairs is fun for young children. There are plenty of hands on activities intended to bring science to life. There is even a room with books and puzzles to keep the infants and toddlers happy. Kalamazoo Valley will make a nice outing during the winter to stave off cabin fever and when the weather is nice there is a pleasant green space outside to relax.

I've been to museums all over the world and I would never, ever have guessed that such a museum with great exhibits would be found in Kalmazoo. We visited with a very inquisitive 6 year old who could have quite happily spent days at this museum. We also went to oen of the planetarium shows which my son enjoyed very much.

I've been going here since i was a kid it is so fun they get new exhibits every year and a cool planetarium

I came here for my college class and still had a good time even though it's designed for kids. I helped some young ones build some cars and even learned some things from the exhibits. Great free activity for a rainy day.

This museum is very interesting for both adults and children. Children stay engaged with numerous interactive displays.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is a wonderful place for kids of all ages. The Children's Landscape on the second floor holds all kinds of interesting activities for children three and under. There are permanent exhibits like the school bus with lights and horn and the puppet theater with all manner of hand puppets. There are also rotating exhibits that change every month. One month might offer activities that relate to numbers. The next month might be shapes or even knights, dragons, and castles. Children are free to touch and experiment with the exhibits.

The rest of the museum has wonderful interactive displays, some of which are permanent and others that change periodically. Children and adults can learn about weather and climate, music, life in Kalamazoo in earlier times, and how an assembly line works.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is interesting and fun. The staff are very helpful and strive to make your visit exciting and enjoyable. And best of all, the museum is FREE!

Very good museum. A lot of very neat things on the history of Kalamazoo. Good things to do for younger kids too, so families with kids should really enjoy it also.

It is free too!

Have an extra hour to spend in downtown Kalamazoo? Why not visit this museum and see a lot of interesting stuff about Kalamazoo's past, like a Checker cab co. cab, which was made in Kalamazoo. There is a planetarium which charges $3 I believe. There may or may not be a show going on while you are there. I watched the last eclipse of the sun at (outside) the museum, with staff telling us what to look for and giving us the glasses for viewing.

A completely unexpected surprise. It is difficult to find things that are worthwhile that are absolutely free but this place was AWESOME. I went with a group of adults (all with cognitive disAbilities) and they LOVED it (as did I). There are plenty of hands on things to do which is so great to keep people of all ages involved in the museum experience. There is a planetarium that you can plan a private show (ahead of schedule) or go to regularly scheduled shows. The second floor was a favorite for sure, really wonderful and detailed exhibits.

There wasn't a lot of parking available in the immediate area, there were a few places pretty close (parking ramps) that you had to pay for.

Staff was friendly and helpful especially in interactions on the phone in order to plan our visit. We were originally going to bring a picnic lunch in. They brought a large cart out for us to store our food in even labeled with our group name. We didn't end up using it but what a nice option.

I will be returning without a doubt.

A great hands on history museum. I went with 2 other adults and we had a blast. Tip though check out the 3rd floor first as they seem to have some awesome immersive interactive exhibits. There was one that gave clues that your team would have to figure out when we were there but unfortunately because we hit the 3rd floor last we didn't have time to participate.

I took my two five year olds to see the Lego exhibit. We came for the Legos, but they both had such a great time exploring other exhibits as well that we spent the least amount of time looking at Legos. Our day was filled with hands on weather, music, learning and a mummy! Great time spent for no money. I would recommend this place to parents with children 3+. They also have a planetarium and change exhibits often keeping everyone entertained.

Took my granddaughter at four years old. She had a great time at the hands on area and enjoyed many of the other exhibits that are hands on. And it is free!!

Went to the Story Telling Festival. It was a good time and the museum was very nice. Definitely worth checking out!

This is a wonderful FREE hands on museum that any family would enjoy! Definitely worth stopping by for a couple of hours. Most museums like this have a steep admission price. Amazing how updated and clean it is for a FREE attraction!

Nice place.. Great place to be no matter what the occasion... I loved it. It wasn't too busy or not enough people. It was just right and wasn't expensive. I saw a movie in the planetarium room and the person who conducted it was professional a s knowledgeable... It was very clean and I have no complaints about this place what do ever.

My 4 year old son and I just had the best time on our visit. The top floor is designed just for kids. He really enjoyed building his own car and watching it go around the track.

My 3 yr.old loved the museum. There is a bit of everything for every age group. Downtown location makes it event better, as the museum is close to restaurants and other attractions. Its a must when you are in Kalamazoo!

We take our kids here a few times a year . Its free but they do take donations . The planetarium is great especially around Halloween time . My son always go straight to the mummy which is a very cool display . Would love it if they had a snack shack and the gift shop has been gone for years . Great place to bring young children.

We live in Kalamazoo but had never been to the planetarium or the museum. We had a great time and learned some interesting things about our town. The show was great!

Took my son to Kalamazoo for the weekend and this spot was perfect! It had free admission and a lot of interactive and learning opportunities.

It is FREE! We however did give a $2 donation. It is a nice little museum, only took us about an hour to go around but it was nice. Definitely something worth checking out!

Shows the history of Kalamazoo as well as other attractions, including an Egyptian Mummy. Lots of historic items of early Kalamazoo, as well as a children's adventure area. Also a space ship trip to outer space.
There are always special exhibits. Good for a few rainy hours for children 5 +. Plus it is Free (except for the space ship experience).

Nice free hands-on museum. There are 3 floors of exhibits, although the first floor has one exhibit hall and the planetarium. The planetarium show is only $3.00 and well done. The early show is aimed at younger children. There is plenty of parking near by.

We have visited this museum with our grandson several times. The exhibits are fabulous! Wonderful for school-aged children.

I remember growing up and coming to Kalamazoo at Christmastime. While in the area with our children, we stopped Downtown and came across the museum. We parked in the lot, cost a few dollars. The museum has 3 floors and a wealth of exhibits. Everything from the history of Kalamazoo to science. The moving exhibit was Tinkertoys. We loved it, it was super clean, super informative, and super fun.

I have lived in this city all my 65 yrs. on this earth and still love going to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. It still has the real mummy that I use to go and see when I was a child. They also have a planetarium that is spectacular and many things a child can do. They have different themes that children can put their hands on and create. Very exciting to see.

We enjoyed the 3mile trail, got a little lost finding where it started and where it ended, but probably us!

This museum has plenty to offer. Many exhibits are geared towards kids, but there are plenty of exhibits, shows, documentaries, and atmosphere for grown ups.

Attended a program in the planetarium about the Christmas sky. Loved it. Other museum displays were great too.

This is a great musuem. They have awesome interactive stations. We were able to play music on stringed intrucments, built fishing reels while working within a time limie-good challenge, experienced severe weather and preformed robtic surgery. Who knew that Michigan to grow celery. Learned about medical advantages the strykr bed and cast saw. Well worth the time.

It is a very quiet town, there are three very large industrial companies in the world which have their factories in it.

It's not the biggest or the best museum you will ever go to BUT it's very kid friendly and FREE. Interesting for adults as well. There are 3 floors. The second floor is my favorite with a hands on science area for kids and a pre-school room full of activities. The second floor also has a walk through history area of Kalamazoo Valley that is interactive. The third floor changes themes every couple of months, so there is always something new up there to see. We take the kids and the visiting relatives here about once a year.

Pro's - for once a well-organized museum, CLEAN, pretty darn cool exhibits that are hands one, great history of the city, extremely child friendly, parking garage right across the street, nice downtown area.

Con's - a strange amount of homeless people wandering the area.

Overall - great attraction if you have 1-2 hours to kill. very close to Bell's and Arcadia Brewing companies.

IT IS FREE!!!!

Our children had a great time looking at everything and being able to do a lot of hands on things while learning as well. It was a fun family thing to do while we were on vacation. We had a 1 year old and 7 year old that loved playing in the areas to play in as well as learn at the same time. The 11 and 13 year old were very amused with some of the things they saw and were able to learn that they didnt know before.

This is a free attraction with lots of hands on things for kids to do. Our grandchildren can happily spend all day here. The only downside is that there isn't a place to get lunch anywhere close by. On nice days you can picnic outside.

This museum has everything you would expect from a museum. Even a mummy and children's discovery center. Best of all it is free.

My kids love this place and I do too! Great events and cool things to see! We go about once a month or so and there is always something new going on. Check it out, price can't be beat!

It's a very nice,not overly big Museum. It has a Planetarium, which is a lot of fun. It has a lot of interactive things for the kids to do. A nice gift shop. I would recommend this place for a visit if your in the area for sure.

Had a friend in town so checked it out! Lots to do and see! Love how interactive it is! A must see for all ages! Even worth a revisit!

Me and my son had some time on our hands while we were near Kalamazoo so we decided to check out the museum. It had some nice artifacts from the history of Kalamazoo and second floor with some hands on activities. My ten year old liked some of them. We couldn't stay to watch the movies they had in their theater but we did learn some neat things about Kalamazoo while we were there. I wouldn't go out of the way to check it out but if you're close by or looking for something to do it is a nice small museum.

This small local museum has a little bit of something for everyone. They have some hands on exhibits for kids as well as no touch exhibits that adults will find interesting.

This is a wonderful museum which is free to all. Some exhibits change quarterly. Great place for children to discover. Their is a fee for the planetarium. Plan to spend a couple hours.

What a wonderful little museum! Great place for kids of all ages. The second floor has a dedicated 5-and-under area. It contains three smallish rooms, but there are plenty of fun, educational, and safe activities for toddlers / pre-schoolers. They even change the “theme” every couple months (it was Dinosaurs while we were there). Outside the 5-and-under room, there are several interactive science-based exhibits for the older children.

There is no entry fee for the museum. There is a donation box at the front desk to which I gladly contributed, but there is no pressure to do so. We visited the museum during the afternoon on Fri and Sun. There was a good crowd on Friday, but still plenty of space for everyone. On Sunday, it was very quiet. Museum is well-staffed, and very well-maintained.

The museum was very interesting and the staff was super helpful! The second floor was super interactive and fun for the kids.

We always enjoy visiting this Museum when they have new exhibits. Nice thing to do on a rainy day.

This is a great museum for kids & adults. They also have new & exciting exhibits, as well as fun permanent exhibits. The preschool room is a really nice area for little ones & gives them lots of different ways to experience play. Learning about Kalamazoo's history is always interesting, and I usually read a new fact each time I go. My daughter's favorite has to be the ice cream/restaurant area. She loves to make food & serve us. We've been here many times & each time has been an amazing unique experience!

I have spent many a day wandering the museum... and always finding something that surprised and/or intrigued me.
The variety of things to do and see is pretty amazing ; it's not a huge building but you can easily spend a few fun hours exploring everything from Kalamazoo history to ancient Egyptian history. ( There is a mummy here).
And... you can't beat the price! It's free. Our kids loved it when they were small and still find things to enjoy today as adults. The museum stays on the edge...adding and rearranging so that after 30 years I still enjoy a visit.

This is a great place for your kids, a field trip and even a date or just enjoy it yourself. Multi level w elevators if unable to take the stairs. Oh and did I say it’s free! There is a perfect little planet section that only costs $3! It’s quite incredible

This museum is free of charge and perfect for kids of all ages and adults! I visited with a group of friends in the fall. We were all out-of-towners. Unfortunately the museum closes at 5pm sharp, but it is floor after floor of detailed, Kalamazoo history, fun space and nature facts and the top floor has new curated exhibits every month. We caught the bicycle exhibit and as an active outdoorsmen, I LOVED it. I loved the history and the variety of bicycles throughout history. This museum is a must visit, and please donate when you visit, for anyone passing through KZoo!

This museum is a great time for a place that is free. It is more appropriate for young kids then adults but they do have a mummy section and it's pretty sweet.

Filling some time on a Saturday morning and found the Museum. What a treat! We are originally from Western Michigan but still were surprised by much of the info and history presented here. Not a huge place, but the displays offered a wide variety. I really liked the Gibson guitar section. Fascinating!

A FREE museum for everyone. Three levels of exhibits and the 2nd floor offers an awesome area for the kids to play and touch everything. We love going this to museum and the third floor changes every couple months and teaches kids about different countries or different themes. Awesome.

The KVM is a nice family museum. There’s plenty of things for the kids to do. It’s certainly not an entire day but you can easily spend a couple of hours. There’s nice restaurants in the area for afterwards.

nothing like the old place with the mummy's crypt when I was a kid but still totally worth it. She is in a shoe closet now"The Mummy" but was the rest of the new exhibits make up for it, very hands on and technologically up to date.

Fantastic visit! Plenty to do for all ages! The little ones loved every thing, adults had a blast too!

Like mentioned above, it is a cute and hidden treasure.
There is a fantastic planetarium that we went and watched the show. ONLY $3.
The exhibits are well done and very well laid out. The staff is nice and always around if you want to ask anything.
We got to see their Civil War attraction that they are showing now and it is WOW. The artifacts and the story and the way it is displayed is great. It was Smithsonian quality.
Great job. In fact, being here 3 days in a row for business, I had time all 3 days to stop in and see and read everything.

A planetarium, exhibits about Kalamazoo history, the mummy, and friendly docents - what more can you ask for? IT'S FREE !!!! (I'm sending in a contribution because there is no such thing as FREE. Somebody has paid for it.)

We always love to come here when we are in town. There is so much fun stuff for the kids to do as well as the adults

This is a great museum of local history. Temporary exhibits are well done and always fascinating. Beautiful building with outstanding architecture. Centrally located near hotel, restaurants and other features. Highly recommended!

This museum is very family friendly. There is lots of interesting things for the adults, (don't miss the mummy) but they have plenty of hands-on things for the kids to do. This is a multi-level museum tucked into beautiful downtown Kalamazoo. There is convenient parking in the Arcadia parking garage nearby. Paying for parking isn't so bad since there is no admission fee for the museum. They do have special programs like the planetarium and space adventures that have a small fee. Even without these, there is still a lot to see.

This is a hidden gem. It’s a combo college museum, historic museum, traveling exhibit museum and more. I had a chance to stop in...did I mention it was FREE?
It houses some fun Kzoo historical ditties, a way to learn about this amazing community. I am looking forward to going back in February, not sure what I’ll see, but it’s a great oasis in the downtown area.
They need better signage for the entrance bit other than that, top notch.

KVM is a wonderful museum, highlighting both the history of the city of Kalamazoo and its surrounding areas, and science, through the use of wonderful displays and hands on interactive centers. Children from 3 to 93 will enjoy being part of an old-time string band, "eating" at an old fashioned diner, trying their hand at a live TV broadcast, and checking out many of the science exhibits.
The KVM got only four stars from me, as several of the interactive activities were not working, and needed some repair or replacement. Not enough to discourage you from coming, but be aware that this could be an issue for you or your child.

This is a great place to take the family. It's set up as both a children's museum and a local history museum. So it's great for all age groups. And best of all, it's free! How can you pass on a free museum with almost as many exhibits as museums costing $8-$15 in other cities? Try it, if you like, leave some change in the collection bin on your way out.

Whether you are an are resident or a guest of the Kalamazoo area, the Museum is a fantastic place to visit! A beautiful building that includes regular exhibits and special displays. Constantly updating their exhibits and featured items so it's different and interesting every time you go. The planetarium is super fun and the shows are very interesting! The Museum is a wonderful place for kids to do hands on activities and to learn. They also publish and mail out a magazine that has fascinating local information, facts and stories about current museum exhibits, etc. Don't miss out, visit the Museum!

Winter is awful, so we try to come up with new ways to get everyone out of the house. We were here for about two hours and the kids still weren't ready to leave!

There is plenty to do here if you have kids. I found it very interesting considering I am from here, and it gives you a lot of interesting knowledge I did not know. It is free, and parking is easy.

I’ve taken my children there, and now my grandchild. The museum features interesting exhibits and hands on learning in a safe environment for kids to explore. Wonderful staff. Excellent rotating exhibits as well. A donation box instead of admission fee means you pay what you can. The more I saw, the more I wanted to support this group of educators whose work benefits so many. Go!

We had a couple of hours to kill so we thought we would check out the museum. I was surprised to find no entrance fee! (They do accept donations, which I willingly did.) The museum is on 3 levels, but it has an elevator. The exhibits were informative and fun - many of them are hands on, which our child enjoyed. The planetarium wasn't showing anything during our visit, but I would gladly return to see a show when in the area. The museum is very clean and well maintained. It wasn't very busy, so our child had most exhibits to herself! I enjoyed the mummy exhibit, and our child loved the science area. If you are in Kalamazoo, this museum is worth a visit!

love this museum. things change all the time. it is pretty nice for a small musuem. love the hand on stuff! one of our favorites!

This is a good local museum with many more exhibits than you would expect in a community this size. Also lots of things for elementary and younger through adults. Good free place to visit.

The kids love running up and down the stairs and seeing all the exhibits that are around the stairs. I really like the traveling exhibits that come through as they are interactive. There are normal exhibits too but they are most often geared toward slightly older children as young ones do not have the patience to read and/or listen to the explanations.

Took our kids kids to the museum and they loved it and had a blast they loved the planetarium as well. Will definitely return

My kids loved the space. We spent the entire day enjoying the exhibits. Plenty of hands-on opportunities and the planetary make this a must do attraction if you're visiting Kalamazoo with kids.

You don't need to be a history buff to love this place. It has tons of stuff for kids and adults. It is free, too, so there is absolutely no reason not to go. Stop in. You won't be sorry.

This museum is free but is excellent In its galleries that presented the History of this area. They have great interactive stations which appealed to adults and children. It was excellent visit.

Winter is tough for most families because it's hard to find things to do when the weather isn't favorable. The KV Museum is where it's AT! My four year old will spend HOURS here, and he even entertains himself for most of it. He's most excited for the dinner where he can pretend to cook for me. But he also loves the little school room with the books and toys, along with all the other cool gizmos out in the large area. He so interested in everything! It's a better learning experience than Chuck E Cheese, that's for sure!

How many places are FREE anymore? This place has something for everyone in the family - history, hands-on activities for the kids, rotating exhibits to always bring you back, and a planetarium. Every time we go, we discover something new. A favorite place for our multi-generational family

Family friendly activities and learning stations for all.
Must visit!
Seasonal events and projects are great!

We had a very educational experience. We learned a lot about Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. We recommend everyone should visit.

This place is great for all ages. Music nights are almost always free, or reasonable, and always good! The exhibits are very interesting. The planetarium is interesting and also the weather exhibits!

What a great museum! Good place to start your visit to Kalamazoo - the local history section was perfect. The agricultural start with celery production and refining of mint oil supporting DoubleMint gum production. The mint mogul's collections is what started the museum!. And who knew - Checker Cabs and Gibson guitars were born here. And medical companies. Stuff for kids and Planetarium make it a family stop. Special exhibit on the Japanese internment and our ongoing struggle with immigrant fear was well done. And it's FREE to boot - so multiple small visits can work as well.

This museum has so many hands-on learning opportunities for the kids (and adults) to play with and learn.

I have been to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum probably 15 times with my own children, school or scout groups. There is always a variety of parts of the permanent and traveling exhibits that are of interest to different kids of different ages. The RACE exhibit here several years ago was amazing and I still think of some of the parts of the exhibit often in my work and teaching

This local museum is really special, especially in its number of historical items related to local history.

awesome family friendly free museum. wow, free! took the toddler here several times all summer. she loves the toddler room. they have play stations, story time and seems like an art room. the rest of the museum is pretty interactive and we can easily spend and hour or two here before nap time. its not an all day event, but excellent. cant believe its FREE! easy access. parking is just $4 or less for a few hours, or street parking is a few bucks too. nice educational and super clean and well maintained. awesome layout so the crowds are spread evenly. engaging exhibits.

Free admission but it would not disappoint even if they charged. Lots of hands-on and well presented exhibits. Lego special exhibit high lighting Travel fascinating. Don't miss the Mummy exhibit. Need to return and spend more time.

While in Kalamazoo for a week with my husband while he was in training the kids and I explored. The museum was the best find for us. It kept us busy for a few hours. I would love to visit again.

This is a great place to take you kids when nothing else is going on. You can spend an hour or so walking through the open areas and when we went, it was free.

Another location I haven't visited since I was a teenager, but there was always something new and/or fascinating. It's such a family-friendly and fun place.

Great place to spend the day with your kids. Lots of hands on things to do and a ton to learn along the way. Free admission only makes it better

We were passing thru to go to Marshall, WI for nite, and I read about this in guidebook for area. It was in the city, bit hard to find, and find parking for but so worth it. It's FREE!!! There's 2 floors and lots to see. They had a temporary exhibit of Kalamazoo A-Z so lots to learn re the area. There's LOTS for kids to do (which we did not have with us) that's interactive. There's a little movie about Kalamazoo and u will be shocked on all the things the city is known for. Wish they had seats by movie area. We didn't have enough time. It's many hidden treasures will delight. People at front desk could be a bit more informative. They just sit there (young) and don't offer assistance. I believe they've 1 planetarium (or some type of show offered ) once daily. Ask in front. Lots to see, very clean, organized and arranged nicely. Love it

My wife and I had the afternoon without the munchkin. Looking for something different to do, we headed over to the KV Museum. Walked in and were greeted by a nice employee at the information desk. When I asked how much it cost to enter the museum, he said, "Free!" I was pleasantly surprised!

My wife and I enjoyed the three levels of the museum. We checked out the traveling dinosaur exhibit, and we even found out they have a mummy exhibit. YES, A MUMMY EXHIBIT! This museum had a good selection of local exhibits too! Next weekend, we plan on bringing the little one to this wonderful museum, as they had a good deal of hands on things for the kiddos too! What a great museum for the best cost of all......FREE!

Very nice museum focusing on local history. Especially nice Gibson guitar exhibit. Quite a few hands on interactive exhibits especially good for kids.

A wonderful educational environment. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Come visit the next time you are in town!

Nice hands on exhibits for the younger set, and a nice historical area for the young at heart. Very well done, and FREE.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum is a great place for kids and adults. Lots of hands on things for the kids to learn from doing.