Air Zoo

The Air Zoo, located in Portage, Michigan, has apparently undergone a number of name changes in its history. It started out as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. Later known as the "Kalamazoo Air Zoo," it seems to have dropped the "Kalamazoo" to simply be known as the "Air Zoo" (Kalamazoo is just north of the freeway, while the Air Zoo is located just south of the freeway).

When I first visited in February 2009, the Air Zoo was comprised of three buildings located on the periphery of the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport: the Main Campus, which is the "front entrance" to the museum, containing the ticketing desk, simulators, and many of the aircraft; the East Campus, containing additional planes and the new Michigan Space Science Center; and the North Campus, which contained their restoration center (and additional space artifacts not on public display).

The North Campus was not ordinarily open to visitors. However, I knew that the Air Zoo inherited most of the artifacts from the old Michigan Space & Science Center after it closed in 2003, and I was able to arrange a special tour to see these artifacts again.

In October 2011, the Air Zoo opened an expansion to their Main Campus. Many of the planes (including all of the WWII planes) and the space artifacts (other than the F-1 rocket engine) were moved to the new Main Campus space. Most of the photos I currently have are from when these artifacts were still in the East Campus building.

Of course, of the exhibits on public display, the highlights for me were the F-1 and J-2 engines. When it was located in the East Campus, the C-47 was displayed such that it allowed access to its interior; that was also a treat, as I had never been aboard a C-47 before. (Unfortunately, the C-47, as it is currently displayed in the Main Campus, no longer allows visitors access to its interior.)

As of now, I have not yet sorted through all of my pictures from the Air Zoo, but some other page references this location. Thus, this is a "place holder" version right now, with only the pictures actually referenced. Come back some time later to see if I've finished up, or drop me an email to request me to prioritize the rest of these pictures.