This is such a great free museum! Nate and I were in town recently and wanted something to do, so…read morewe stopped in. We were greeted at the front desk and given the layout of the museum. I love that they have free lockers to store your coat and personal items. Really handy as we had our winter coats on. The museum has a few special exhibits as well as a permanent collection that includes a ton of information on the history of Kalamazoo, a mummy, and a planetarium. (The planetarium show is $3 per person.) We learned about the Kalamazoo State Hospital and explored the super cool traveling exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. I learned a lot about animals' skin and their adaptations, how skin has informed technology, and how skin has affected people historically in terms of racism and prejudice. There are a few interactive elements to the exhibit but I think it would be best for middle school kids and up. The museum overall was well kept and for the most part had working installations. I saw some kids playing and the history of Kalamazoo was really interesting. It took us about two hours to explore the museum. It's not a place I need to go every time I'm in Kalamazoo, but I would say if you're a local and have never been, you should check it out. Or if you're visiting and looking for an indoor activity!

It's been many, many years since I've been to the museum. I was very proud to show my friend and…read moreher little one. The building of wonders and artifacts. I was surprised to see so many cool new things like a small diner, a storyboard, sounds machines, wind tunnels. It was really cool! Some of the local favorites were still there. Including the mummy which we just had to check out. After looking at that we went and played a game of fact or opinion! We didn't even realize we'd played for hours and hours. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Always a great time, 2017 was no different! Rev Run & Fool House were awesome! Probably the best…read morelaid out of all the Arcadia based festivals. Food is great! It would be nice to see some different vendors though instead of the same lineup year to year. But the ribs were delicious regardless. Food is pricey but comparable to other festivals. Also maybe a tad bit of order for the BBQ lines.. maybe lanes dividers or something to make it easier to navigate. Overall AWESOME. See you in 2018! PRO TIP: BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair) - They provide some seating but it usually fills up early as people "steal" the chairs to eat at tables and such. :)

If you're looking for a nice change from the normal movie theatre experience, and a MUCH cheaper…read moreone at that, you must check out The Strand! At only $4 per person during the week and $6 Fri & Sat, you can't go wrong! Plus, popcorn is only $5 for a large! (Not the best popcorn ever but doable) It's an old 1 room theatre from the 20's and still has some original architecture inside. The old projectors are upstairs that you can see if interested (which my family was!). The upstairs can be very warm so dress accordingly.

This theater has so many positive attributes. They include early running movies right after…read morenational release, great acoustics, low prices and comfy seating. Easy, free parking access in front of and behind the theater. Dine before or after at local stops right close or just consume regular movie snacks. Great staff. They love kids. I can't think of any negatives.

This was a really cool space with lots of interesting and affordable art. It's not often you walk…read moreinto a gallery and find many items under $50! What makes the place really remarkable, though, is the people who work there. I don't know if I have ever met friendlier or more helpful people! They happily made multiple recommendations for places to shop and eat, googled things for us, drew us maps. They told us to stop into the cycle shop to meet the new puppy (awww!). And they made sure to point out that the street and sidewalk in the downtown area are heated since it was VERY cold (the last bit seems a bit excessive on the part of the city of Kalamazoo, but it was pretty awesome. No snow.). Their exhibits change every month, so be sure to visit again and again!

Only 90 reviews so far? That is surprising for a place this large and this well put together…read more The Gilmore Car Museum is much more than a single building filled with old cars. It is an entire campus with multiple buildings, historic-looking streets, a vintage diner, recreated service stations, and separate exhibits covering different manufacturers and periods of automotive history. There is a lot to see, and it would be easy to spend most of the day here without getting through everything. The quality of the environment is what really stands out. The buildings, signs, displays, and surrounding grounds all feel carefully planned and maintained. It has an almost Disneyland-level attention to detail, just without the rides. Instead of simply placing cars in rows, many of the vehicles are displayed in settings that help explain their history and make the experience more interesting. The collection itself is extensive, ranging from very early automobiles to unusual prototypes, luxury cars, and more familiar classics. The vehicles we saw were in excellent condition, and the exhibits included enough information to provide context without turning every stop into a long reading assignment. The staff members we encountered were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly interested in the museum. The entire property was also exceptionally clean and well maintained. Even people who are not serious car enthusiasts could appreciate the history, architecture, and effort that went into creating this place. For anyone interested in automobiles, it is absolutely worth going out of the way to visit.

If you enjoy automobiles and history on any level, then you've got to visit the Gilmore Car Museum…read morewhich is gotta be one of the finest car museums in the world! It's worth a visit just to wander around the grounds, but once inside of their (several) buildings you'll be amazed by the variety of automobiles that were built in an era of craftsmanship that rivals fine art and jewelry. Warning: you'll need the better part of a day to scratch the surface of this beautiful place!!!

OMGosh!! Knowing what this place is known for and the…read moreintense training they give each young actors, makes this place a 6 Star Barn! Loved the pizza before the Show! We were there on the 7th of July and the Barn was packed. Everyone around us were excited and loud in laughter! Loved it. The BAR SHOW was the icing on the cake of a delightful evening! The staff served us well! Such a delight in seeing them all! Working the show and then the Bar Show later kept this old man up too late. But I totally would do it again.

Saw 9 to 5 with and outstanding casts. The barn theater is filled with history and the cushions…read moremake sitting comfy. So much energy and enthusiasm throughout the place . The shed is my favorite part; it was entertaining and paced out wonderfully. The mosquitoes in the restroom should pay admission!!! Enjoyed snacks and drinks with great service from the cast company. Looking forward to the next show and the new additions being made on site.

The newest gallery at Park Trades Center looks very promising if its well-attended opening night…read moreevent was any indication. It's got great lighting despite its basement location, and I loved the variety in its opening event, particularly the vibrant, large scale paintings and steel and glass sculptures. Look forward to seeing future exhibitions in this space.

Adding star to my reading for this theater specifically for their new MoviePass style program,…read morewhich costs $20 per month and allows participants to see as many as three movies per week including IMAX movies. I'm a prone to motion sickness, so I'm on likely to take advantage of the IMAX part of the deal, but it still winds up being cheaper than seeing two movies so many of my friends and I took advantage of it. Especially I made a pandemic where you really don't feel comfortable going out much, sitting in a large theater with a handful of other people fairly safely spaced out and recliners feels like a pretty reasonable risk compared to many other potential social situations. My partner and I always wear a mask when we aren't eating or drinking as an added precaution. I have noticed in the past couple months that the line at the concession stand tends to be fairly long. You can bypass that by going straight to the bar if you want to order drinks (the best bang for your buck bet here is Dragon's Milk for $7 a bottle, which is barely a mark up from store prices). You can also pay $40 and get a refillable popcorn bucket that lasts through April. The parking lot is always nuts here. You're better off parking on either the right or left side of the theater. If you purchase your tickets online you can always strategize which side of the building you park your car on based on the number of the theater you'll be in. The lower numbers are on the side closest to the Mall drive and the higher numbers are on the farther side of the lot. Fair warning, though, it's super easy to fall asleep in these super comfy seats!

I took my nephew to a 3:40 movie at Celebration Cinema because I wanted him to experience watching…read morea movie in a theater with a recliner. I purchased our tickets in person and I was asked if I was part of their rewards program. I said that I thought that I was. I gave my phone number and was told that I wasn't in their system, but yet he didn't ask me if I wanted to sign up. After we got to our seats I went to their website to sign up for their rewards because I always take advantage of loyalty programs, and when I put my information in it said I was already a member. We went to the concession stand where I was informed that they were out of most of the beverages in the beverage station because they had been busy. My nephew then went to look at the candy selection and we struck out again. He wears braces and has a peanut allergy and there were no plain M&Ms or chocolate options without peanut butter, so we couldn't buy candy. When we got to our seats I was so shocked that I started laughing and took a picture before I sat down. The recliners are old and worn and worse than any furniture I have seen in people's homes. Thankfully my nephew enjoyed the movie (Elio).