Kalamazoo Valley Museum mixes science with fun

Think science is boring? Well, think again! Whether you’re a toddler or a teen or totally grown up, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum puts the excitement in science with its hand-on displays and interactive exhibits. This isn’t yesteryear’s science center!

Instead, you’ll be able to explore the mysteries of weather, the human body or an authentic Egyptian mummy. Learn how Kalamazoo’s pioneers adjusted 200 years ago, how Southwestern Michigan’s Native peoples lived or about the wonders of the natural world through more than 50,000 antiquities, documents, ethnographic materials and specimens. The museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College; the college’s downtown campus is adjacent.

Even the really young have something just for them: the Burton Henry Upjohn Children's Landscape, which provides hands-on activities for 2- to 5-year-olds. Check here for details and hours. Themes change every two months.

Older kids will have a lot to love about the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The museum contains one of the nearly four dozen exciting Challenger Learning Centers, which were founded in memory of the seven crew members who died in 1986 in the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. The center provides hands-on learning experiences best suited for students who are middle-school aged and beyond — even including a 21st century Space Station and Mission Control! However, there are Junior Missions at the center to give younger kids a sample of what the full program is like. You can learn more about Challenger Learning Centers here.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum encourages visitors to keep looking up — through its newly renovated planetarium! The 109-seat domed theater offers a variety of programs for various ages, which now boasts a Digistar 4 Laser projection system that provides truly spectacular images. For information on upcoming shows, click here. Tickets to the planetarium are $3.

How about movies at the museum? At the Mary Jane Stryker Theater, you can see American and foreign classic films, award-winning independent films and documentaries, as well as occasional live music performances, puppet shows and special events. You can check upcoming events at the Mary Jane Stryker Theater here.

General admission is free every single day; however, there is a small charge for the planetarium or the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Groups should give the museum two weeks notice before visiting. To register for planetarium shows, demonstrations, workshops are more, call Kathy Godin at (269) 373–7976 or (800) 772–3370 or e-mail her at kgodin@kvcc.edu. Any group who will be on a self-guided visit only or that is pre-school age should instead call Elizabeth Barker  at (269) 373–7965 or (800) 772–3370 or e-mail her at ebarker@kvcc.edu. For school groups, there needs to be a chaperone for every six students.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is handicapped accessible. Children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

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