I’m always looking for fun things to do in Michigan for kids. I have heard about The Air Zoo a few times and kind of blew it off because it didn’t seem like something we’d like to do. Well I decided to add it to our Summer Bucket List and give it a try! We were not disappointed! My 7 year old twins had a blast and us parents even had some fun too. Learning about the rich history of space/air and riding all the fun rides.. we truly enjoyed our day spent there.

Come learn about The Air Zoo – a West Michigan GEM!

What is the Air Zoo?

The Air Zoo is located in Portage, Michigan. This is in the Kalamazoo area, near the Kalamazoo airport. It is described as a “highly charged, multi-sensory atmosphere that goes beyond anything you’ve ever seen. It’s like no place else on Earth!”. It includes amusement park style rides, flight simulators, educational activities, and historical exhibits. Everything is related to air, space and science. They even offer science based camps and classes. They switch out exhibits so there is always something new to learn and explore there!

THE COST: $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $16 for ages 5-17, 0-4 aged children are FREE.

We took advantage of the 50% off for Police, Fire and Veterans discount since my husband is a Correctional Officer. You can also get $2 entry if you have a EBT or WIC card!!

THE HOURS: Monday through Saturday from 9-5pm. Then Sunday noon-5pm.

What is there to do?

RIDES: Without a doubt my kids loved all the rides the most! They have four amusement park style rides which adults can ride too! You can ride them as many times as you want.

FLIGHT SIMULATORS: These were VERY cool. Don’t skip! I however did not understand the controls and we ended up upside down instantly and had to be saved by the worker (haha!). So make sure you listen to them when they are explaining the instructions.

THEATER: There is a theater where you can watch an engaging little show. They play different ones throughout the day.

EXHIBITS: These change so make sure you get on their website to see what they currently have available. When we went there was a DC Super Heroes exhibit, which was awesome. It was very interactive. You had to complete missions and learn to work like a superhero. My kids loved it.

I highly enjoyed the whole space exhibit. It was neat to see what astronauts have to go through and what it’s like for them up in space. My husband like the D-Day exhibit. So there really is something for everyone!

FOOD: There is also a nice cafeteria upstairs! They have many options. From snacks, drinks to full on meals. We ate lunch here and enjoyed it. The kids got cheeseburgers and we got the grilled cheese and chili.

DISCOVERY CENTER: Aside from the main building, there is another area to check out. It’s called the Flight Discovery Center. You can do the 5 minute walk there or take a shuttle to it. We did not visit this part because we ran out of time! I believe it houses more planes.

PHOTO OPPS: There were many cool photo opportunities in the Air Zoo! Walk around and get some cute pictures of your kids!

We really enjoyed this zoo. It was something different than the typical things to do around the area. We spent about four hours there and still didn’t do everything they had to offer. Check it out for yourself!

Here is the link to The Air Zoo website for more information: OFFICIAL WEBSITE