Good at math and management, Kalamazoo Central High School and University of Michigan graduate James A. “Jim” McDivitt (1929-2022) explored and succeeded at a variety of career roles. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and flew 145 combat missions in F-80s and F-84s during the Korean War (1950-1953), retiring as Brigadier General.   Jim made history as a Gemini IV and Apollo 9 astronaut and commander, respectively. In 1969, Jim became Apollo Sp... Read More

Posted bySeth Welton atTuesday,Dec 31,2024

Object 1989.044.004  Handkerchief, USS Miami (CL-89)  Air Zoo visitors and readers of our newsletter probably know about our extensive collection of trench art – decorative items whose creation is linked to armed conflict. The long tedium of daily life off duty or out of combat presented service personnel with many creative opportunities, such as this month’s featured artifact from the USS Miami (CL-89).    Miami was one of twenty-seven Cleveland-cl... Read More

Posted bySeth Welton atTuesday,Dec 31,2024

Portage MI, December 13, 2024 – Looking for ways to get everyone out of the house and into some holiday fun this winter break? The Air Zoo has you covered with its Winter Break Family Fun Events, where there’s truly something for everyone. Enjoy hands-on activities, interactive experiences, and exciting special events perfect for the whole family. Plus, your Air Zoo admission includes unlimited access to indoor amusement rides, full-motion flight simulators, awe-inspiring exhibits... Read More

American tradition commonly connects Santa Claus’ flight with a sleigh pulled by “eight tiny reindeer.” But during World War II, Santa Claus traveled by military aircraft to bring good cheer to service people stationed at Illinois’ Glenview Air Base, once home to some of the rescued Lake Michigan aircraft restored by our nationally acclaimed Restoration team.   A Chicago Tribune photograph from December 1943 shows Glenview Commanding Officer, Captain George C. Mon... Read More

Object 1981.121.001  Princess Mary Gift Fund Box  As December 1914 approached in Europe, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and sailors found themselves far from home fighting a war many thought would have been over by Christmas. In the United Kingdom, the Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund” was created to send “every sailor afloat and soldier at the front” a small piece of home on Christmas Day.   The fund was created by Princess Mary, the 17-year-old daughter... Read More

atMonday,Dec 2,2024

Tom and Shari LaBrenz’s involvement with the Air Zoo goes back many years. Since he was very young, Tom has been fascinated with any flight-related, mechanical device he comes across. Tom, Shari, and their daughter, Jennifer, have been frequent Air Zoo visitors over the years. Vintage aircraft fly-ins are always exciting for the whole family. A ride on a Douglas C-47 Skytrain during a recent Air Zoo fly-in was a highlight for Tom.  Since bringing Jennifer to the Air Zoo as a child,... Read More

atThursday,Nov 7,2024

Nonprofits like the Air Zoo depend on charitable giving to continue making southwest Michigan an attractive place to live, work, learn, and visit. Whether your giving is motivated by personal connection, tax benefits, philanthropic goals, or some combination of these, it can be structured for maximum impact for you and the Air Zoo.  One increasingly popular method of charitable giving is through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). The process consists of three simple steps: 1) applying for a fu... Read More

Whether you’ve joined your wee ones for a cool class in our Activity Room or moved through our full-motion simulators queue, you’ve likely seen the neighboring, somewhat curious airplane cabin cutout. Perhaps it’s nestled into the perfect place, for this interesting airliner artifact can be considered both a classroom and a flight simulator!   Airlines built or repurposed retired aircraft sections as flight attendant classrooms. Trainees learned takeoff and landing proc... Read More

Object 1988.001.031  Trophy, Frigidarie Wartime Production  When our visitors hear the term “Arsenal of Democracy” they might first think of companies like Ford, Boeing, or U.S. Steel – industrial colossi that turned out planes, ships, and tanks by the thousands during World War II. Fighting wars in Europe and the Pacific Ocean simultaneously however called for massive mobilization of American industry, sometimes drafting the most unlikely manufacturers.   Th... Read More

atThursday,Oct 31,2024

Object 2014.012.001-004 Brick, Launch Complex 37B, Cape Canaveral   Sometimes, the unassuming objects in the Air Zoo’s collections are some of the most exciting. The magic of collections care is that even objects like the bricks that make up this month’s featured artifact have stories to tell. Received in 2014, these bricks once made-up part of the tower foundation for Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral, Florida.   Built specifically to support developme... Read More

    The Air Zoo exhibits a glove box a bit too large to fit in a car and clearly not manufactured to house your auto registration or roadmap. Our glove box helped NASA scientists maintain a sterile environment while inspecting lunar samples during the Apollo 11 mission.   Part of the larger NASA Ames Lunar Biological Laboratory, the glove box, so named for the attached safe examination gloves, delivered an isolated workspace used to investigate the Moon rocks and soil samples ... Read More

August 30, 2024, Portage MI - The Air Zoo is excited to welcome Captain Thad Darger to the Flight Discovery Center, located at 3101 E. Milham Rd., Kalamazoo, MI, on Tuesday, September 3, where he will be reunited with his F-117 Nighthawk (tail number 817), Shaba. Join us from 11am-5pm for talks and tours with Captain Darger, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism while flying in the stealth aircraft displayed at the Air Zoo’s Flight Discovery Center. T... Read More