Air Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Air Zoo

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Former name	Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum
Established	1977 (1977)
Location	Portage, Michigan
Type	Aviation museum
Founder	Sue Parish Pete Parish

The Air Zoo is a super cool aviation museum and indoor amusement park located in Portage, Michigan. It's right next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport. The museum is famous for its collection of amazing and rare aircraft. One of its stars is the SR-71B Blackbird, the fastest plane in the world that "breathes" air.

Besides looking at planes, you can have a lot of fun on the rides! There are flight simulators that make you feel like you're flying a real jet, like a F/A-18 Hornet. You can also experience a bombing mission from World War II in a special 180-degree theater. The Air Zoo is also an official partner of the famous Smithsonian.

The Story of the Air Zoo

This Curtiss P-40 Warhawk belonged to Sue Parish, one of the Air Zoo's founders.

The museum first opened in 1979 as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. It was started in 1977 by Sue Parish and her husband, Preston "Pete" Parish. Sue was a pilot with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II, and Pete was also a WWII pilot. They wanted to create a place to save and show off important airplanes and teach people about flight.

Why Is It Called the Air Zoo?

In 1999, the museum got a new, fun name: the Air Zoo. This name was chosen because many of the airplanes have animal nicknames. For example, you can see planes called the Warhawk, Wildcat, Bearcat, and Hellcat. It's like a zoo for airplanes!

Growing and Getting Bigger

The Air Zoo has grown a lot over the years. In 2004, a huge new building opened. It features the world's largest hand-painted indoor mural, called "Century of Flight." This giant painting covers 25,000 square feet and shows the history of flying.

In 2011, the museum expanded again. A new section was added for space exploration exhibits and more World War II aircraft. The old building is now used as a Restoration Center. Here, experts work on fixing up old planes, like an FM-2 Wildcat that was pulled from the bottom of Lake Michigan after 68 years!

In 2020, the Air Zoo received a very special plane: an F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter. It was the first time a non-government museum was given one of these amazing jets.

What You Can See and Do

A look inside the main exhibit hall at the Air Zoo.

The Air Zoo is more than just planes. It's home to the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame, which honors important people in Michigan's flight history.

There is also a special museum inside the Air Zoo called the Guadalcanal Memorial Museum. It tells the story of the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, with information and artifacts from the veterans who fought there.

The Airplane Collection

The Air Zoo has a huge collection of aircraft. Some are one-of-a-kind, and many can still fly!

Planes on Display

The sleek Lockheed F-104C Starfighter on display at the museum.

Here are just some of the incredible aircraft you can see at the Air Zoo:

Planes Being Restored

The Air Zoo team is always working to bring old planes back to life. Here are some of the projects they are working on:

See also

• List of aerospace museums