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Local History

Arts & Entertainment

Chaffee, Ada Gilmore

Ada Gilmore Chaffee (Find a Grave) Despite living most of her life outside of Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo-born artist Ada Gilmore Chaffee was a leading pioneer as a painter and woodblock…

Grace Tyson

The Tyson family was deeply rooted in Kalamazoo County long before Grace Tyson was born. Herbert Tyson (born about 1812) and Elizabeth D. Tyson (born about 1813) maintained a farm in Climax (Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County) where they raised...

Grand Theatre

Northeast corner of Kalamazoo Avenue and North Burdick Street (402 North Burdick Street). Opened as a budget film theater on 2 July 1933 by Richard P. Early, a Kalamazoo realtor…

Greatest Life Theater

West side of Portage Street, between Michigan Avenue and East South Street (128 Portage Street). (There were no floor plans for a site such as this except a room full…

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

“To stimulate the appreciation and the creation of art.” With that goal, the Kalamazoo Chapter of the American Federation of Arts incorporated as the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) in 1924. Its first home was a rented room in the then-new YWCA...

Kiddieland Amusement Park

If you grew up in or near Kalamazoo during the 1950s or 1960s you might recall a small amusement park “kitty corner” from Milham Park. It wasn’t much… a half-dozen…

Landes, Harold D.

“Self Portrait”, 1930. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Collection Today, Kalamazoo has a healthy, vibrant arts community, with both individuals and organizations endeavoring to contribute to Kalamazoo’s rich cultural heritage. Yet,…

Lockwood, Guy H.

Guy H. Lockwood. Local History Room. A bold, colorful free-thinker who marched to the beat of a different drummer, Minneapolis-born Guy H. Lockwood was Kalamazoo’s most flamboyant, progressive-era socialist; a…

Lyric Theater

South side of East Main Street (now East Michigan Avenue), east of Burdick Street (112 East Main Street, next door west of “The Hub” restaurant). Opened and operated as a…

Majestic Theater

South side of East South Street, east of Burdick Street (118 East South Street). Built and run as a vaudeville house from 18 November 1907 until October 1918. Claimed to…

Michigan Theatre

South side of East Michigan Avenue, east of Burdick Street (120-22 East Michigan Avenue). An enlarged and reconfigured location where the former Lyric had been. Operated as a film house from…

Military Bands of 19th Century Kalamazoo

To say that military and brass bands were popular during the 19th century is like saying the Beatles were popular during the 1960s; military bands were immensely popular in their day. Band music was viewed by most as both patriotic and “proper.”

New Theatre

North side of West Main Street (Michigan Avenue), east of Rose Street (126 West Main Street). Claimed to seat 240 including balcony. Opened and operated as a film and illustrated song…

Oakwood Amusement Park

In 1893 Kalamazoo’s horse-drawn street railway system was converted to electric power. Looking to expand evening and weekend trade, the Citizens Street Railway Company extended its Asylum Avenue line two-and-one-half miles to the southwest along...

Orpheum Theater

North side of East Main Street (Michigan Avenue), east of Burdick Street (109 East Main Street). Floorplans for this site are not available, but would generally be similar to the…

Palace of Amusement

North side of West Water Street, east of North Church Street (213 North Rose Street). Located in former warehouse behind the Lawrence & Chapin iron works on North Rose Street.…

Public Murals

Since the 1970s Kalamazoo has been home to dozens of public murals that have decorated the walls of many commercial and residential buildings. Some have long since disappeared, but a…

Public Sculpture

The landscape of Kalamazoo is home to many fine works of public sculpture. From the monuments and memorials of Bronson Park to the works of bold artistic expression found at…

Queen Theater

West side of North Rose Street, south of West Water Street (117 North Rose Street), a storefront location formerly occupied by the Kalamazoo Laundry Company. Opened as a nickel film…

Ragtime Kalamazoo

More than 27 million people — nearly half of the US population at the time — visited the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Yet most of those who attended were probably not aware that they had witnessed the birth of a new art form, which would...

Regent Theatre

East side of South Rose Street, across from Academy Street. Built and run as the Academy of Music from 8 May 1882 to 4 June 1919. Renovated and reopened 31…

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