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…

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.…

Phillips Brothers

Gilmore L. Phillips, c.1900 Kalamazoo Valley Museum Of all the dance orchestras and concert ensembles that Kalamazoo produced during the 19th century (and there were many), the Phillips Brothers’ Orchestra…

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 visited the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, yet most were unaware of a new type of music being played there that would forever alter the face of popular entertainment. This new “ragged” rhythm soon became known as ragtime.

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…

Roots of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (KSO) officially began in 1921 under the shrewd leadership of business manager and president Leta G. Snow, with Chester Z. Bronson directing. But this was not Kalamazoo's first symphony orchestra nor was it Chester...

Royal Theatre

East side of Portage Street, north of East South Street (169 Portage Street). Opened as a budget film theater on 27 October 1933 by Richard P. Early, a Kalamazoo realtor…

Social Music in 19th Century Kalamazoo

Before the days of the big bands; before jazz and ragtime; while military bands ruled street parades and open air concerts, Kalamazoo’s many dance orchestras filled nineteenth century assembly halls and ballrooms with the sweet strains of the...

State Theatre

When the State Theatre opened on the corner of S. Burdick and Lovell Streets in July 1927, it brought the "atmospheric" movie palace experience to Kalamazoo. Built for the W. S. Butterfield Theater chain, it was constructed in 9 months for...

Stauffenberg, Otto

Artist Otto Stauffenberg originally hailed from Hamburg, Germany, but spent much of his adult life in Kalamazoo.

Union Hall — Kalamazoo Opera House

West side of Portage Street (2nd floor), south of East Main Street (now East Michigan Avenue) (102 Portage Street). Built as “Union Hall” (seating capacity, 600) in 1866. Renovated and…

Uptown Theater

Built and run as a film theater from 24 August 1938 until 6 June 1959. Claimed to seat 725. No balcony, but included a “cry room” on the second floor…

Vaudette Theatre

West side of South Burdick Street, between Main Street (Michigan Avenue) and South Street (134 South Burdick Street). Opened and operated as a film and illustrated song house from February…

Whole Art Theater

Formed in 1976, the experimental Whole Theater Company was established in Lawrence, Michigan by the Czech-born Werner Krieglstein, who wanted to expose rural audiences to the experience of theater. For…

Wings Stadium

It’s nearly impossible to have a conversation about the popular music concert scene in West Michigan without mentioning Wings Stadium. Beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing to the present day,…

Wonderland Theatre

East side of South Burdick Street, north of South Street (143 South Burdick Street). Opened 3 July 1906 as a combination penny arcade and novelty act theater. Operated until 20…