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  Location within Michigan | |
Former name | Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1977 |
| Location | Portage, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°13′39″N 85°33′30″W / 42.22750°N 85.55833°W |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Sue Parish Pete Parish |
| Website | AirZoo.org |
The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan.[1] The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, including the world's fastest air-breathing aircraft, the SR-71B Blackbird.[2] Many of its antique planes are airworthy. Among its other attractions are a 180-degree theater that projects a 2-D film simulation of a B-17 bombing mission during World War II; and various amusement rides, including flight simulators of a rocket trip to Mars, a U.S. Navy (former Blue Angel) F/A-18 Hornet, a stunt biplane, a hot air balloon, a veteran U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat that served aboard USS America, and more.[3][4] Air Zoo is a Smithsonian Affiliate.
- ^ Nowak, Ed; Pahl, Gerard (November 1996). "Kalamazoo Air Zoo: The Kalamazoo 'Air Zoo' airplane collection features several lively aerial 'animals' and plenty more". Aviation History.
- ^ Dittmann, Joan (June 8, 2016). "Michigan 'Zoo' highlights mechanical beasts of the air". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ O'Leary, Michael (April 2004). "New Aviation Museum prepares for takeoff". Air Classics. Archived from the original on March 20, 2005. Retrieved December 1, 2006.
- ^ Burcar, Colleen (2012). "Cougars and Tigers and Bears, Oh My - And They Really Do All Fly!". Michigan Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Lanham: Globe Pequot Press. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0-762-79067-8. OCLC 890982021.