The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is one of those places in Kalamazoo that I’ve explored multiple times and would highly recommend to a visiting relative, but I had not really thought to add it to our weekend adventure list. When I opened our mailbox last week, however, that all changed.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has been sending Team VP this magazine called MuseON for a spectacularly long time, but I usually just flip through the pages, wondering about our child free life, play the What Is It? game and recycle the whole deal.
MuseON What Is It?
This week the exhibit called Wild Music attracted my attention and before Mr. MVP knew what hit him, we were at the door of the museum on Saturday morning.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum or the KVM as I like to call it because it’s much simpler to type, has something for everyone, especially if you’re visiting with Mr. MVP. First up, some of our favorite stuff.
Almost immediately after we walked in was an exhibit called Decades of Dazzling Dresses, which showcases actual dresses worn by women who lived in and around Kalamazoo. These dresses absolutely fascinated me. Seriously, I was transfixed. The dress above, is a silk crepe number that belonged to Ruth Pennell. Ms. Ruth would have worn this as an afternoon dress in 1926. Ms. Ruth had style I cannot even begin to imagine having.
The KVM is, in part, a children’s museum, so touching is encouraged in quite a few places. In the dress exhibit I touched the dress dummy and nearly knocked it over. Mr. MVP has fast hands!
Going up the stairs there is a neon sign that I love. I just thought I’d point that out.
The second floor is all about Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. If you are not sure about what was manufactured in Kalamazoo, who started Kalamazoo, Parchment, Richland or Mattawan or you’d like to know what year Upjohn stopped being Upjohn, the KVM is the place to go.
Of course there are always Gibson guitars too.
Mr. MVP enjoyed the guitars. Obviously.
We worked our way through an entire history of our area from start to finish with maps, cars, and kitchens. I was in heaven.
Here are some “paper relics” from the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company. My Grandma and I used to talk about Parchment when she was a little girl, so this teeny tiny corner of the KVM made me feel all warm and snuggly.
When we moved on we found a huge map of Kalamazoo from the 80’s which, of course, also made me feel all warm and snuggly.
Honestly, I could not have imagined that the KVM was going to top itself and then the above scene unfolded. Just wait, it gets better.
Team VP did an entire newscast and it was awe-inspiring. We were in control of the weather for an entire 20 minutes. I’m waiting for my Emmy nomination to arrive any day.
As we moved toward the Wild Music I was able to notify the world how completely phenomenal I am.
The Wild Music exhibit was just what Mr. MVP was hoping for. I had a hard time with some of the noise, but tolerated it in the name of Team VP.
How can you not encourage that?
As we left Wild Music we decided to check out Science in Motion. This is the ultimate kids area. I could bore you with a million photographs, but one incredible video sums up the entire Science in Motion area:
Yes, I adore that man. As we left, we turned to go down the stairs and back home and Mr. MVP asked if I wanted to see a mummy that has been haunting him since he was in elementary school. I was in.
(http://theadventuresofkaren.blogspot.com)
Now the mummy will haunt both of us.
If you’d like to visit the Kalamazoo Valley Museum they are open Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday they are open from 9 a.m. from 9 p.m. and on Sunday and holidays 1 to 5 p.m. The KVM address is 230 North Rose Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007
and their phone number is 800.772.3370 | 269.373.7990.
About The Author
Nicole
Member of Team VP, knitter and Mama to Blue and Franks. Life, is bloody good.
