Battle Creek (Michigan)

Battle Creek is a city in Calhoun County, West Michigan. 2003 estimated population 53,827. The city annexed several nearby areas in the 1980s and 90s, and now has an area of 43 square miles, much of it sparsely-populated.

Understand

Well known for its breakfast cereal industry (Kelloggs and Post both started here) and the Battle Creek Sanitarium which was a high-end health spa started by W.K. Kellogg that was very popular with well-to-dos of the time. The city was prosperous for much of the twentieth century, but like many small Midwestern cities, manufacturing jobs have declined in number and wages have stagnated recently. Kellogg Cereal, which supported the now-closed Cereal City attraction, has been especially hard-hit.

The city is located next to Fort Custer, a large National Guard base. Part of the old Fort Custer army base is now a State Park.

Visitor Information

Get in

By car

Battle Creek is located between Chicago and Detroit on Interstate 94.

By bus

Greyhound stops at the Intermodal station downtown.

By train
  • 🌍 Battle Creek Transportation Center. Amtrak has several trains per day to Chicago (all westbound trains), Ann Arbor/Detroit (eastbound Wolverine Service), and Lansing/Port Huron (eastbound Blue Water Service). (updated Mar 2019)

By plane

See

Battle Creek is the home of the Kellogg Company and Post Foods (division of Kraft Foods), famous for cereal and breakfast foods. The factories are located on the east side of town, but no tours are offered.

  • 🌍 Hart-Doyle-Inoye Federal Center, 74 North Washington Ave. The former Battle Creek Sanitarium building and its twin-towers dominate the city skyline. The building itself has a fascinating history, but current security guidelines mean that non-employees cannot enter the facilities. (updated Mar 2018)
  • 🌍 Sojurner Truth monument. Sojurner Truth, famous for her work in both women's wrights and African American freedoms was from Battle Creek and a large statue of her likeness can be see coming into town from the expressway, surrounded with various information placards. 
  • 🌍 First United Methodist Church of Battle Creek. One of Martin Luther King, Jr's last speeches was given here. A plaque commemorates the altar from which the speech was given. 
  • 🌍 Binder Park Zoo, ☎ +1 269 979-1351. (updated Mar 2018)
  • 🌍 Kellogg Community College. Has a permanent art collection distributed throughout the campus. (updated Mar 2019)
  • 🌍 Leila Arboretum. (updated Mar 2019)
  • 🌍 Kingman Museum. A natural history museum. Has a advanced planetarium. (updated Mar 2019)

Do
  • 🌍 Firekeepers Casino (just West of Town off Interstate 94 at exit 104), ☎ +1 877-352-8777. with many slots and tables games, restaurants, bars, and stage which attract many high-profile performers.  
  • 🌍 Fort Custer State Park. Part of the old Fort Custer army facility, centered on Eagle Lake. The State Park offers camping, swimming, and boating.  
  • 🌍 W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. (updated Mar 2019)

Events
  • Field of Flight: 4 July annually. Each year, around the Independence Day holiday, the Field of Flight takes place at Kellogg airport. This includes an air show (often including the USAF Thunderbirds), a carnival midway, and the famous Hot Air Balloon launch.
  • The World's Longest Breakfast Table (CerealFest): 9 June 2018. takes place every summer in downtown Battle Creek, featuring parades and free cereal. (date needs updating)
  • Festival of Lights: 17 November – 31 December 2018. takes place every throughout Battle Creek with most buildings sporting Christmas lights, and light-up displays of the 12 Days of Christmas with a Kellogg's twist. (date needs updating)

Buy

Eat

The usual chain-type family restaurants are clustered near I-94 on the southern edge of town.

Drink
  • Arcadia brewery, Michigan Avenue. 

Sleep

motels are mostly located near the Interstate highway.

Connect

Go next
  • Kalamazoo
  • Gull Lake is a half-hour NW of the city.
  • Marshall is a pretty little town east of Battle Creek, the Dark Horse Brewery there has excellent micro-brew beer in a casual atmosphere. Marshall also has many fine Victorian houses and a pedestrian-friendly downtown.
Routes through Battle Creek

Chicago ← Kalamazoo ←  W  E  → East Lansing → Port Huron
Chicago ← Kalamazoo ←  W  E  → Jackson → Detroit
Michigan City ← Kalamazoo ←  W  E  → Marshall → Ann Arbor
Grand Rapids ← Jct W E ←  N  S  → END


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